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Celebrities Who Should Be A-Listers

Updated August 18, 2019 127.5k votes 14.2k voters 283.0k views87 items

List RulesVote up the B-listers with the most potential to become A-listers.

If pop culture has room enough for multiple A-list Jennifers and Chrises, it has enough time to make some space for certain celebrities who should be more famous. For example, think back to the start of 2014. In early 2014, most people would respond to the name "Chris Pratt" with "who?" Those who were familiar with his work probably knew him as the chubby bumbling Andy Dwyer from Parks and Recreation. Two years after Parks... finished, Chris Pratt starred in Guardians of the Galaxy and joined the rest of the A-list Chrises - and became one of the sexiest men alive. Truly what a difference a year makes.

You may wonder what makes a celebrity an A-lister, and which actors are considered B-list celebs. Although Game of Thrones stars Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke star in one of the most popular shows of all time, most commoners know them as their character names Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen, respectively. B-list actors thrive in supporting roles, yet these are the roles which fully highlight their unique talents and acting styles. 

Below includes a collection of all the celebrities who will soon be A-listers. By A-listers, it means actors and actresses at the height of fame, names and faces any bystander could instantly recognize. This list advocates for B-list actors who deserve the A-list treatment. Although these up and coming celebs boast millions of fans, they are still considered B-list (or below) by Hollywood standards. So no, this list is not for your friend who just got a guest role on the Disney Channel.

Feel free to add your favorites soon to be famous celebrities, but only if you think they'll be so famous your grandmother will know their name. Everyone loves Alexander Skarsgard, but love isn't what transformed Andy Dwyer into Star-Lord. Then, check out who deserves to be a household name in 2019.

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    James McAvoy

    Age: 41

    Best Known Roles:
    Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men franchise (X-Men: Apocalypse, X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past)
    David Percival in Atomic Blonde
    Mr. Tumnus in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

    Upcoming Roles:
    Lord Asriel in His Dark Materials
    Hazel in Watership Down

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    Liam Hemsworth

    Age: 30

    Best Known Roles:
    Gale Hawthorne in The Hunger Games series
    Jake Morrison in Independence Day: Resurgence
    Josh Taylor on Neighbours

    Upcoming Roles:
    Blake in Isn't It Romantic

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    Emilia Clarke

    Age: 28

    Best Known Roles:
    Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones
    Sarah Connor in Terminator Genisys
    Luisa Clark in Me Before You
    Kira in Solo: A Star Wars Story

    Upcoming Roles:
    Susan Smith in Above Suspicion

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    Jason Momoa

    Age: 36

    Best Known Roles:
    Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones
    Declan Harp on Frontier
    Aquaman in Justice League

    Upcoming Roles:
    Aquaman in Aquaman

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    Sarah Paulson

    Age: 45

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    Sebastian Stan

    Age: 38

    Best Known Roles:
    Jeff Gillooly in I, Tonya
    Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier in the Captain America series
    T.J. Hammond in Political Animals
    Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier in Avengers: Infinity War

    Upcoming Roles:
    Scott Huffman in The Last Full Measure
    Mickey in Monday

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    Adam Driver

    Age: 36

    Best Known Roles:
    Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Star Wars: The Force Awakens
    Adam Sackler in Girls
    Father Francisco Garupe in Silence
    Flip Zimmerman in BlacKkKlansman

    Upcoming Roles:
    Ronald Peterson in The Dead Don't Die
    Kylo Ren in Star Wars: Episode IX

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    1,378

    Jason Bateman

    Age: 51

    Best Known Roles:
    Michael Bluth in Arrested Development
    Nick Hendricks in the Horrible Bosses series
    Nick Wilde (voice of) in Zootopia
    Martin 'Marty' Byrde in Ozark

    Upcoming Roles:
    Opposite Jennifer Aniston in Significant Other

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    1,056

    Sophie Turner

    Age: 19

    Best Known Roles:
    Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones
    Jean Grey/Phoenix in X-Men: Apocalypse

    Upcoming Roles:
    Koepcke in Girl Who Fell From the Sky
    Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix in X-Men: Dark Phoenix

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    Anthony Mackie

    Age: 42

    Best Known Roles:
    Sam Wilson in Marvel Cinematic Universe (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War)
    Sergeant J. T. Sanborn in The Hurt Locker
    Papa Doc in 8 Mile

    Upcoming Roles:
    Takeshi Kovacs in Altered Carbon
    Johnnie Cochran in Signal HIll

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    Karen Gillan

    Age: 32

    Best Known Roles:
    Amy Pond in Doctor Who (2010-2014)
    Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy and the MCU
    Ruby Roundhouse/Martha in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
    Nebula in Avengers: Infinity War

    Upcoming Roles:
    Nebula in an untitled Avengers project
    Mercedes in Call of the Wild

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    Robert Pattinson

    Age: 34

    Best Known Roles:
    Edward Cullen in The Twilight Saga
    Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
    Eric Packer in Cosmopolis

    Upcoming Roles:
    Roy Laferty in The Devil All The Time

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    Kit Harington

    Age: 29

    Best Known Roles:
    Jon Snow in Game of Thrones
    Robert Catesby in Gunpowder

    Upcoming Roles:
    Eret (voice) in How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

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    Andrew Garfield

    Age: 37

    Best Known Roles:
    Spider-Man/Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2
    Eduardo Saverin in The Social Network
    Desmond Doss in Hacksaw Ridge

    Upcoming Roles:
    Carlos Mavroleon in Black Lion

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    Jensen Ackles

    Age: 42

    Best Known Roles:
    Dean Winchester in Supernatural

    Upcoming Roles:
    Opposite Olivia Munn in The Buddy Games

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    Alexander Skarsgård

    Age: 44

    Best Known Roles:
    Eric Northman in True Blood
    Perry Wright in Big Little Lies 
    Tarzan in The Legend of Tarzan

    Upcoming Roles:
    Sefan Lubert in The Aftermath

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    Lily James

    Age: 31

    Best Known Roles:
    Ella in Cinderella
    Debora in Baby Driver 
    Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
    Young Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

    Upcoming Roles:
    Opposite Ana de Armas and Kate McKinnon in an untitled Danny Boyle/Richard Curtis project

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    Cara Delevingne

    Age: 28

    Best Known Roles:
    Enchantress in Suicide Squad
    Laureline in Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
    Margo Roth Spiegelman in Paper Towns

    Upcoming Roles:
    Vignette Stonemoss in Carnival Row

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    Michael Peña

    Age: 44

    Best Known Roles:
    Sal Castro in The Walkout
    Paco Hernandez in American Hustle
    Red in A Wrinkle in Time (2018)
    César Chávez in César Chávez

    Upcoming Roles:
    Enforcer in The Mule
    Dora's father in Dora the Explorer
     

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    Cole Sprouse

    Age: 28

    Best Known Roles:
    Cody Martin in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
    Jughead Jones in Riverdale

    Upcoming Roles:
    Will in Five Feet Apart

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    Natalie Dormer

    Age: 38

    Best Known Roles:
    Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones
    Anne Boleyn in The Tudors
    Cressida in Mockingjay: Part I & II

    Upcoming Roles:
    Eliza Merrett in The Professor and the Madman

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    Lena Headey

    Age: 42

    Best Known Roles:
    Cersie Lannister in Game of Thrones
    Sarah Connor in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
    Queen Gorgo in 300

    Upcoming Roles:
    Julia "Sweet Saraya" Bevis in Fighting with My Family

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    Cobie Smulders

    Age: 38

    Best Known Roles:
    Robin Scherbatsky on How I Met Your Mother
    Maria Hill in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

    Upcoming Roles:
    Sophie in Cicada

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    Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

    Age: 50

    Best Known Roles:
    Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones
    Clas Greve in Headhunters
    Martin Bork in Nightwatch

    Upcoming Roles:
    Christian in Domino

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    John Boyega

    Age: 28

    Best Known Roles:
    Finn in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Star Wars: The Force Awakens
    Moses in Attack the Block
    Melvin Dismukes in Detroit
    Jake Pentecost in Pacific Rim: Uprising

    Upcoming Roles:
    Bigwig in Watership Down

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