Many of entertainment's greatest names began their careers as nobodies. These actors and actresses took what small parts they could get, searching for that breakthrough role that would make them a star. Hungry and determined, or maybe just desperate, they put everything they had into their debut, hoping to blow the socks off audiences and filmmakers alike. And they succeeded. We spotted their talents the moment they stepped on screen, and their performances stayed with us long after the credits rolled.
The 2010s gave us the next generation of up-and-coming stars. These names are the future of entertainment and will likely dominate the acting scene -- until they're inevitably replaced by the next wave of great actors and actresses. We know these stars now for their iconic roles and riveting performances. For some of them, that first role has been their greatest work...so far. For others, their debut was a stepping stone in their career and paved the path to their current success. Let's take a look at ten of the greatest debuts from the 2010s, long before any of these names were famous.
10 Quvenzhané Wallis - Beasts of the Southern Wild
Director Benh Zeitlin reportedly auditioned 4,000 girls for the role of Hushpuppy in his critically acclaimed film, Beasts of the Southern Wild. This wasn't a minor, supporting part; it was the lead role of the movie. The auditions mandated a minimum age of six-years-old, but five-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis lied about her age in order to audition for the part. As soon as Zeitlin saw her, he knew that he had found his leading lady.
Wallis received critical acclaim for her performance as Hushpuppy and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. She's currently the youngest nominee in that category and the first person born in the 21st century to be nominated for an Academy Award. Since then, Wallis has appeared in a number of movies and TV shows, including 12 Years a Slave, American Horror Stories, and the 2014 remake of Annie.
9 Sophie Turner - Game of Thrones
Unless you live under a rock, you've heard of Game of Thrones, the fantasy epic that dominated television and our lives between 2011 and 2019. The show boasted an enormous cast, many of whom were unknown names at the time. One of them was Sophie Turner. Her role as Sansa Stark, the ignorant young girl who grows into a fierce and intelligent leader, was her acting debut -- not just in TV but in anything, which makes her casting that much more impressive.
Only 14 years old at the time, Turner was encouraged to audition by her drama teacher and dyed her hair auburn for the part. And from there, the rest is history. Since her critically acclaimed performance on Game of Thrones, Turner has played other roles, most notably Jean Grey in the rebooted X-Men franchise. Other Game of Thrones debuts include Kit Harrington, who played Jon Snow, and Maisie Williams, who played Sansa's indomitable sister Arya Stark.
8 Millie Bobby Brown - Once Upon a Time in Wonderland
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland was the spin-off of ABC's Once Upon a Time, a popular show that reimagined classic fairy tale characters with a modern twist. Based on the world from Lewis Carroll's beloved books, it follows an adult Alice's return to Wonderland. Two episodes flash back to Alice as a child during her first journey to this whimsical place. This little girl was noneother than Millie Bobby Brown in her acting debut. Despite its intriguing setup, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland was canceled after just one season. But things turned out OK for Millie Bobby Brown in the end. Just three years later, she landed a role that would change her life in a little Netflix show called Stranger Things.
7 Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit
Hailee Steinfeld has been acting since the age of 10. She technically appeared in several short films and TV shows in the late 2000s, but her major motion picture debut and breakout performance came in 2010's True Grit. Directed by the Coen brothers, True Grit was a remake of the classic film starring western legend John Wayne. Steinfeld was only 13 when she was cast in the role, but her acting chops left an impression on both critics and audiences. She's appeared in a number of movies and TV shows since. Her most recent roles are in the Apple+ TV show Dickinson and the critically acclaimed, animated film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
6 Tom Holland - The Impossible
The Impossible is a drama disaster film that flew under the radar back in 2012. It starred some big names, like Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, and a young, then-unknown Tom Holland. Holland garnered positive reviews for his on-screen debut, which was likely strengthened by his previous work as a stage actor. It was this acclaim that set him on the path to joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as this generation's definitive Spider-Man. He's starred in three films of the franchise so far and will supposedly be back for a fourth. Holland has nabbed other roles outside of Spider-Man and has become one of the most prominent actors to come out of the 2010s.
5 Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave
Steven McQueen's biographical film, 12 Years a Slave, is a masterpiece that delivers a visceral and harrowing depiction of the horrors of slavery. It featured riveting performances from lead actor Chiwetel Ejiofor and supporting star Michael Fassbender. But most notably, 12 Years a Slave was the motion picture debut for Lupita Nyong'o. With her first role, Nyong'o won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, seemingly launching her Hollywood career overnight. Her resume has grown considerably since then and now includes major roles in the Black Panther franchise and Jordan Peele's Us.
4 Ansel Elgort - Carrie
Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, 2013's Carrie was a remake and modern depiction of the original horror classic. It starred big names, like Chloe Moretz in the titular role and Julianne Moore as Carrie's psychotic, abusive mother. The movie also introduced up-and-coming star and future heartthrob, Ansel Elgort. Although Carrie was the actor's film debut, his breakout didn't come until the following year when he was cast in Divergent and The Fault in Our Stars. These two roles catapulted Elgort into the upper echelon of Hollywood. He's since starred in the critically acclaimed Baby Driver and Steven Spielberg's remake of West Side Story.
3 Anya Taylor-Joy - The Witch
At the age of 18, Anya Taylor-Joy landed her first movie role in the fantasy comedy-horror Vampire Academy. But she wound up getting cut from the film, her name omitted from the credits. This makes 2015's horror classic The Witch her official movie debut, a role she accepted over an offer from the Disney Channel. And it turned out to be a wise, career-making choice.
Taylor-Joy has been steadily climbing the Hollywood ladder ever since, appearing in major films like Split, Last Night in Soho, and The Menu. She also starred in Netflix's The Queen's Gambit, a miniseries that had everyone talking back in 2020, and recently voiced Princess Peach in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Taylor-Joy has established herself as a leading lady and is definitely someone to keep watching in the years to come.
2 Timothée Chalamet - Men, Women, and Children
We now regard Timothée Chalamet as Hollywood's "It guy," but things certainly didn't start out that way. Although he did appear in TV shows previously, his film debut came in 2014's Men, Women, and Children. He has a very small role and isn't even mentioned in its theatrical poster. The movie also stars another young actor on this list: Ansel Elgort. Later that same year, Chalamet appeared in Christopher Nolan's sci-fi epic Interstellar. But it wasn't until 2017's coming-of-age film, Call Me By Your Name, that Chalamet got his big break.Who knew that the bully in Men, Women, and Children, getting the crap beat out of him by Ansel Elgort, would end up as one of Hollywood's most promising leading men?
1 Zendaya - Spider-Man: Homecoming
If Timothée Chalamet is Hollywood's "It guy", then that makes Zendaya the"It girl." She began her illustrious career as a young singer and actress on the Disney Channel. Although she did appear on TV, Spider-Man: Homecoming marked the actress' film debut, where she starred alongside Tom Holland. And it was only up from there.
Zendaya has become one of the world's biggest stars, winning two Emmys (the youngest two-time recipient of the award) and a Golden Globe for her portrayal of a drug-addicted teenager in HBO's hit show Euphoria. 2023 is shaping up to be a big year for the young actress; she'll be starring in two major releases, the romantic comedy Challengers and the highly anticipated Dune: Part Two with Timothée Chalamet.
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