Shining a spotlight on six of this year’s actors who tugged on our heart strings, danced with our emotions, provoked our thoughts—and altogether stole the show
By Joe McGovern
Photography by Magnus Unnar
Fashion and creative direction by Michaela Dosamantes
In astronomy and show business, it’s a big deal when new stars are discovered. The brief history of movies can be illustrated by bursts of light—moments when the celestial universe was permanently altered by new arrivals on the screen. But there are no guarantees in acting. Even the most household of names had to earn their place in the firmament: Denzel Washington excelled on stage and television before breaking into movies; Brad Pitt toiled in bit parts for years, barely noticed by anyone; Timothée Chalamet was told he might be too skinny for leading man status.
On these pages, we offer you a glimpse into the giant telescope of cinema. The six actors in this portfolio all emerged brilliantly into view during the past year. Two made their movie debuts; one acted in his first American film; one elevated into the blockbuster realm after carving out a career in indies. They range in age from their 20s to their 50s. They hail from Miami, Atlanta, New York, Tennessee, Mexico City and Central Russia. Each intimately understands their craft and how their journeys have carried them to this present place.
Several of their life stories sound like plots of movies. Have you heard about an architect, experiencing empty-nest syndrome with his wife in Vancouver, who took acting classes on Zoom during the pandemic, leading to a major role in one of the year’s biggest and most lauded films? This actually happened to one of these men.
Or the prison inmate who joined a jailhouse theater workshop designed to shine creativity into the lives of the incarcerated—and then, when a feature film was made about the program, played himself to unanimous acclaim? Or the two young men who needed to unlearn the basic rules of movie acting to create an innovative style of first-person storytelling? Or the university student who took off his clothes and lit a cig for his audition tape—and landed the part? True stories, all.
Each of the six actors photographed here is a new stunner in the movie universe. The indelible characters they’ve created make us laugh, break our hearts and fulfill the fundamental promise of movies: generating empathy for lives unfamiliar to our own. Remember their faces, don’t forget their names. Prepare to be starstruck.
Brandon Wilson, “Nickel Boys“
In “Nickel Boys,” about young Black men at an inhumane reform school in 1960s Florida, Wilson portrays the best buddy of Elwood, the story’s main character. But because of the film’s bravura first-person perspective, it’s Wilson’s expressive face that we often see. “The relationship helps each other to recognize that they have more than just this piece of the world,” the actor said. “The world can be much bigger than these limiting beliefs that constantly are put upon (us) and that we adopt as our own.”
Mark Eydelshteyn, “Anora“
In “Anora,” the Russian-born Eydelshteyn plays an oligarch’s spoiled son and delivers one of the most ecstatic, intoxicated bursts of energy on movie screens in memory. A college student and part-time actor when he was recommended for the film by his co-star Yura Borisov, Eydelshteyn submitted a self-tape in character: naked, smoking and frantically rambling. The audition won over director Sean Baker and then millions of moviegoers.
Clarence Maclin, “Sing Sing“
Nicknamed “Divine Eye” and equipped with a natural charm that makes him difficult not to love, Maclin made his movie debut in “Sing Sing” as a younger version of himself. Until 2012, he was incarcerated in the titular correctional facility, where he found purpose through a prison arts program. “If someone would have told me 10 years ago that I’d be here,” he said upon winning an acting trophy at the Gotham Awards, “they could not have made me believe it.”
Carlos Diehz, “Conclave“
Diehz is a one-time Vancouver architect whose acting classes during lockdown paid off with his performance as the mysterious Cardinal Benitez in “Conclave.” Credit Deihz’s innate gentleness and soothing voice for the success of his performance—and the wisdom of German director Edward Berger, who took a risk by casting this movie outsider and allowing him to steal scenes like a seasoned character actor who’s been doing it for years.
Ethan Herisse, “Nickel Boys“
Known previously for his soulful role as one of the Central Park Five in “When They See Us,” Herisse plays Elwood in “Nickel Boys,” serving as the victimized young man who is our eyes and ears for much of the story. “Elwood’s bravery is something I admire,” he said, adding, “The way people have been experiencing this movie has brought about a bit of hope in humanity overall and the knowledge that people do care.”
Fred Hechinger, “Thelma,“ “Gladiator II“ and “Nickel Boys“
A thoughtful and versatile performer, Hechinger’s credits include TV’s “The White Lotus,” “The Underground Railroad” and “Pam & Tommy.” On the big screen in 2024, he whiplashed between playing June Squibb’s loving, wayward grandson in “Thelma,” a crooked school employee in “Nickel Boys” and his pièce de résistance performance as the brain-rotted Emperor Caracalla in “Gladiator II,” the actor’s first blockbuster hit.
CREDITS
Entertainment and Bookings Editor: Kegan Webb.
Market editor: Daniel Victoria Gleason
Makeup Artist: Nora Kryst
Hair stylist: Johnnie Sapong using Leonor Greyl at the Wall Group
Clarence’s groomer: Andrea Pezzillo.
Fred’s groomer: Christine Nelli.
Producer: Martha Barr for tiagi.
Production assistant: Christian Senrud.
Fashion assistants: Darryl Anderson and Jaimon Ott
Special thanks: Pascal Mihr.
Johnnie Sapong
Johnnie Sapong is a Los Angeles-based international groomer and hairstylist who specializes in African American hair and wig work. He worked his magic
on the actors featured in “Men of the Hour.”