Which of these '94 born actors will follow Saoirse Ronan to an Oscar nomination?
Monday, March 29, 2021 at 10:51AM by Nathaniel R
Saoirse Ronan for Vogue magazine
It's 27 days until Oscar so we thought we'd have a little speculative discussion prompt with the magic number of 27. Saoirse Ronan, who turns 27 next month, is the only actor born in 1994 to have been Oscar nominated so far. What's more she's already done it an incredible four times. Still Saoirse won't be the only Oscar-nominated member of the '94 vintage for much longer. The late twentysomething years is when female actors start getting Oscar-nominated and it's when the male actors start buiding the kind of fame that eventually earns them nominations (we don't make these double standard arbitrary age rules but it's how Hollywood operates, statistically and generally speaking).
So who do you think will be the first to join Saoirse from this crop of actors turning 27 in 2021? We've selected six that we're most impressed by (currently) after the jump as well as a few handfuls of alternates. Which of these actors are you rooting for and who has the brightest future?
PRIME BORN IN '94* SUSPECTS FOR FUTURE OSCAR NOMINATIONS
They're turning 27 this year and big careers could be coming...
Dakota Fanning former child star
As an enormously popular child star (I Am Sam and War of the Worlds) she was so widely considered bound for Oscar that SNL even made jokes about it. But her career quieted in her teenage years as her little sister Elle's fame grew. She's been showing signs of renewed strength, though. She had a tiny fun cameo in Oceans Eight and reminded everyone of her considerable hold on the camera with her disturbing sequence in Once Upon a Time ...in Hollywood. Though we'd argue she was a bit stiff in the series The Alienist we believe that with the right role the accolades would surely pile up again. Up next: Two very promising-sounding projects. First is the World War II era sibling drama Nightingale opposite her sister Elle (due this Christmas in theaters) and then, supposedly, the screen adaptation of Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar which she's also producing.
Julia Garner the Emmy darling
We first noticed Garner opposite Lily Tomlin in Grandma (2015) but that was definitely the Lily show so we confess we didn't see an amazing future. We were wrong! Julia's career took off soon thereafter with her popular role on the crime drama Ozark (2017). She's won two Emmys for it already! But why should TV get to keep her? She proved her ability to carry a film with a beautifully understated turn in The Assistant (2020) so we're hoping for even bigger and better roles in the near future. Up next: One final season of Ozark and then her schedule is wide open. We're guessing she's being inundated with offers right about now.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. charisma for days
He was really building momentum pre-pandemic with huge roles in two polarizing ambitious films Luce (with Naomi Watts and Octavia Spencer) and Waves (with Sterling K Brown)... He was our gold medalists last year for Breakthrough Actor. He recently appeared in The Trial of the Chicago 7 as Fred Hampton (a role that scored Daniel Kaluuya his current Oscar nod in a different film, Judas and the Black Messiah) but we're eager for him to be challenged again because Chicago 7 barely had time for him since he wasn't truly part of the trial. Bonus points for Kelvin's clear love of actresses (not something you often hear from young male stars). If you read or listen to interviews with him you'll note right away that he regularly cites very excellent female actors as inspirations and influences. Up next: a supporting part in Joe Wright's take on the Cyrano de Bergerac story (with Peter Dinklage in the very famous big-nosed role), and playing B.B. King in Baz Luhrmann's untitled Elvis Presley biopic. Both are due in 2022 so this year will be the quiet before the (hopeful) storm.
Connor Jessup. a not-so hidden gem
This out Canadian actor is a true talent, having already delivered memorable nuanced performances in both Closet Monster in theaters and American Crime on TV. He's also a cinephile with good taste in directors so hopefully there's lots of exciting collaborations in his future. Up next: another season of Locke & Key which we're looking forward to but which nobody will be winning awards for. Where is the next American Crime level role for him? We know he'll nail it.
Margaret Qualley good genes
Andie MacDowell's daughter made minor headway toward prestige-land in the nun drama Novitiate (2017) and as the angry daughter in The Leftovers but things really heated up in 2019 playing Ann Reinking in the much lauded Fosse/Verdon miniseries and especially with her scene-stealing barefoot "Kitty Kat" in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time ...in Hollywood. Up next: She has the leading roles in both the miniseries Maid for Netflix and director Scott Cooper's next drama A Head Full of Ghosts.
Taylor Russell the stealth powerhouse
She sneaks up on you. She unexpectedly owned the second half of Trey Edward Shults's riveting family drama Waves in a role that arguably shouldn't have been that affecting on the page. That film definitely marked her as a future Oscar hopeful if the right role happens. What else can she elevate? You may have also seen her in Escape Room, Lost in Space, or Words on Bathroom Walls but we're eager for her next Waves level effort. C'mon Hollywood. Get to it! Up next: A sequel to Escape Room. Hey, an actor's gotta eat.
Other possibilities depending on talent, opportunities, taste levels, their teams, and dumb luck...
Kyle Allen - pictured right (The Map of Tiny Perfect Things and the upcoming West Side Story), Moises Arias -pictured left (The King of Staten Island, Five Feet Apart, and upcoming The Things They Carried), Lucy Boynton - pictured above (Sing Street, Bohemian Rhapsody, and the upcoming Faithfull), Zoey Deutsch (Set It Up, Everybody Wants Some, The Politician), Alice Englert (Them That Follow, Top of the Lake, The Rehearsal), Taissa Farmiga (The Mule, The Nun, Bling Ring), Noah Galvin (Booksmart, The Real O'Neals), Eili Harboe (The Wave, Thelma, and the upcoming thriller The Northwoods), Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things, upcoming The Souvenir Part II), Brigette Lundy-Paine (Aytpical, Bill & Ted Face the Music, Bombshell), Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things, Power Rangers), Erin Moriarty (Captain Fantastic, Jessica Jones, The Boys), Dakota Blue Richards (Golden Compass, Beecham House), Jessica Sula (Split, Godless, The Lovers) and Kofee Siriboe (Girls Trip, Queen Sugar) and probably hundreds more who haven't landed a good role yet.
Reader Comments (39)
Dakota Fanning was SAG nominated for I Am Sam, so I’m tempted to say she was probably very close to an Oscar nomination, but incredibly Supporting Actress only matched up ONE for five between SAG and Oscar that year, so who knows how close she actually was?
Either way, I still think she’ll be nominated someday. And I think Elle will be nominated someday too.
I would have nominated Julia Garner this year. She feels like she's slowly building an enviable career (She was great on The Americans as well).
Agree, all six of your standouts have the royal jelly. You just need to see them once or twice and you remember.
Especially hoping for more from Harrison, Russell and Jessup. The other three seem already on their way.
Excellent top six: Kelvin, Connor, Julia, and Taylor are among the most exciting young actors (those boys sure are beautiful too). Before the final season of Ozark, Julia Garner also has the Shonda Rhimes helmed miniseries Inventing Anna on the docket. What do you make of the Julia as Madonna biopic rumors? Not in terms of an Oscars play necessarily.
1. Garner
2. Harrison
3. Deutsch
4. Russell
5. Qualley
6. Fanning
Unpopular opinion 1: I think Julia Garner is a bit hammy in Ozark.
Unpopular opinion 2: Ronan didn't deserve her nom for Little Women.
Love Kelvin. He should be a America's next movie star but studios don't know how to make them anymore.
Dakota and Kelvin seem most likely to me, especially the latter who seems to just keep missing a true BREAKOUT role.
Wouldn't be surprised to see the Fanning sisters join the DeHavilland/Fontaine and Redgrave sisters as nominated against each other sometime in the next 5 years. The media will love it (as they did before).
Taylor Russell was outstanding in Waves.
I hope Dakota Fanning returns, she deserves it.
Lucy Boynton is going to play Marianne Faithfull???? Color me excited.
Well hopefully Taylor Russell gets more oppurtunities to do what she did in the bench scene in Waves,the others i'm not that excited about.
Ronan is either on her way to a win which I hopes is deserved and not a lot of Kate Winslet type hooey or destined to be Amy Adams.
What about George McKay, or Barry Keoghan both gettng better all the time.
Julia Garner will probably be the first to follow Saoirse’s steps into the Oscar stardom. Other favorites of mine are Margaret Qualley and Lucy Boynton. Among the Fannings, I think Elle will be nominated soon - and before Dakota.
Out of these Harrison and Boynton, to me, have the greatest potential.
I like Noah Galvin a lot, but I don't see as many opportunities in front of him.
Yeah to George MacKay (but he‘s 29, too old for this list).
working & mark -- yes, i *LOVE* MacKay but i was doing a very specific "born in '94" grouping
Lucy Boynton is cast in the prestige ensemble films a lot so I'd say she has a good chance. And sometimes the academy likes to give out his and hers Oscars- she is partnered with Rami Malek.
Tom G -- yeah. i think she might be a better bet that some of the six i highlighted but i am also choosing (partially) on personal preference. It's a mix of who i really think and a few i most like. And yes, i'm doing this again tomorrow and the day after that. haha.
McKay looks younger than his years,I always thought he was about 22 - 24.
Julia Garner feels like a sure thing. The only challenge is that it's easy to see her floating between mini-series and movies, giving her less chances to score an actual nomination.
Connor Jessup gave a great performance in American Crime, but it remains to be seen whether he can get the roles he needs. I do wonder though, with all of the moves the industry has made, if his being out AND known for playing queer charcters in TV and Indie films will really hurt him. It shouldn't, but I'm just surprised more hasn't happened post-American Crime.
I don't get Margartet Qualley at all. I didn't find her performance in Once Upon a Time or Fosse/Verdon to be inspired. Especially given all of the talent around her. However, her emmy nomination and roles shows the industry is dying to make her a star, so she'll be a globe nominee soon, and if she nails a role, an Oscar nom will be hers. She's peaking at the right moment.
I think Dakota is done when it comes to Oscar buzz. She''ll get interesting roles and people will love her, but I don't see her as getting the types of roles that the Academy will reward.
Russell is great. The biggest challenge for her will be convincing producers to cast her instead of Zendaya. Hollywood is so good at elevating one actress. I hope there's room for Russell.
Ansel Elgort turned 27 March 14. If WSS garners attention, don't count him out.
Julie Garner and Kelvin Harrison Jr have both gotten some attention recently.
Don't forget Crystal also turns 27 this year though AMPAS has a bias against nonhuman actors.
Julia Garner's performance in the Assistant is actually better than several of our Oscar nominee's. I'm probably the only one who believes the Assistant is the better metoo movie than Promising Young Woman.
Sam - I do, too (and I love Promising Young Woman).
Saoirse should've win for Lady Bird. And then Frances could get a more deserved second this year.
I miss Dakota, although I wonder if her sister is slightly better? Not sure honestly, haven't paid enough attention. But I do miss Dakota. It was nice to see her in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Wasn't Julia Garner rumored to be in talks to play Madonna in a biopic? Or was that just the internet internet-ing?
Lenard: NEITHER lead got acting nominations for the original West Side Story. In 1961. In the middle of the Academy's "musical fever" period (Late 50s-Late 60s). And if a reprise of an Oscar WINNING role from that period, from the heavily ignored Emily Blunt, ultimately can't get a nomination...? NO WAY either West Side Story lead happens. You might get different roles with supporting nominations than last time (Rita Moreno being nominated for BOTH West Side Story adaptations in different roles...? An Oscar Nomination for the new Action, as in "Easy, Action!"...?), but that's about all I could imagine.
Philip -- yes julia is rumored to be playing Madonna but it's not confirmed. There was at least some substance to this rumor but it's definitely not an official thing.
I'd say definitely Garner, she's pretty phenomenal in everything she does, She and Juno Temple in the first Dirty John were fantastic.
I don't get the Qualley hype, she was forgettable in Hollywood, she was...fine in Fosse/Verdon. But the truly heinous video she made w/ Shia LeBoeuf was embarrassing.
Lenard, Ansel Elgort is likely the next actor cancelled for sexual abuse allegations and depending if Steven Spielberg blacklisted him after pissing off for his film.
too young but Théodore Pellerin
leon: Just looked that up and...If there were ANY teeth to the allegation, she'd have gone to court. Or other people would have come forward, because sexual assault is like Lays chips. Or both. But...none of those things happened. And, also, it's not like there aren't more SOLID reasons, that I brought up already, to doubt Elgort getting nominated for West Side Story.
Dakota is the obvious bet for who'll get nominated from this list but Taylor Russell could be a spoil. She really elevated her role in Waves, can't wait to see what she does next.
I would love to see Kofi Siriboe get a good movie role. He is great on Queen Sugar, a criminally overlooked series.
Nathaniel : doubt the Madonna biopic will ever happen. Madonna cowriting and directing her life story sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Love our Madge madly but no - just no.
They may have to wait some time - '84 babies just got validated last year with Scarlett Johansson. Everyone listed has impressed me - but my money's on Julia and Kelvin. I think Ansel Elgort is still in the game.
I literally cannot remember Fanning in OUATiH.
Ronan is a member of The Inevitables. Heck she will probably renew her membership to the group even after her first Oscar win.
First: Ronan is overrated but trendy, the Academy loves her enough to nominate her for Little Women when they had Lupita Nyong'o, Jessie Buckley and Awkwafina right there.
Second: I can easily see Garner & Harrison Jr. happening very soon. Qualley looks like she has lots of potential but I yet have to see her blow me away and Boynton reads to me like the next Sienna Miller , always brilliant (The Lost City of Z. American Woman, Wonder Darkly) always underappreciated.
None of this.
The only posssibilities for me are Lucy Boynton and maybe Taissa Farmiga.
By the way, two great names:Elizabeth Debicki and Ben Platt.
How old are they?
Julia and Kelvin definitely have Oscars in their future. Dakota I hope does too. She's such a wonderful actress but like you said, everyone talks about Elle now.
Joe G., I agree with everything you said. Jessup was absolutely heart breaking in "American Crime" and quite good in "Closet Monster." I'm waiting for him to have a breakout in something other than his "Stranger Things" wannabe on Netflix. The gay thing may have hurt him, but he was so GREAT in "American Crimes," that show's best performance by a mile and it had Queen Regina. It'd be a crime if he didn't get more roles to show his range.