Six revelation actresses to keep track of in 2021

PREMIERESFrom West Side Story to the fourth installment of The Matrix, Zola or the second season of Netflix's hit Never have I ever. These six actresses are going to give a lot to talk about in the coming months

By Radhika Seth

What do the great stars that we will see on the small and the big screen have in common this 2021? Among other things, that they have had the talent and have worked hard enough to face one of the most difficult years that the film industry has experienced in its history. In doing so, yes, they have seen what aspects could change for the better. In the midst of the COVID-19 health crisis, characterized in recent months by the protests of the Black Lives Matter movement, greater political instability and a climate emergency that does not let up, this group of revelation actresses has not hesitated to raise their voices to claim a more diverse film industry that is more committed to society.

During the next twelve months we will see their faces again and again taking over the great screen successes, collaborating with the great directors and directors and, of course, collecting awards everywhere. However, these actresses are not content with just doing their work in front of the cameras. Some have already made their first steps as screenwriters. Others have taken on directing or audiovisual production, ready to tell stories about their community and create safe spaces that didn't exist when they first entered the industry.

Hollywood begins to take its first steps towards diversity and inclusion. We bring you six of the actresses who are leading that change.

1. Odessa Young

Shirley (2020), the thriller directed by Josephine Decker, has earned this 22-year-old Australian actress a brilliant performance with a perfect mix of naivety and malice that is, without a doubt, on par with her co-star, the actress Elisabeth Moss. Nobody is surprised at this point that Young started in the world of cinema at just 11 years old, before embarking on film projects such as The Daughter (2015) or Finding Grace (2015) or astonishing critics with the 2018 social satire Assassination Nation. In 2021, the actress will star in Mothering Sunday, a film for the whole family. Before, yes, she will appear in Apocalypse (2020 and 2021), the miniseries based on the Stephen King novel of the same name (1978) that narrates the comings and goings of a global pandemic. "It's such a prophetic series...", comments the actress with a shiver in between.

We caught you with the filming of Mothering Sunday just finished. How has it been working with colleagues of the stature of Olivia Colman, Colin Firth or Josh O'Connor?

“As a group, we had a great time. We have laughed, we have been joking on and off the set, etc. Poor Colin, for example, got involved in a little competition between myself and Josh. What began with a bet between the two to see who would have a beer with him first ended with a plot to see who would like him better. Obviously I won, but in the end Colin found out about the move and he wasn't too happy about it”.

In addition to your work, you are taking a very active role in the Black Lives Matter movement. In June, for example, you went public on Instagram that you had been arrested at a peaceful protest in New York. How was that experience?

“Well, the truth is that it was not in my plans that day that I was arrested. As a person who lives in New York, I felt it was important to speak out for all those people who live marginalized under the yoke of structural racism that we have in this country. What the police were looking for that day was to send the message that they could break up peaceful demonstrations if they wanted, and that is what they did. At least I know that, simply because I was white, they treated me better in the dungeon where I was held than they would have treated a person of color."

Photography: David Raboy. Costume: MIU MIU.

2. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan

Being chosen out of 15,000 hopefuls to play the role that would later catapult her to fame was a piece of cake for Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. The 18-year-old actress had no acting experience when she landed the lead role in the Netflix series Never Have I Ever, directed by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher. Of Tamil-Canadian origin, the actress has become a mass phenomenon overnight playing a teenager with her day-to-day problems: high school, friendships, various crushes and complex relationships with the rest of the family. . Right now, in the middle of filming the second season of the series, Ramakrishnan has more than a million followers on Instagram, a platform she uses to make the world aware of the causes of which the actress is a strong supporter. Last October, for example, she was appointed ambassador for Plan International Canada, an organization that fights for children's rights and gender equality. What if there is something you would not dare? "Although Mindy always tells me that I have a cool, unusual voice, I think I would be terrible at dubbing an animated film," the actress answers. "I don't know... My brother says I have a pretty annoying voice."

'I never' has been a smash hit. How do you think the public will receive the second season?

“It has not been easy to be able to bring a series like this to the small screen. So if my performance can help other girls of color to pursue their dreams and artistic interests, it will be a success for me. I would also like certain sectors of the industry (people who work in production or direction, for example) to see the series and realize that diversity in the cast is always an added value. We are not flat or cartoon characters. We too have a thousand stories to tell.”

If you could change one thing about the film and television industry, what would it be?

“We tend to put the actors and actresses who appear in front of the cameras on a pedestal. Perhaps it would be interesting to consider, after all, that we are all human, that there is no one above anyone else”.

Photography: BRENT GOLDSMITH. Styling: SKYE KELTON. Hair and makeup: SANDRA YANG.

Shirt: COMME DES GARÇONS at VSP CONSIGNMENT. Necklace in yellow gold: TIFFANY & CO. Jadeite ring in 18k gold (index finger): VSP CONSIGNMENT. Left middle finger ring: SPOON. Left ring finger ring: BEAUFILLE. Right ring finger ring and nose piercing: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (his).

3. Talia Ryder

After going to see Matida: her musical when she was just 12 years old, the actress convinced her mother to let her attend the casting, which, luckily, was open at the time. In the blink of an eye, the actress, who just turned 18, would find herself doing seven showings of the musical a week and wondering if she could, sooner or later, carve out a future for herself in the film industry. The jump to the big screen would not be expected, and this year we have been able to see the actress playing a quiet but insightful teenager in Eliza Hittman's success Never, almost never, sometimes, always (2020), a dramatic film that tells the story of a teenager who is forced to cross the United States in order to have an abortion. The New York-born but Buffalo-based actress' schedule is packed with film commitments, each more impressive than the last: the romantic film Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between is proof of that, as is her role in the remake of West Side Story that will be released in December 2021. "I can't wait to see it in the cinema," confesses the actress.

'Never Rarely Sometimes Always' is a very tough but very necessary film. What has been the public response?

“Many mothers have approached me after seeing it to tell me that they have felt the need to call their daughters and tell them that, no matter what happens, they will always be there. Filming it has even made the relationship I have with my mother much stronger. Think that when the film was shot I was still a minor, so my mother came, day in and day out, to the set with me. As a result of the film we have had conversations that we had not had before.”

Among your next projects is Steven Spielberg's version of 'West Side Story'. How has it been working with him as a director?

"Very good. As a director, Steven encouraged us all the time to think about certain things and certain themes beyond our character. During rehearsals, for example, he would go around the set with his cell phone, recording things and seeing how we fit into the shot. When I asked him why he did it, he sat down with me and explained the whole storyboarding process that goes into a movie that I had no idea about. Both Eliza and Steven have made me much more interested in everything that goes on behind the scenes on a movie set."

Photography: EMILY SOTO. Styling: CECE LIU. Hairdresser: AYUMI YAMAMOTO. Makeup: AI YOKOMIZO. Look: MARYAM NASSIR ZADEH. Socks: FALKE. Footwear: CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN.

Jewels: Talia Ryder (hers).

4.Tiffany Boone

Without a doubt, 2020 has been the year in which this actress born in Maryland (United States) has conquered the great audiovisual content platforms. At 33 years old, the actress made her debut in the world of celluloid with the gothic-inspired romantic film Beautiful Creatures (2013) and the detective series The Following (2013 to 2015). From there, Boone would secure three breakout roles: first as a Nazi hunter opposite Al Pacino in Hunters, the Amazon Prime hit; later playing a young Kerry Washington on the Hulu series Little Fires Everywhere; and, finally, in the skin of an astronaut in the science fiction film released on Netflix and starring George Clooney Midnight Sky. In 2021 we will see the actress in the second season of Hunters and, this time with Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy, in the mystery miniseries Nine Perfect Strangers. “When I'm with them it's like being in an acting class but getting paid for it. I am like a sponge, ”says the actress of her co-stars. "I'm very fortunate".

Is it true that George Clooney has encouraged you to create your own production company?

“One day I was talking to George and his partner about his first steps in the industry and George interrupted me and said, 'Do it. Do it now'. It's true that I haven't followed his advice so far, but I think he's absolutely right. In addition, my desire to set up a production company has only grown since I have been able to work on Little Fires Everywhere, a series directed by women where we have all been able to give our opinion, with total confidence, and we have felt not only listened to, but there was also a favorable environment to be able to express ourselves. I would love to be able to create that atmosphere in future projects.”

Do you think that 2020 will be a before and after for the film and television industry?

"Absolutely. There is no other, in fact. After movements like Black Lives Matter, the industry has to make a move on issues such as representation and diversity in the cast, not to mention issues such as the pay gap or other issues that are hardly ever touched upon, such as demands for hairdressing and make-up. You can't imagine the damage they sometimes do to our hair due to the demands of the script. I think from now on we're going to see people speak up more often. I, for example, do not plan to close my mouth for a single moment.

Photography: BEN SIMPSON. Styling: CHARLOTTE AGNEW. Hairdresser: CHRISSY ZEMURA. Makeup: SIAN HOWARD. Left ear earrings: ANTI-MATTERMANE. Earring used as a brooch on the jacket lapel: ANTI-MATTERMANE. Clasp above button: DANIELLE KARLIKOFF. Jacket, shirt and boots (the latter do not appear in the image): DIOR.

5. Jessica Henwick

Born in Surrey, United Kingdom, but of Singaporean and Zambian descent, this 28-year-old actress has been and is a magnet for blockbusters. At just 17 years old, Henwick signed for the BBC for its series Spirit Warriors (2010), making history as the first woman of Asian descent to achieve a leading role in a British production. Since then, the actress has done nothing but break glass ceilings with brilliant performances in films and television series such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) or Game of Thrones (2011 to 2019). 2020, however, has been an essential year in the artist's career, which we have been able to see in films like Underwater, where the actress faces all kinds of sea creatures; the comedy On the Rocks, the adventure film Love and Monsters or the animated series Sangre de Zeus. Even so, the best is yet to come, both with the fourth installment of The Matrix, hand in hand with Keanu Reeves, and with Nancy Wu Done It, a humorous series for Amazon on whose script the actress has actively worked.

You've talked about the possibility of doing a spin-off, this time directed by women, of the movie 'John Wick', by Keanu Reeves. Have you talked to the actor about the idea? What did you think of him?

“He loves the idea. What I don't know is what to do now. How to make the project move. The funniest thing of all is that until two days ago Keanu hadn't even realized that the name in the movie, Jess Wick, sounds similar to my last name, Henwick. Perhaps that was the last little push the project needed to get the green light. After all, my name came before the movie. It could be said that they even stole it from me [laughs]”.

Diversity and representation in film are important issues to you. What path do you think Hollywood should take from now on?

“Everything must start in the offices, of course. If I think about it, one of the reasons I've been a screenwriter is because I've grown tired of waiting for others to tell stories that I can relate to. If I really wanted to create something authentic, something that was a true representation of what it's like to be an Asian woman today, who better to do it than myself? I think that is great advice that I can give to everyone. If you feel like the industry doesn't reflect who you are, pick up your pen and sit down and write a story they can't refuse."

Photography: MATT BERBERI. Styling: OLGA TIMOFEJEVA @ THE ONLY AGENCY. Hairdresser: SASKIA KRAUSE. Makeup: JAZZ MANG. Dress: PREEN BY THORNTON BREGAZZI. Earrings: EERA.

6. Taylor Paige

With overflowing energy and exuding sensuality in front of the camera, this 30-year-old Californian actress has been winning the cat on the small and big screen for more than a decade. Paige began her professional career as a dancer in the VH1 hit Hit the Floor (2013 to 2016) before making the leap to film in 2018 with White Boy Rick. However, it is her last two performances that, if the forecasts do not fail, will catapult her to stardom in the industry: the Netflix film Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020), where the actress shares the screen with actor Chadwick Boseman in which was her last film work before her tragic death on August 28, 2020 and Zola (2020), the success of the Sundance Film Festival where Paige plays a stripper on a trip to Florida full of surprises. After the official premiere of the latter in 2021, the actress will join the set of Boogie, under the orders of Eddie Huang. "There are also some other projects out there that I can't talk about," she says. “I am very much looking forward to it.”

Is it true that to prepare for the character in 'Zola' you worked undercover as a stripper for a month?

“As soon as the shooting of Zola was approved, it had to be postponed and I found myself in the situation of sleeping at the house of friends and acquaintances, cleaning houses and taking care of children. There came a time when the most viable outlet of all, because of my dance training and because I needed the money, was striptease. Having never done it before, at first she looked like a fawn trying to dance on ice, but when it came time to shoot the film in Florida she was more than ready for the part. It was actually quite a fun learning process: body language, professional strippers, avoiding certain clients that you know are only going to cause you trouble, etc.”

What have you learned from this 2020? What are your wishes and hopes for 2021?

“This year we have had to learn, as a society, to pause our lives and reflect on certain things. In my case, I have realized that I have everything I need in life, that the rest will come back when I have to, and that I really want to work more and reconnect with people. The same is something that is said every time the year ends, but I am sure that 2021 is going to be my year.

Photography: BLAIR CALDWELL. Styling: TRUDY NELSON. Hairdresser: CYNTHIA ALVAREZ. Makeup: DANA DELANEY. Manicure: CARLA KAY. Bodysuit: COPERNI. Pants: ECKHAUS LATTA. Earrings: Taylor Paige (hers).

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