Over the past year, we have seen so much new and groundbreaking talent emerge in the entertainment industry. While there is so much that needs to be done in terms of young Black representation, these Gen Z actresses have been taking over Hollywood. Below, I will mention some prominent actresses who should be on your radar.
Leah Sava Jeffries
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Leah has been grinding at acting for over a decade, with her breakout role in Fox’s primetime drama Empire at four years old. The young actress went on to be the lead in the blockbuster action film Beast. Fans know Leah for her role as Annabeth in the Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, for which she won the 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Performance by a Youth. A year later, she spoke at the Teen Vogue Summit. It’s clear that Leah’s career is only getting started, and fans can’t wait to see what she does next!
Akira Akbar
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Before appearing in her coveted role as Ashley Banks in Bel-Air, Akira had a career in modelling, working with brands such as Nike and Levi’s. Her early acting roles were in Criminal Minds, Grey’s Anatomy, This is Us, Family Reunion, and Good Trouble. She has been consistently nominated for the BET YoungStars Award and got a nomination for the American Rainbow Film Festival Pride Award for
Laya Deleon Hayes
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Laya has been a mainstay in young Hollywood with early appearances in Disney Channel shows like Liv & Maddie and Raven’s Home, as well as Grey’s Anatomy. When she was nine years old, she voiced the main character of the BAFTA, Emmy, and Peabody Award-nominated animated series Doc McStuffins. Laya also earned a NAACP Image Award from her work on Doc McStuffins, as she was the voice of the first black animated character on Disney Junior. She won a game BAFTA for her voice acting for the character Angrboda in God of War: Ragnarok. Longtime fans of Laya know her for her role as Delilah McCall on CBS’s The Equalizer, acting alongside Queen Latifah. Laya’s work goes beyond television as she had her first leading role in The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster, in which the actress was nominated for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture at the NAACP. With over 25 credits to her name and an upcoming role in Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Again?, Laya shows no signs of slowing down!
Whitney Peak
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Whitney made her acting debut in Campfire Kiss (2017). That same year, she landed the role of Stella in the Academy Award-nominated film Molly’s Game. After those roles, Whitney had recurring and guest roles in Home Before Dark and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Her big break was in the HBO Max reboot of Gossip Girl, playing the role of Zoya Lott. Soon after, Whitney played the protagonist Becca in Hocus Pocus 2. The actress has been building up her film catalog over the past year, securing roles in Trap House and Eye for an Eye. Recently, Whitney has been cast as Lenore Dove in Sunrise on the Reaping, a film adaptation of the Hunger Games prequel book. If that wasn’t enough, the actress became a Chanel ambassador, becoming the first black woman to represent Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle. It’s clear that Whitney Peak should be on everyone’s radar in the coming year!
Riele Downs
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Riele started her career as a film actress, appearing in movies such as Four Brothers (2005), The Best Man Holiday (2013), and The Gabby Douglass Story (2014). Afterwards, she landed her most notable role to date as Charlotte on the hit Nickelodeon show Henry Danger. Her performance as Charlotte got her a Favorite Female TV Star nomination at the 2020 Kids’ Choice Awards. Riele has also dabbled in voice acting, appearing in Peep and the Big Wide World, The Adventures of Kid Danger and S.A.L.E.M. After leaving Nickelodeon, the actress got the titular role of Darby Harper in Hulu’s Darby of the Dead (2022). She has starred as the lead of Carlesha Gaither in the Lifetime movie Abducted Off the Streets: The Carlesha Gaither Story, along with guest roles in Bel-Air and My Life With The Walter Boys. Recently, Riele has been cast as the leading role in the coming-of-age drama Dreams of the Moon. Riele has been making a name for herself and is definitely someone who should be on your radar!
Lovie Simone
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While a lot of people are just getting to know Lovie from her role as Keisha Clark on Netflix’s hit TV show Forever, she has been working hard for a long time. Her breakthrough was her acting as the character Zora Greenleaf in Greenleaf, which was OWN’s NAACP-nominated. Lovie’s film debut was in Monster (2018), and she starred in Share (2019) and Selah and the Spades (2019), which both appeared at the Sundance Film Festival. She has shown a lot of range as an actor, appearing in a crime drama (Power Book III: Raising Kanan), an anthology (Social Distance), a supernatural film (The Craft: Legacy), a limited series (Manhunt), and a sci-fi thriller (57 Seconds). The actress’s role in Forever has garnered several nominations for her role in Forever, including:
Have you seen any of these actresses on your screen? Comment down below!
