The following actors are starring in the Hollywood scene and impress both with their looks and sense of style, as well as with their unique performances in their select film projects. They have become stars of their generation, absolute symbols of Gen Z who break down traditional male stereotypes and pave the way for the “modern man”.
1. Paul Mescal
The 28-year-old Irishman stole everyone’s hearts with his disarming performance in the raw and incredibly moving ‘Normal People» in 2020. The BBC mini-series introduced this explosive and powerful talent to the world. It was only inevitable that fans would demand more from this charming, mysterious and soft-spoken young man with an athletic build and a degree in acting from Trinity College. Already, the following year she played in her “Lost Daughter”. Maggie Gyllenhaalopposite Dakota Johnson and Olivia Colman, which was widely acclaimed and nominated for 3 Academy Awards.
But his starring role in 2022’s Aftersun is the most recognized, earning him several award nominations that year, including an Oscar. True to his theatrical roots, he returned to the drawing board to play Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire, winning the Laurence Olivier Award. This year, he once again moved crowds with Harry, a tormented and totally locked-in gay man living in London in ‘All of Us Strangers’, alongside Andrew Scott. At this moment, Mr Mezcal he is undoubtedly one of the most popular actors. At the same time, his collaboration with Gucci has made him prominent in the field of fashion. However, his career is only just beginning, as his most ambitious role is expected in the long-awaited sequel to “Gladiator» directed by – who else? – of Ridley Scott.
2. Austin Butler
It was launched by Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, with children’s series such as ‘Zoey 101’. Over the next few years he had some small roles in serials here and there, until in 2018 he made his Broadway debut alongside Denzel Washington with ‘Iceman Cometh’. It is his rigorous work ethic and admirable discipline in his craft that impressed the veteran Washington, who suggested the Butler to director Baz Luhrmann, who was looking for an actor to play Elvis Presley in his upcoming biopic. Also, note that the 32-year-old American had a small but memorable role in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (2019).
His big moment came, then, with “Elvis» in 2022. He earned nominations for almost every award – he was also one of the 2 favorites for the Oscar, eventually losing to Brendan Fraser – and his amazing performance as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll offered him all kinds of professional opportunities. His schedule is already busy, as this year he starred in the war series “Masters of the Air” produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg and shocked moviegoers as the seductive, psychotic Fade Routha in the epic “Dune: Part Two». Subsequently, will be the central figure in “Bikeriders” together with Michael Shannon, Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy which will be released in June and he will also be one of the brilliant actors who will staff the black comedy entitled “Eddington” by Ari Aster, among Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal and Emma Stone. Regarding his commercials, it was announced last August that Butler is the new fragrance ambassador for Yves Saint Laurent.
3. Jacob Elordi
Many have taken their baptism of fire in the Hollywood industry with romantic comedies produced by Netflix and while most of them are lost in the blink of an eye to the next streaming service trend, o Elordi somehow managed to stand out after the three “Kissing Booths”. Not only was he not stigmatized by the ‘rom-com’ tag, on the contrary his next role in ‘Euphoria» he was diametrically opposed. Yes, he was playing a high school kid again, but Noah Flynn and Nate Jacobs couldn’t be more different both interpretatively and stylistically.
The 26-year-old Australian native has been praised for his dark portrayal and as a result of the HBO series’ smash hit, Elordi has shot to international fame. In 2023 he also played Elvis, in Sofia Coppola’s film, “Priscilla‘, based on Priscilla Presley’s memoir, ‘Elvis and Me’. The play premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where lead actress Kayleigh Spainy won the Volpi Cup for her performance. That same year, he played Felix alongside Barry Keegan in ‘Saltburn,” which has spawned some viral moments for which the internet should be grateful. Elordi earned a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor and critics called the role, among other things, defining for his career and reputation and capable of elevating him to an irresistible leading man. Up next in his filmography, the actor has already secured a role in the drama ‘Oh, Canada’ opposite Richard Gere and Uma Thurman, while will star as Frankenstein’s Monster in the upcoming horror project, “Dr. Frankenstein”, by Guillermo Del Toro.
4. Barry Keegan
Although he is more familiar than the others in terms of appearance and his participation in film and television productions spans more than 10 years, the surge in his popularity Keegan more or less keeps up with the aforementioned actors.
The 31-year-old and number two Irishman had a small role in his ‘Dunkirk’ Christopher Nolan and in his “Killing of a Sacred Deer.” George Lanthimos in 2017, which we can say was a good year for his career. This was followed by the Irish drama ‘Calm with Horses’ (2019) and the wartime drama ‘Green Knight’ (2021), for which he won praise. In 2019, he starred in ‘Chernobyl’, the HBO series that has been praised like almost no other in recent years, with many of the critics including it in the lists of the best series of all time. He then broke into the Marvel Universe with his role as Druig in ‘Eternals’. In 2022, he played the most important role of his career – so far – for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the extremely emotional and human “Banshees of Inisherin». Martin McDonagh’s film was one of the best of that season, winning several awards.
This year, he headlined ‘Saltburn’ alongside Elordi and took part in ‘Masters of the Air’ alongside Butler! As for the off-screen, he collaborates with the houses of Dior and Burberry and has begun to embrace the feminine energy in his clothing choices, as dictated by modern pop culture for young men. In the near future, we expect to see him at the Cannes Film Festival where he will be there for the premiere of his film, Bird, directed by Andrea Arnold.
5. Timothy Salame
What can we say about him Let’s go; It’s almost impossible not to have seen him in recent years in one of his many consecutive films: ‘Lady Bird’, ‘Little Women’, ‘Beautiful Boy’, ‘Wonka’? The 28-year-old French-American emerged from obscurity with the Oscar-winning “Call Me by Your Name” in 2017, as the young teenager Elio who falls in love with his student father, who visits them during the summer at their home in the Italian countryside. The then-unknown 22-year-old “good morning” Salame made his presence felt in the Hollywood world, earning him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination (the 3rd youngest in the category’s history). In the same year, she had another participation in an Oscar-winning film with her “Lady Bird”. Greta Gerwig starring her Saoirse Ronan. From then on, his path was only paved with rose petals.
The following year, he wowed audiences and critics with his portrayal of Nick Sheff, a young drug addict estranged from his father (Steve Carell), in Beautiful Boy. In 2019, he teamed up again with Gerwig and Ronan in the latest film adaptation of “Little Women” and at the same time tried out a larger-scale project with Netflix’s historical and martial “The King.” In 2021, he was part of the large and first-class cast of Wes Anderson’s French Dispatch. His biggest role, however, came predictably in the biggest production of his life, as he was asked to Denis Villeneuve to embody Paul Atreides in “Dune”. In just a few years, Salame has established himself and demonstrated his acting flexibility. This was followed by a brief stint in Adam Mackay’s political and social satire Don’t Look Up (2021). This year, Salameh proved why he is the biggest star of our time, smashing the box office with ‘Wonka’ and a few months later with ‘Dune: Part Two’, the first sequel of his run so far. Currently filming “A Complete Unknown“, in which he will need to lift the weight, which most worthy actors are called to lift at some point, and embody a real person and not just anyone, but the legend of the world music scene, Bob Dylan.
It has been described as a “sex symbol” and a fashion symbol, it has pioneered the fight against male stereotypes and the acceptance of the fluidity of sexuality and the energy that possesses man. His collaborations are an enviable list of the biggest brands on the planet, from Cartier and Chanel to Nike, while in 2023 he was voted the best dressed man in the world by GQ magazine. Has been named “the best actor of his generation” and Salame undeniably enjoys his throne in the kingdom of show biz.
Photos: Getty Images, EPA, Shutterstock
