Anonymity can be an actor鈥檚 best friend, but this summer several talents are primed to make themselves known in major film roles, whether it鈥檚 losing the alien makeup, the protective shield of character work or the comforts of niche small-screen fandoms.
Here are six actors bound to have audiences buzzing this .
GRETA LEE IN 鈥淧AST LIVES鈥
Greta Lee cried through her first reading of Celine Song鈥檚 鈥 out June 2. The writer-director had written a deeply personal story about childhood friends, and possible soulmates, who reconnect in New York decades later. Nora's in a relationship but wondering 鈥渨hat if鈥 in this aching romance.
鈥淭elling a love story from that point of view felt so radical to me,鈥 Lee said. 鈥淚t read so quiet, but I was struck by how cosmic it was too. It鈥檚 connective. It鈥檚 universal. It鈥檚 just about life and how short life is and how do we reconcile this.鈥
Lee, a stylish chameleon with comedic chops, has always made the most of every scene she鈥檚 in, whether it鈥檚 cooing 鈥淪weet Birthday Baby鈥 hundreds of times to Natasha Lyonne in 鈥淩ussian Doll,鈥 frustrating Marni as Soojin in 鈥淕irls鈥 or telling the divas of 鈥淭he Morning Show鈥 the hard truth. But Nora would be something different.
鈥淭here is a hiding in plain sight-ness in character work, with costume or the way people talk,鈥 Lee said. 鈥淭his felt so emotionally X-rated to me, so brutally exposing in a way. It was utterly terrifying.鈥
XOLO MARIDUE脩A IN 鈥淏LUE BEETLE鈥
Fans of 鈥淐obra Kai鈥 know Xolo Maridue帽a as Miguel Diaz, but the Los Angeles native is about to get a much bigger platform as the star of the new DC Comics movie (Aug. 18). Maridue帽a plays Jaime Reyes, one of the highest profile Latino comic book characters.
鈥淎s a Mexican American playing a Mexican American, there鈥檚 a lot of pride that comes with representing your community in a positive light,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t was a little nerve wracking trying to encompass a culture in a movie. But we have like 40 Latinos who we get to show their perspectives."
It鈥檚 a year of transition as he awaits the spotlight and says goodbye to 鈥淐obra Kai,鈥 which is in its final season. But even with the higher profile, Maridue帽a joked that he's still going to have to clean up for his dog.
POM KLEMENTIEFF IN 鈥淕UARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3鈥 AND 鈥淢ISSION: IMPOSSIBLE-DEAD RECKONING PART I鈥
French actor Pom Klementieff has been dreaming about being in a 鈥淢ission: Impossible鈥 movie for years. In fact, she would even write the words 鈥淢ission: Impossible鈥 in her stunt training schedule.
鈥淚 wanted to manifest it," she said. "I鈥檓 crazy like that.鈥
She also made the smart move of telling her agency, who put her name forward when director Christopher McQuarrie started looking for a new actor with fighting skills.
鈥淚 was ready for it,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 just punched and kicked hard. I was like, 鈥榣et鈥檚 go.鈥欌
The specifics of her character are still under wraps, but from trailers and teases it鈥檚 clear she gets a with Tom Cruise鈥檚 Ethan Hunt. The film hits theaters on July 12.
But first, she and her fellow 鈥淕uardians of the Galaxy鈥 are closing a chapter with 鈥淰ol. 3,鈥 out Friday.
Her turn as Mantis may have made her famous in Marvel households, but she鈥檚 also loved being able to 鈥渉ide behind her antenna.鈥
鈥淩ight now, a lot of people don鈥檛 actually recognize me, which is an amazing position to be in because I get to work with great people but I also can have just a private life,鈥 she said. 鈥淏ut I know that could change. I have to get ready for that."
X MAYO IN 鈥淭HE BLACKENING鈥
X Mayo has always had big ambitions. For a few years she even landed a gig writing for 鈥淭he Daily Show.鈥 For some, that would be the pinnacle. But she wanted to do more and it started to seem like the industry was putting her in a box of only being able to write political comedy. She knew she had to move on.
"You can鈥檛 tell me I can鈥檛 do it all because I have been doing it all,鈥 she said.
鈥淎merican Auto鈥 helped but this summer she has two big movies: (June 16), a horror comedy about a group of friends who go to a cabin in the woods and the 鈥淪NL鈥 spinoff 鈥淧lease Don鈥檛 Destroy鈥 (Delayed from a summer release, now headed to Peacock on Nov. 17).
On the latter, she had the life-changing experience of working with and bonding with Meg Stalter (鈥淗acks鈥).
鈥淚t was the first time I鈥檇 done a movie alongside a woman who was my exact same size. That was so shifting in my spirit and esteem. Meg has no issues with her body. I had so many at the time,鈥 she said. 鈥淪o many actors are so short and little. With Meg it was not like that. I was free to be physically comedic and she was right there with me.鈥
JAKE RYAN IN 鈥淎STEROID CITY鈥
He鈥檚 the little Bishop brother who鈥檚 mad that Suzy stole his record player in 鈥淢oonrise Kingdom.鈥 He鈥檚 Llewyn Davis鈥檚 skeptical nephew. He鈥檚 the pre-teen who had an array of chicken nuggets and dips ready for Kayla in 鈥淓ighth Grade.鈥 And this summer, Jake Ryan is front and center of Wes Anderson鈥檚 latest, (June 16).
Though he鈥檚 worked with Anderson many times 鈥 on commercials, shorts and even 鈥淚sle of Dogs,鈥 which he recorded a voice part for on a lark some four years before the movie came out 鈥 he still had to audition for 鈥淎steroid City.鈥 It was not a short process either.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 hard but it wasn鈥檛 easy,鈥 Ryan said. 鈥淎t the end it was very rewarding.鈥
In the film, set in 1955, he plays Jason Schwartzman鈥檚 character鈥檚 son Woodrow.
鈥淗e鈥檚 going through some stuff right now. He鈥檚 a very sensitive person and he wants to leave a mark on the world. He wants to leave something for future generations,鈥 Ryan said. 鈥淎nd he longs for a human connection. I respect and totally get that.鈥
MOLLY GORDON IN 鈥淭HEATER CAMP鈥
Molly Gordon grew up in and around the entertainment industry, acting alongside her best friend Ben Platt in productions of 鈥淔iddler on the Roof鈥 and 鈥淗ow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying鈥 before she鈥檇 even turned 6.
She was Triple A in 鈥淏ooksmart鈥 and Melissa McCarthy鈥檚 daughter in 鈥淟ife of the Party,鈥 but this summer is forging her own path forward as a writer-director-actor in the loving satire 鈥淭heater Camp鈥 (July 14).
Gordon plays Rebecca-Diane, who teaches music theory to kids at a crumbling but beloved summer camp in upstate New York. She co-directed with her friend Nick Liebermann and they share writing credits with co-stars Platt and Noah Galvin too.
鈥淚 felt so inspired by so many collectives of people that had come up together, like Christopher Guest, The Groundlings, The Lonely Island, who made (stuff) with their friends and wrote specifically for their friends,鈥 Gordon said. 鈥淲e thought, let鈥檚 make something about a world that we know really well and a world that we love and because we love it, we can make a lot of fun of it.鈥
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This story was updated on Monday, May 8, 2023, to to correct the first name of Xolo Maridue帽a in 鈥淏lue Beetle鈥 and change references to 鈥淧lease Don鈥檛 Destroy,鈥 which has shifted its release date to the fall.
___ For more on this summer鈥檚 movie releases, including a comprehensive month-by-month calendar, visit:
