Five actors set to take over your TV

Netflix’s Grand Army (15^th Oct.) doesn’t centre on any one character – but rather a myriad of socially progressive, free-the-nipple type high schoolers. Many of the kids who attend Brooklyn’s Grand Army High are outwardly confident, but each struggles internally with their own insecurity. Like Amalia Yoo’s character, Leila, a mixed-race girl who is relentlessly teased about her general lack of knowledge about her Asian heritage. Or Dominique (Odley Jean), a strong-headed boss bitch who wants to see the best in others, regardless of how she is treated.

Tiny Pretty Things, also on Netflix and released later this autumn, is darkly juicy in the vein of Gossip Girl. A murder mystery at an elite ballet school? Not since Natalie Portman tried to wrench off her own fingernails in Black Swan have we had some decent dance floor drama – and Shane (Brennan Clost), seems to be the only guy in pointe shoes to welcome new dancer Neveah into the highly competitive school’s fold.

Amazon’s Nocturne (13^th Oct.) teams Euphoria​’s Sydney Sweeney with breakout Madison Iseman. The latter connives her way to try and get ahead of her sister at their prestige music school. Iseman also plays a bubbly social climber in Disney’s Clouds (16^th Oct.), based on the real-life journey of a cancer patient trying to get his singing career off the ground before it’s too late.

And Louis Partridge embodies Viscount Tewkesbury, Marquess of Basilwether in Enola Holmes, armed with all his jokes and charm. He’ll next appear as Peter Pan in The Lost Girls out next year. Here, we get a crash course on the latest school of actors taking over streaming services.

Age: 17.

Originally from: South west London.

Seen in: Enola Holmes on Netflix.

Was there a certain performance or film that stuck in your mind and made you want to act?

Good question, yes there are a couple, actually. I think Casey Affleck in Manchester By The Sea was so beautiful and heartbreaking, as well as Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting. Both of the performances were so nuanced and raw I remember feeling such intense sadness for these characters that didn’t exist. It’s a crazy thought and such a privilege that actors have the ability to tell stories like those, which can affect people like they did me.

When did you discover that you were ​“gifted”?

I wouldn’t say that there was a defining moment by any means. I watch back my earlier projects and can’t believe I was ever hired for the job but I suppose that’s the nature of growing and learning. I do know however that occasionally in auditions I surprise myself and bring something in the moment which was intended or just feels real. I guess those are the moments where I feel like I have a genuine connection to acting that other people might not, but I wouldn’t call it a gift.

Describe Enola Holmes in a short sentence.

An exciting journey full of humour, sentiment and a touch of horror.

One fun or funny thing I remember from production is…

Arriving on the first day to find out that Millie had come into my dressing room and scribbled in lipstick on my mirror ​“Happy first day Tewks! xox”, very much setting the tone for the rest of the shoot.

What’s the most exciting thing you’ve done since becoming an actor?

Filmed a kissing scene in full costume six metres underwater.

What do you think about in the bath?

That part in that Scorsese gangster film set in the ​’50s in which I play Brad Pitt’s son.

The song I have on repeat is…

At the moment, Wuthering Heights – Kate Bush.

Photography Tiziano Lugli.

Age: 23.

Originally from: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Seen in: Nocturne on Amazon, and Clouds on Disney +.

What drew you to acting?

I’ve always been addicted to telling stories. Growing up I constantly went to movies at the cinema. I remember just watching in awe and thinking, ​“I have to do that one day.”

Describe your latest project in a short sentence.

Clouds is based on the true story of Zach Sobiech, who passed away in 2013 from osteosarcoma and the impact his music had on his friends, family, and the world.

Nocturne is about a young pianist, Juliet, who discovers a dead girl’s mysterious journal containing demonic diagrams that, over time, push her to do the worst and overtake her sister at their prestigious arts school.

In what ways are you like the character you play?

[In Clouds], I play Amy Adamle who is actually a real person and only a few years older than me. She and Zach dated in high school. For one, we both have a cheeky smile and I’m convinced that’s the real reason I was cast to play her. She is one of the strongest and kindest people I know. I’ll forever be honoured that I was able to play her and can only hope I can deliver up to her standards so that the essence of who she is shines through the screen.

In Nocturne, I play Vivian, who is pretty ruthless. We don’t have too much in common other than our drive and passion for what we do. She’s a badass, I love that about her, but she also makes some extremely questionable decisions.

What’s your dream role?

I’ve always loved fantasy. One day I would love to be a part of something that has its entire own world.

The song I have on repeat is…

She – Harry Styles.

Photography Stephanie Diani, styling Jared Depriest, makeup Jessica Smalls.

Age: 24.

Originally from: Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York.

Seen in: Grand Army on Netflix.

Was there a certain performance or film that stuck in your mind and made you want to act?

Degrassi: The Next Generation, Juice, Poetic Justice. The chemistry and stories in those films and in that show really stood out to me. It felt so authentic and real. And weirdly the Twilight sagas. At first, I fell in love with the different pictures and soundtrack. But then, seeing how it was made behind the scenes made me want to be there!

When did you discover that you were ​“gifted”?

Performing plays and monologues from real survivors of social issues. I remember performing A Day In the Life at an Equality Now event in front of big time actors, producers, directors, and musicians. Some I’ve grown up seeing and looking up to. After my performance, I got to talk to Quincy Jones and he thought the monologue I performed was my real life story. It took me a while to convince him that it wasn’t.

In what ways are you like the character you play?

Dominique Pierre is a first generation Haitian girl growing up in a matriarchal family in Brooklyn, New York. And she hustles her ass off! Those things I can resonate with!

One funny thing I remember from production is…

People actually using the Grand Army High school bathrooms on set thinking they were real.

What’s your dream role?

Playing a bad ass strategic warrior that makes huge responsible decisions and fights enemies. Or a role where I have super powers!

The song I have on repeat is…

Bust Your Windows – Jazmine Sullivan.

Photography Chelsey Boll.

Age: 25.

Originally from: Burlington, Canada.

Seen in: Tiny Pretty Things on Netflix.

When did you discover that you were ​“gifted”?

I grew up dancing, and always loved it but never imagined I would pursue it professionally. I was all geared up to go into medicine after high school but my dance teacher and parents believed in me so much so that they helped me put together my Juilliard application. I went to the audition not knowing what to expect. Weeks later, when I got the phone call that I had been accepted into the most prestigious art schools in the world, a program that out of hundreds of applicants only accepts 12 men and 12 women, that’s when I really started to believe I was ​“gifted”.

Describe your latest project in a short sentence.

Tiny Pretty Things, based on the book by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton, follows the lives of ballet dancers, from all walks of life, studying at the prestigious Archer School of Ballet.

Something that will only make sense to viewers once they’ve seen the whole series is…

Petit rat.

In what ways are you like the character you play?

Shane likes to have fun, much like I do. I don’t think there was a day of working on this show that I wasn’t smiling from ear to ear. Shane’s backstory resonated with me in that we both grew up in a place where we didn’t fit the mould. We were bullied for being male dancers, for being gay, and when we left that hometown we found our ​“place in the world” and we flourished.

What do you think about in the bath?

My cats. I’m always worried they’ll fall in the water with me as they teeter along the edge.

The song I have on repeat is…

Sight of You by Sigrid has been on repeat since March. Shortly before quarantine, Cash and I travelled to visit Dannie [Norman] in England. That song came on at the end of our SoulCycle class and that memory is such a golden moment.

Photography Shane McCauley, styling Enrique Menendez, hair Gui Schoedler for Exclusive Artists using GHD Tools and L’Oreal Professionnel, makeup Elie Maalouf.

Age: 18.

Originally from: New York City.

Seen in: Grand Army on Netflix.

When did you discover that you were talented?

It’s funny because I was never very confident in my acting abilities until now. I still have moments when I think I’m the worst. I’m grateful though, because I have always been surrounded by teachers, mentors, and friends who are there to uplift me in those moments.

Describe your latest project in a short sentence.

The most accurate depiction of high school life I’ve ever seen.

In what ways are you like the character you play?

I definitely have days where I feel like Leila. I think a lot of people do. She feels lost and extremely insecure. She is constantly comparing herself to others and can’t seem to do the right thing.

One fun thing I remember from production is…

My parents and I threw two huge dinner parties, once at the beginning of filming and once towards the end. Everyone from the cast came over, ate my dad’s cooking, and danced to my mom’s Chaka Khan playlist. It was so nice because we were all together and it felt like one huge family.

What do you think about in the bath?

I think a lot about how sea otters hold hands while they sleep so that they don’t drift away from each other.

The song I have on repeat is…

Kyoto – Phoebe Bridgers.