The Next A-List: Stars on the Verge
These celebs are about to blow up.
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John Boyega - After his debut performance as tough teen Moses in Attack the Block, the British-Nigerian actor has caught the attention of every major director in Hollywood. Eventually, it's Spike Lee that got him for his upcoming HBO series Da Brick, in which Boyega stars as a character loosely based on Mike Tyson. (Photo: Samir Hussein/Getty Images)
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Zoe Kravitz - Zoe Kravitz has all the makings of a star. The 22-year-old daughter of musician Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet has quietly been racking up both indie cred with festival films like Yelling to the Sky and Birds of America. In addition, she is demonstrating blockbuster potential by taking smaller parts in big films like X-Men: First Class.(Photo: Scott Gries/PictureGroup)
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Kevin Hart - Comedian Kevin Hart has been building a film career by playing wingman to A-list funnymen like Eddie Murphy, Steve Carrell and Ben Stiller. However, with the unexpected success of his concert documentary Laugh at My Pain, Hart proved that he can bring in audiences, too. Up next for the actor and comedian, the star-studded adaptation of Steve Harvey's advice book Think Like a Man. (Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
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Adewale Akinnaye-Agbaje - Can't pronounce his name? That's okay. Adewale Akinnaye-Agbaje tends to let his muscles do the talking. The strapping British actor has starred in action films like GI Joe: The Rise of the Cobra and Killer Elite. Next year, he'll get to use his accent, not his biceps, as the voice of a parrot in the animated film Pirates! Band of Misfits. (Photo: PNP/ WENN.com)
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Anthony Mackie - After stealing scenes as a supporting actor in high-profile films like Real Steel, The Adjustment Bureau and The Hurt Locker, Mackie is poised for leading man status with above-the-title roles in upcoming prison drama Liberty Lane and a biopic of athlete Jesse Owens, which Mackie is also producing. (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards)
Photo By Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards
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Mehcad Brooks - After making a name for himself in the world of television (he did stints on Desperate Housewives and True Blood) Mehcad Brooks is ready to do the same on the big screen — and behind the scenes. Next year he'll star in X Files creator Chris Carter's film Fencewalker and try his hand at directing for the first time on the indie feature The Wolf. (Photo: Fame Pictures)
Photo By Photo: Fame Pictures
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Amber Riley - After getting rejected from both American Idol and Dreamgirls, Amber Riley got her big breakthrough as scene-stealer Mercedes Jones on Glee. Now, the 25-year-old Los Angeles native is working on a solo album and various philanthropic endeavors, all while maintaining her day job. (Photo: Kevin Winters/Getty Images)
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Evan Ross - Don't let his famous DNA fool you (his mother is legendary soul singer Diana Ross), this industry scion works hard for his paper. The 23-year-old skipped the studio offers in favor of working the indie film circuit. Upcoming projects include the Tracey Edmonds produced Four to the Floor, and festival favorite 96 Minutes. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
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Rutina Wesley - Three seasons on HBO's True Blood has made Rutina Wesley a household name, but landing the coveted lead role as real-life heroine Immaculee Ilibagiaza in next year's Rwanda-based drama Left to Tell could snag her an Oscar.(Photo: Donna Ward/Getty Images)
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Erica Hubbard - For the star of Lincoln Heights,The Replacements and now BET's first scripted show Let's Stay Together, the line between success and struggle was always a very thin one. The actress, who grew up in one of Chicago's tough Southside neighborhoods, started the Erica Hubbard Foundation to motivate at-risk inner city kids. "It's important for me to tell these kids, 'You can be a success story.' Look at me," she told Essence. (Photo: Nikki Nelson / WENN.com)
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