As Black History Month draws to a close in 2022, when is better to look to the future of film and TV and some wonderful examples of talent on our screens?
Whether they’re Marvel stars, Peaky Blinders, acclaimed actor-writers, soap stars or the latest It girls of huge teen dramas, there is no shortage of talent on the rise.
RadioTimes.com has selected some truly brilliant individuals who are taking film and TV by storm and we can’t wait to see what they do next.
Black History Month 2022: Rising Stars
Jayme Lawson
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After graduating from the esteemed Juilliard School in 2019, Jayme Lawson has gone from strength to strength in her career, landing a role in the film Farewell Amor the following year.
However, her breakout role proved to be The Batman in 2022 where she portrayed Bella Reál, the mayoral candidate for Gotham City who combats corruption and organised crime.
Since then, Lawson has played a young Michelle Obama in the Paramount+ series The First Lady, Alisha in the thriller How to Blow Up a Pipeline, and the historical epic The Woman King.
Next, Lawson can be seen as the civil rights activist and journalist Myrlie Evers in the historical drama Till. This is unlikely to be the only awards contender that Lawson will star in throughout her career. Lewis Knight.
Daryl McCormack
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Unless you watched the Irish soap Fair City, your first encounter with Daryl McCormack would have been as Peaky Blinder Isaiah Jesus in Steven Knight’s BBC drama. But the role was limited, with McCormack unable to showcase what he’s capable of.
That’s now changed, of course, following impressive performances in Pixie, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, in which he starred alongside Dame Emma Thompson, and Sharon Horgan’s Bad Sisters.
Going toe to toe with Thompson is no small feat but he matched her throughout, his innate charm shining through, while Pixie gave him the opportunity to flaunt his comedic chops, and Horgan’s black comedy saw him navigate tricky waters to deliver both fun and real emotional heft.
And with two upcoming thrillers in the works – The Tutor with Julie Delpy and Richard E Grant, and BBC series The Woman in the Wall with Ruth Wilson – there’s plenty more to come from this rising star. Abby Robinson.
Kelvin Harrison Jr
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Since bursting onto the scene with a key role in the 2017 horror flick It Comes at Night, Kelvin Harrison Jr has gone from strength to strength – shining in a huge range of films and bagging a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2021.
His versatility is perhaps best exemplified by the three markedly different real-life characters he’s played in recent years: Black Panther Party chairman Fred Hampton in the Trial of the Chicago 7, legendary blues musician BB King in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis and virtuoso violinist and composer Joseph Bologne in the period biopic Chevalier.
Harrison also starred opposite Peter Dinklage in Joe Wright’s musical Cyrano and will shortly work with Barry Jenkins in The Lion King 2 – voicing a young version of Scar.
These roles might all be very different, but Harrison has reliably brought charisma and charm to each performance and looks set to continue his recent rise in the years to come. Patrick Cremona.
Marcus Rutherford
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Despite roles in Brit dramas County Lines and Obey, Marcus Rutherford truly struck gold when he was cast in the Prime Video fantasy series The Wheel of Time, based on the best-selling fantasy novel series of the same name.
Rutherford was cast in the role of one of the show’s lead heroes, Perrin Aybara, who will go on to play a major role across the entire series.
Delivering a likeable everyman quality but also a necessary sense of bravery and courage, Rutherford easily goes toe-to-toe with a seasoned player like Rosamund Pike in the show.
With a guaranteed future on-screen with the series, we’re sure Rutherford will be attracting attention from casting directors in the industry for years to come. Lewis Knight.
Omari Douglas
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When Omari Douglas joined the cast of It’s a Sin, Russell T Davies’s drama about love and loss during the UK’s HIV/AIDS epidemic, he wasn’t a household name. He had substantial stage experience but had yet to make his mark on-screen.
Fast-forward to It’s a Sin’s arrival in 2021 and that all changed.
The role of Roscoe, an unashamedly gay man with a passion for fashion, required an abundance of swagger and Douglas met the brief, and then some. Whatever Davies’ script demanded – comedy, drama or a combination of the two – Douglas delivered, proving himself to be one of the most exciting new faces on the scene.
That memorable performance prompted speculation that he was in the running to be cast as the next Doctor Who, high praise indeed, and in 2022 he received an Olivier Award nomination for his performance in stage show Constellations. He’s also set to appear in two films, both with all-star casts – And Mrs with Billie Lourd and Colin Hanks, and Midas Man with Emily Watson and Eddie Marsan. We will also be seeing him opposite Billie Piper in I Hate Suzie Too.
The future is bright for this one. Abby Robinson.
Jessica Plummer
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Despite beginning her time in the public eye as part of the girl band Neon Jungle, Jessica Plummer proved her acting chops when she played the sweet Chantelle Atkins in EastEnders.
Introduced with a seemingly perfect family life, it soon became clear that Chantelle was a victim of domestic abuse, beginning a long-running storyline that saw Plummer convey the anxiety and trauma from living in daily torment.
The storyline reached a shocking and conversation-starting climax when Chantelle was murdered by her husband Gray in scenes that showed Plummer at the height of her powers.
Since leaving EastEnders, the actress went on to compete in the 2020 season of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and proved a popular campmate, finishing in sixth place.
Plummer then went on to steal the show in the glossy BBC adaptation of the thriller The Girl Before, going on to secure a BAFTA nomination for her performance.
Plummer’s star continues to rise and we’re sure we will be seeing her on our screens again soon. Lewis Knight.
Jordan Peters
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Whether it is in the conversation-starting film Blue Story or parts in Gangs of London or After Ever Happy, Jordan Peters is already sporting a fascinating filmography.
Peters is particularly memorable as Nell’s too-perfect boyfriend Neil in the brilliant BBC comedy-drama Everything I Know About Love.
The actor will next be seen as King Edward in the boldly historically inaccurate My Lady Jane, which is due to be released next year.
We doubt this will be the biggest role in the young actor’s future. Lewis Knight.
Quinta Brunson
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Quinta Brunson is one of the most exciting talents to come from the US, in part due to the success of Abbott Elementary – her Emmy-winning sitcom. The 32-year-old is the creator, executive producer, writer and star of this ABC comedy, picking up multiple awards this year, which is an impressive feat considering how difficult it is to break out onto the sitcom scene.
With roles in Big Mouth, A Black Lady Sketch Show, Miracle Workers and the upcoming biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Quinta Brunson is a comedian and creator on the rise.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com about being considered a rising star, Brunson said: “Well I’m excited because I think that all of the Black writers in America are just puzzle pieces, part of a bigger puzzle. And I think that a lot of the people more recently who have come before me like Issa [Rae], and Donald [Glover] have paved the way for me.
“And I think people like Issa and Donald, for instance, always knew what I was capable of, like, these are two people who always really believed in me, just supported me or to even go further back, like Larry Wilmore always supported what I was capable of.
“I just hope that I’m able to do that for whoever is coming next. And I think the way to do that is by, you know, breaking barriers, so to speak – that’s what’s cool with those nominations or writing the best I can to push outside of the boxes even further, so that whoever’s coming up next has even more space to work in and make something great. So I just hope that I’m being a good next puzzle piece for whatever is to come next.” Lauren Morris.
Matthew James Morrison
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After an affecting turn in the indie film Boy Meets Boy, it was clear the talents of Matthew James Morrison were destined to be more widely seen.
You can’t get much wider than one of Britain’s most-watched shows, the long-running soap opera EastEnders, where Morrison has made history as the first regular character who is also a drag queen – Felix Baker aka Tara Misu.
Delivering feistiness, fabulousness and fire both in and out of drag, Felix also boasts vulnerability and true comedic chops and none of that would be possible without Morrison, providing the soap with a new fan favourite straight out of the gate when he debuted earlier this year.
We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Morrison and Felix. Lewis Knight.
Yasmin Finney
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Yasmin Finney is one of TV’s most promising young stars. Finney stole our hearts with her role as Elle Argent in Netflix’s LGBTQ+ coming-of-age series Heartstopper, which has been praised for its authentic and accurate representation.
Through Finney’s Elle, a Black trans teenager who moves to an all-girls school after leaving her friends at the boys’, the show serves us with refreshingly positive and vital young, Black and queer representation.
If that wasn’t enough, Finney has joined the cast of sci-fi series Doctor Who and will appear in scenes due to air in 2023. On track to change the Whouniverse with her Black trans character Rose, Finney is certainly one to watch. Molly Moss.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph
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In a cast as star-studded as mystery comedy Only Murders in the Building, it takes a lot of talent to stand out. Fortunately, Da’Vine Joy Randolph is up to the challenge, becoming an absolute fan favourite as no-nonsense police detective Donna Williams.
Initially dismissing our hapless true crime podcasters, this character has evolved over two seasons to become their ally on the force; a journey made so much fun by Randolph’s brilliant comic performance.
Following a supporting role in Sandra Bullock’s sleeper hit The Lost City earlier this year, the future is looking bright for this rising star, who has several projects coming up on her packed schedule.
In addition to more comedy work, including collaborations with the likes of Michael Shannon and Paul Giamatti, Randolph will also be flexing her dramatic muscle with Netflix’s civil rights drama Rustin and The Weeknd’s much-anticipated HBO series The Idol. Make sure both are on your radar. David Craig.
Whitney Peak
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Ugandan-Canadian actress Whitney Peak is not even 20 years old but is already making a name for herself.
Having already starred in hit shows Home After Dark and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Peak truly announced herself to the world when she landed the role of co-lead Zoya Lott in the revived series Gossip Girl.
Despite her youth, Peak brings charisma, glamour and conviction to Zoya, making her more than just your average teenage caricature and forming a dynamite duo with co-star Jordan Alexander as half-sister Julien.
The series is set to return to our screens for a second season soon and we can’t wait to see what material Peak has in store for us. Lewis Knight.
Dua Saleh
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Dua Saleh is a rising star diversifying the small screen through their role as Cal in Sex Education.
Through Saleh’s Cal, who joined the Netflix series back in season 3, the show serves us a nuanced depiction of life as a Black and non-binary person, as the character faces discrimination from the school’s new head teacher.
Their storyline isn’t bogged down in misery though, as is too often the case in mainstream Black trans narratives, and also offers a refreshingly positive take on Black friendship, love and identity as Cal navigates meeting new students and embarks on a new romance.
With Sex Education season 4 on the way, we can’t wait to see Saleh’s next performance. Molly Moss.
Jonathan Majors
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Jonathan Majors has been teetering on the brink of superstardom for some time now, but 2023 looks set to give him that final burst of momentum.
The actor became a favourite of critics and movie buffs alike in unsung masterpieces The Last Black Man in San Francisco and Da 5 Bloods. But it was the one-two punch of HBO fantasy drama Lovecraft Country and stylish Netflix western The Harder They Fall that finally brought him mainstream attention.
Undoubtedly, Majors is movie star material, displaying the limitless charisma of a leading man, with an underlying vulnerability that makes his characters particularly compelling.
Next year, his fandom will only grow with two sure-fire hits coming down the pipeline. First, he’ll make his formal MCU debut as Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (after a stunning cameo in the Loki finale), before stepping into the ring with Michael B Jordan for sporting sequel Creed III. We’re expecting a knockout performance. David Craig.
See what else is on with our TV Guide.
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