The Names You Need To Know In 2026

Poppy Liu has long been a scene-stealer, but in 2026 she’s sidling onto center stage. Best known as the razor-witted Kiki in Hacks – a role she’s reprising for its fifth and final season – and for her turn as sharply put-together headmistress Helen Wang in Netflix thriller His & Hers, Liu now features in I Love Boosters, a surreal and subversive comedy written and directed by Boots Riley, which is already generating industry buzz. Off-screen, she has become a fixture of fashion’s more experimental front rows, pairing irreverent style with outspoken queer advocacy. With a slate that balances comedy, edge and cultural commentary, Liu isn’t just one to watch, she’s setting the tone.

British-Canadian-Nigerian R’n’B artist Essosa has been steadily building momentum, but this could be the year she gains wider traction. April brought the release of airy, neatly observed single He’s Not All That, a teasing preview of her six-track EP Crush!, expected in May. Already earning nods from stalwarts like Kaytranada, Missy Elliott and Kali Uchis, her breakout single Waste My Time amassed more than 70 million streams. Essosa deals in the diaristic honesty of girly sleepovers, with silky bed-sheet imagery and even once parodying Mean Girls with her own Burn Book.

Tallulah Evans is fast emerging as one to watch, with a career that began in childhood and has steadily gathered momentum. She made her Hollywood screen debut in Penelope alongside Christina Ricci and James McAvoy, before breaking out in Son of Rambow opposite Will Poulter. Now, she takes a major step forward as the lead in Paramount+ thriller Girl Taken. Evans plays Lily, a teenager abducted from her quiet rural town by her trusted teacher (played by Alfie Allen). Far from a well-worn kidnap narrative, it’s a psychologically complex role that marks Evans’ arrival as a compelling leading talent.

Hayley Squires is a formidable screen presence, earning widespread acclaim for her breakout role in Ken Loach’s Bafta- and Palme d’Or-winning film I, Daniel Blake in 2016. She went on to win an International Emmy for Adult Material, a Bafta-nominated Channel 4/Netflix drama exploring the porn industry. Having just starred in the hotly anticipated second season of The Night Manager, next she appears in Netflix’s crime series Legends, alongside Steve Coogan, while also filming BBC drama Shy & Lola. Fresh from an Olivier Award-winning stage run of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons with Bryan Cranston, Squires continues to move effortlessly between prestige television, film and theater.

Chase Infiniti’s audition for Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another was performed alongside Hollywood heavyweights Leonardo di Caprio and Regina Hall. And Anderson was so impressed, he offered her the part on the spot. Indeed, Infiniti is the emotional core of this sprawling film, which won six awards at the Oscars, including Best Picture. Next up, she’s starring in Hulu’s highly anticipated The Testaments, the sequel to chart-topping series The Handmaid’s Tale, in which she plays June Osborne’s (Elisabeth Moss) daughter Agnes, bearing the heavy cross of dismantling Gilead.

Sony Music has recently signed London-based singer-songwriter Sienna Spiro, and it’s easy to see why. Ever since she dropped her debut single, Need Me, Spiro has gone from strength to strength. Her first EP, Sink Now, Swim Later, showcased her soul-pop vocals and cinematic balladry, and won praise from SZA, Mark Ronson, Finneas and more. With tour dates scheduled around the world and a nomination for the Critics’ Choice Award at the Brits, 2026 is set to be a pivotal year for Spiro.

Poised for a breakout year, Ella Anderson stars opposite Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson in the awards contender Song Sung Blue, playing Hudson’s strong-willed daughter Rachel. She will then lead Jesus Land, the feature adaptation of Julia Scheeres’ bestselling memoir exploring themes of religion, race, identity and family. First recognized for her moving performance in The Glass Castle (2017), with Brie Larson, Naomi Watts and Woodey Harrelson, Anderson has more than proven her mettle with emotionally wrought projects.

Having started out acting in professional theater as a child, Siobhán Cullen’s resume spans stage performances and screen roles, including helming Hulu’s 2023 series Obituary and Netflix black-comedy Bodkin. This year, she continues her penchant for conversation-starting television as the lead in new BBC drama Babies, alongside Paapa Essiedu, about a couple navigating multiple miscarriages. And you can also catch her in the Henry Cavill-fronted Highlander, a forthcoming Scottish fantasy epic co-starring Russell Crowe, Jeremy Irons and Marisa Abela.