9 Rising Stars You Need To Know In 2023
Discover the actors, artists and writers whose brilliant work is set to be zeitgeist-defining in the next few months. OLIVE WAKEFIELD and KATIE BERRINGTON reveal the names you need to have on your radar
Molly Gordon
With memorable parts in Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart and Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby, Molly Gordon is the indie icon on the rise that directors are queuing up to work with. This summer, she directs, produces, writes and stars in Theater Camp, a comedy that follows an eccentric theater troupe tasked with keeping their company alive when its founder (Amy Sedaris) suddenly falls into a coma. Expect a laugh-out-loud, madcap farce. And look out for Gordon in the second season of critically acclaimed show The Bear, in what is rumored to be a curve-ball plotline. One thing’s for sure: this multi-hyphenate marvel will be running Hollywood soon enough.
Theater Camp is in movie theaters from July 14. The Bear is on Hulu from June 22
Déja J Bowens
Fresh out of theater school, Déja J Bowens has been snapped up to play the leading role in Champion, the new headline drama from the BBC and Netflix, created by bestselling author Candice Carty-Williams, no less. Extraordinarily, this is Bowens’ on-screen debut, playing aspiring singer (all vocals are Bowens’ own) Vita Champion, whose phenomenal talent becomes an increasing threat to her rapper brother Bosco. A love letter to the music scene in South London as well as a gripping family drama, this is set to be a talking-point show.
Champion is on BBC and Netflix from July
Yasmin Finney
When the lovable teen-drama Heartstoppers dropped last year, all eyes were fixed on Yasmin Finney as the kooky Elle Argent, a trans teenager dealing with bullying at her high school. Her performance established Finney as a mega breakthrough talent, and she returns for the highly anticipated second season of the show in August. It doesn’t stop there: as 2023 closes, Finney joins Dr. Who in the role of Rose for the iconic show’s 60th-anniversary specials.
Heartstoppers is on Netflix from August 3
Havana Rose Liu
With a list of former co-stars including Sandra Oh, Juliette Lewis and Cherry Jones, Havana Rose Liu has learned her skills from the industry’s finest. This summer, catch Liu in Emma Seligman (Shiva Baby) and Rachel Sennott’s (Bodies Bodies Bodies) much-buzzed about new project, Bottoms – about two high-school outsiders who start a fight club. She’ll star alongside a roster of emerging talent, such as Kaia Gerber and The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri.
Bottoms is in movie theaters from August
Flo
This power trio are dominating the airwaves with their catchy blend of R&B – check their viral anthem Cardboard Box. They’ve earned fans such as SZA and Kelly Rowland along the way, with Missy Elliott recently recruiting them for a collaboration. When they are not front row at Loewe, you’ll find Flo playing all the major festivals this summer. Watch out, Glastonbury.
Flo’s single Fly Girl, featuring Missy Elliot, is out now
Kelela
One of the most exciting talents in dance music, Kelela’s long-awaited second album, Raven, dropped earlier this year to brilliant reviews and a string of sell-out shows. Fans and critics keep returning to her eclectic, genre-defying melodies, with lyrics that touch on identity, politics and philosophy. Get familiar with her sound and don’t miss her on tour throughout the summer.
Kelela’s album, Raven, is out now
Empress Of
Hot on the heels of touring with Rina Sawayama, Lorely Rodriguez – aka Empress Of – is the dream-pop darling fans can’t get enough of. Over the past few years, she has collaborated with Dev Hynes, Tommy Genesis and Bryce Dessner of The National (Taylor Swift’s go-to guy) – all of whom have been transfixed by her singular sound. For fans of Gracie Abrams, Lana Del Rey and Lykke Li, Empress Of should be added to the playlist immediately.
Empress Of’s EP, Save Me, is out now
Tembe Denton-Hurst
Making her name in beauty and culture-writing, Tembe Denton-Hurst is currently working full-time for New York Magazine, but she has also found time to release her debut novel, Homebodies, which has garnered early rave reviews for its searing coming-of-age story about a young, Black, queer writer who loses her job in media and posts a letter online about racism and mistreatment in the industry that subsequently goes viral. Consider it one of the year’s must-reads.
Homebodies is out in July
Celine Song
Playwright Celine Song’s debut feature, Past Lives, which she writes and directs, got lots of buzz and acclaim when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. A bittersweet modern romance, starring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro, the movie follows two childhood friends who are are reunited after 20 years during a fateful week in New York.
Past Lives is out in UK movie theaters on September 8
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