The Town 2010
Blake Lively, an honorable mention who wasn't even up for debate.
The Big Picture · Discussion
The Movie Star Ranking: 35 Under 35
March 27, 2020/ 113 min/ Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins
Sean and Amanda's original 35-under-35 movie star ranking: English speakers only, nobody over 34, and a coin-flip finish between Emma Stone and Margot Robbie.
192 films across 3 segments.
AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.
Tough cuts and honorable mentionswho almost made it, and who got left off entirely
The Farewell 2019
Awkwafina's breakout; the hosts will wait and see where she takes it.
Terminator: Dark Fate 2019
Mackenzie Davis, a hard cut Sean says might've made it if the movie had worked.
Pitch Perfect 2012
Anna Kendrick, cut for a rough last five years otherwise.
Trolls World Tour 2020
Anna Kendrick; Amanda's line: if they're doing a Trolls episode, it's not happening here.
Call Me by Your Name 2017
Armie Hammer, cut; the hosts wonder where he's been since.
Death on the Nile 2022
Armie Hammer's next, delayed to that fall.
True Grit 2010
Hailee Steinfeld, cut in favor of Haley Lou Richardson.
Bumblebee 2018
Hailee Steinfeld.
The Hunt 2020
Betty Gilpin, cut; the hosts just talked about this one earlier that week.
Stuber 2019
Betty Gilpin, mostly playing the girlfriend role.
The Grudge 2020
Betty Gilpin, in what Amanda calls a very bad remake.
Luce 2019
Kelvin Harrison Jr., a hard cut with a bright future ahead.
Waves 2019
Kelvin Harrison Jr.
The King of Staten Island 2020
Pete Davidson, then an untitled Judd Apatow movie; cut for being best known for TV and stand-up.
The Suicide Squad 2021
Pete Davidson's other reason he might make next year's list.
The international pick and the kids listone non-English-language star apiece, plus the under-21 shortlist
Portrait of a Lady on Fire 2019
Amanda's international pick, Adele Haenel: 'the most arresting presence I have ever seen in a movie.'
Parasite 2019
Sean's international pick, Choi Woo-shik, as the son.
Okja 2017
Choi Woo-shik, another Bong Joon-ho film.
Train to Busan 2016
Choi Woo-shik; the zombie thriller fans got mad wasn't on the horror decade list.
Time to Hunt 2020
Choi Woo-shik's next, on Netflix.
Jojo Rabbit 2019
Archie Yates and Thomasin McKenzie, both on the kids list.
Honey Boy 2019
Noah Jupe, on the kids list.
A Quiet Place 2018
Noah Jupe.
A Quiet Place Part II 2021
Noah Jupe.
The Goldfinch 2019
Finn Wolfhard, on the kids list.
It 2017
Finn Wolfhard.
It Chapter Two 2019
Finn Wolfhard.
Room 2015
Jacob Tremblay, on the kids list; he was at the Oscars but not nominated.
Good Boys 2019
Jacob Tremblay, star of 2019's biggest comedy hit.
The countdown: No. 35 to No. 135 movie stars, all 35 and under
The Fault in Our Stars 2014
No. 35 Ansel Elgort: the signature weepy of the decade, and it works on Amanda every time.
Baby Driver 2017
No. 35 Ansel Elgort: the Edgar Wright movie, his most beloved credit.
The Goldfinch 2019
No. 35 Ansel Elgort: high-profile, not good.
West Side Story 2021
No. 35 Ansel Elgort: the lead in Spielberg's take, the most anticipated prestige title on the horizon.
Straight Outta Compton 2015
No. 34 O'Shea Jackson Jr.: played his own father, Ice Cube.
Den of Thieves 2018
No. 34 O'Shea Jackson Jr.
Long Shot 2019
No. 34 O'Shea Jackson Jr.: steals scenes from Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron.
Just Mercy 2019
No. 34 O'Shea Jackson Jr.: moving, not funny, part of a death-row trio Sean's thought about since.
Beast 2017
No. 33 Jessie Buckley.
Wild Rose 2018
No. 33 Jessie Buckley: a 'who is that?' performance Sean's been shouting about since last April.
Dolittle 2020
No. 33 Jessie Buckley: sleeps under the covers for most of the film.
I'm Thinking of Ending Things 2020
No. 33 Jessie Buckley: the Kaufman adaptation of Sean's favorite recent novel, up next.
Crazy Rich Asians 2018
No. 32 Henry Golding: went from travel-show host to overnight star within months.
A Simple Favor 2018
No. 32 Henry Golding: Sean walked out of it; it still made $100M+ internationally.
The Gentlemen 2019
No. 32 Henry Golding.
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins 2021
No. 32 Henry Golding: the only other project on his slate, as the title character.
Emma. 2020
No. 31 Anya Taylor-Joy: brings real haughtiness to the role.
The Witch 2015
No. 31 Anya Taylor-Joy: the mysterious, entrancing performance that started it.
Split 2016
No. 31 Anya Taylor-Joy.
Glass 2019
No. 31 Anya Taylor-Joy.
The New Mutants 2020
No. 31 Anya Taylor-Joy: one of two big titles coming this year.
Last Night in Soho 2021
No. 31 Anya Taylor-Joy: Edgar Wright's next.
Slumdog Millionaire 2008
No. 30 Dev Patel.
Lion 2016
No. 30 Dev Patel: Oscar-nominated; Chris Ryan does a DJ Khaled bit about it.
The Personal History of David Copperfield 2019
No. 30 Dev Patel: Armando Iannucci's Dickens adaptation, the pick that inspired this whole episode.
The Green Knight 2021
No. 30 Dev Patel: the David Lowery A24 film Sean expects a 'moment' around.
Manchester by the Sea 2016
No. 29 Lucas Hedges: going toe-to-toe with Casey Affleck, one of the decade's great revelations.
Lady Bird 2017
No. 29 Lucas Hedges.
Waves 2019
No. 29 Lucas Hedges.
Honey Boy 2019
No. 29 Lucas Hedges: an interesting, if imperfect, bid for false masculinity.
Let Them All Talk 2020
No. 29 Lucas Hedges: Soderbergh's next.
An Education 2009
No. 28 Carey Mulligan: her breakout, still wonderful on rewatch.
The Great Gatsby 2013
No. 28 Carey Mulligan: Daisy, in what Amanda calls basically a Lana Del Rey song.
Wildlife 2018
No. 28 Carey Mulligan: Paul Dano's directing debut; both hosts think she's tremendous in it.
Inside Llewyn Davis 2013
No. 28 Carey Mulligan: the same caustic register she reaches for in Wildlife.
Promising Young Woman 2020
No. 28 Carey Mulligan: Emerald Fennell's post-#MeToo revenge fantasy, seen at Sundance.
Everybody Wants Some!! 2016
No. 27 Glen Powell: the already-underrated Linklater college-baseball movie.
Hidden Figures 2016
No. 27 Glen Powell: plays an astronaut, heartthrob role No. 1.
Set It Up 2018
No. 27 Glen Powell: one of the most beloved Netflix movies ever made, opposite Zoey Deutch.
Top Gun: Maverick 2022
No. 27 Glen Powell: one of the stars, whenever it comes out.
Us 2019
No. 26 Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Aquaman 2018
No. 26 Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: the bad guy.
Candyman 2021
No. 26 Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: the Jordan Peele-produced remake.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 2020
No. 26 Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: playing Bobby Seale, in Sorkin's next.
The Matrix Resurrections 2021
No. 26 Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: horror, prestige Oscar movie, tentpole, the whole ladder, back to back.
Support the Girls 2018
No. 25 Haley Lou Richardson: the performance that made Amanda Google her a second time.
Columbus 2017
No. 25 Haley Lou Richardson: a Sean recommendation Amanda sought out months later and loved.
The Edge of Seventeen 2016
No. 25 Haley Lou Richardson: a pretty big supporting part.
Unpregnant 2020
No. 25 Haley Lou Richardson: a slightly more serious part.
After Yang 2021
No. 25 Haley Lou Richardson: Kogonada's follow-up to Columbus, opposite Colin Farrell.
Moonlight 2016
No. 24 Janelle Monae: an authentically great performance.
Hidden Figures 2016
No. 24 Janelle Monae.
The Glorias 2020
No. 24 Janelle Monae: plays Dorothy Pittman Hughes, seen at Sundance.
Antebellum 2020
No. 24 Janelle Monae: the glossy Lionsgate horror movie that puts her at the actual center of the frame; early word is good.
Rabbit Hole 2010
No. 23 Miles Teller: opposite Nicole Kidman, years before Whiplash.
The Spectacular Now 2013
No. 23 Miles Teller.
Whiplash 2014
No. 23 Miles Teller: a Ringer favorite since almost a decade ago.
Solo: A Star Wars Story 2018
No. 23 Miles Teller: famously didn't get the Han Solo role; both hosts think he'd have killed it.
Top Gun: Maverick 2022
No. 23 Miles Teller.
Fifty Shades of Grey 2015
No. 22 Dakota Johnson: what she's best known for.
A Bigger Splash 2015
No. 22 Dakota Johnson.
Suspiria 2018
No. 22 Dakota Johnson: slightly more high-toned stuff.
Transformers 2007
No. 21 Shia LaBeouf: the franchise that made him a household name.
Honey Boy 2019
No. 21 Shia LaBeouf.
The Peanut Butter Falcon 2019
No. 21 Shia LaBeouf.
The Tax Collector 2020
No. 21 Shia LaBeouf: the David Ayer movie so many people in Hollywood have already seen, that nobody's ready to release.
Room 2015
No. 20 Brie Larson: the Oscar.
Captain Marvel 2019
No. 20 Brie Larson.
Avengers: Endgame 2019
No. 20 Brie Larson.
The Marvels 2023
No. 20 Brie Larson: then-titled Captain Marvel 2, next up.
Booksmart 2019
No. 19 Beanie Feldstein: a 'sunbeam,' per both hosts, even as the movie itself aged worse than her performance.
Lady Bird 2017
No. 19 Beanie Feldstein.
The Humans 2021
No. 19 Beanie Feldstein: the Stephen Karam adaptation, alongside Amy Schumer and Richard Jenkins.
Creed 2015
No. 18 Michael B. Jordan: one of the best moviegoing experiences either host has had in a decade.
Black Panther 2018
No. 18 Michael B. Jordan: 'all caps acting,' per Amanda, which works, Sean argues, because that's how comic books actually sound.
Just Mercy 2019
No. 18 Michael B. Jordan: the same register applied to a courtroom drama, which both hosts think doesn't land as well.
Creed II 2018
No. 18 Michael B. Jordan: didn't land the same way as the first.
Kingsman: The Secret Service 2014
No. 17 Taron Egerton.
Robin Hood 2018
No. 17 Taron Egerton.
Rocketman 2019
No. 17 Taron Egerton: played Elton John, campaigned hard for the Oscar, won a Golden Globe instead.
The Master 2012
No. 16 Jesse Plemons.
Game Night 2018
No. 16 Jesse Plemons: 'fucking amazing,' one of the funniest performances of the decade, per Sean.
The Irishman 2019
No. 16 Jesse Plemons: took a tiny part just to be in it.
I'm Thinking of Ending Things 2020
No. 16 Jesse Plemons: the Kaufman movie, opposite Jessie Buckley.
Twilight 2008
No. 15 Kristen Stewart: the phenomenon that made her, and the paparazzi storm that came with it.
Panic Room 2002
No. 15 Kristen Stewart.
Adventureland 2009
No. 15 Kristen Stewart: one of Amanda's favorites.
Personal Shopper 2016
No. 15 Kristen Stewart: probably the last great movie she's made, per Sean.
Charlie's Angels 2019
No. 15 Kristen Stewart: Amanda says she's genuinely funny in it.
Happiest Season 2020
No. 15 Kristen Stewart: Clea DuVall's directorial debut, one of the more hotly tipped Oscar movies of the fall.
Widows 2018
No. 14 Cynthia Erivo.
Bad Times at the El Royale 2018
No. 14 Cynthia Erivo.
Harriet 2019
No. 14 Cynthia Erivo.
Chaos Walking 2021
No. 14 Cynthia Erivo: the Doug Liman movie both hosts call maybe the most cursed production in recent memory.
Needle in a Timestack 2021
No. 14 Cynthia Erivo.
Wonder Woman 2017
No. 13 Gal Gadot: a movie Amanda loved.
Fast Five 2011
No. 13 Gal Gadot.
Wonder Woman 1984 2020
No. 13 Gal Gadot.
Death on the Nile 2022
No. 13 Gal Gadot.
Spider-Man: Far From Home 2019
No. 12 Zendaya: they finally give her something to do.
The Greatest Showman 2017
No. 12 Zendaya: Sean doesn't rate the movie, liked her in it.
Smallfoot 2018
No. 12 Zendaya: source of the 'Zendaya is Michi' viral posters.
Dune 2021
No. 12 Zendaya: a pretty significant part, per Sean.
War Dogs 2016
No. 11 Ana de Armas.
Blade Runner 2049 2017
No. 11 Ana de Armas.
Knives Out 2019
No. 11 Ana de Armas: the centerpiece, and her real breakout.
Blonde 2022
No. 11 Ana de Armas: playing Marilyn Monroe, in Andrew Dominik's adaptation of the Joyce Carol Oates novel.
No Time to Die 2021
No. 11 Ana de Armas.
Deep Water 2022
No. 11 Ana de Armas: the Adrian Lyne movie, opposite Ben Affleck, where they actually started dating.
Short Term 12 2013
No. 10 LaKeith Stanfield.
Selma 2014
No. 10 LaKeith Stanfield.
Sorry to Bother You 2018
No. 10 LaKeith Stanfield: an early, boundary-pushing choice.
Get Out 2017
No. 10 LaKeith Stanfield.
Uncut Gems 2019
No. 10 LaKeith Stanfield.
Knives Out 2019
No. 10 LaKeith Stanfield: the metronome holding the movie's showier performances together.
The Photograph 2020
No. 10 LaKeith Stanfield: in the middle of a very hot run.
Winter's Bone 2010
No. 9 Jennifer Lawrence: the drama that got her on the map in the first place.
The Hunger Games 2012
No. 9 Jennifer Lawrence.
Silver Linings Playbook 2012
No. 9 Jennifer Lawrence.
American Hustle 2013
No. 9 Jennifer Lawrence.
mother! 2017
No. 9 Jennifer Lawrence: an amazing experiment, per Sean, not a box-office success.
Joy 2015
No. 9 Jennifer Lawrence: the third David O. Russell movie, less successful than the other two.
X-Men: Apocalypse 2016
No. 9 Jennifer Lawrence: couldn't save it.
Passengers 2016
No. 9 Jennifer Lawrence: couldn't save this one either.
Red Sparrow 2018
No. 9 Jennifer Lawrence.
Dark Phoenix 2019
No. 9 Jennifer Lawrence: one of the worst movies of the decade, per Sean.
Causeway 2022
No. 9 Jennifer Lawrence: then-titled Red, White and Water, an A24/Scott Rudin drama meant to get her back to her Winter's Bone roots.
Onward 2020
No. 8 Tom Holland: the voice role.
The Devil All the Time 2020
No. 8 Tom Holland: an Antonio Campos movie, no soft or cuddly territory.
Cherry 2021
No. 8 Tom Holland: the Russo brothers' adaptation of Nico Walker's opioid-addiction novel, a gnarly ask for Spider-Man's fans.
Atonement 2007
No. 7 Saoirse Ronan: one of four Oscar nominations, when she couldn't have been more than 12.
Hanna 2011
No. 7 Saoirse Ronan.
The Grand Budapest Hotel 2014
No. 7 Saoirse Ronan.
Brooklyn 2015
No. 7 Saoirse Ronan.
Lady Bird 2017
No. 7 Saoirse Ronan.
Little Women 2019
No. 7 Saoirse Ronan: a real box-office hit by mainstream-drama standards.
The French Dispatch 2021
No. 7 Saoirse Ronan: one of many stars in it, next.
Twilight 2008
No. 6 Robert Pattinson: the teen-idol phase he's spent years trying to extricate himself from.
The Lighthouse 2019
No. 6 Robert Pattinson: proof he pulled it off; got the show to promise a dedicated episode.
The Batman 2022
No. 6 Robert Pattinson: the reason he's this high is the biggest movie of the following year, if Warner Bros. doesn't screw it up.
Midsommar 2019
No. 5 Florence Pugh: fills up the entire screen, per Sean.
Little Women 2019
No. 5 Florence Pugh.
Outlaw King 2018
No. 5 Florence Pugh: the queen, in an otherwise boring Netflix movie, per Sean.
Black Widow 2021
No. 5 Florence Pugh: her Marvel entry, next.
Get Out 2017
No. 4 Daniel Kaluuya: made Sean peg him as a future Tom Hanks type.
Widows 2018
No. 4 Daniel Kaluuya: recalibrated that read toward John Malkovich.
Queen & Slim 2019
No. 4 Daniel Kaluuya: recalibrated it again, toward Don Cheadle; Sean calls it not fully successful but says Kaluuya is great in it.
Judas and the Black Messiah 2021
No. 4 Daniel Kaluuya: the then-untitled Fred Hampton project, his only confirmed thing on the slate.
The Wolf of Wall Street 2013
No. 3 Margot Robbie: the role that first got her noticed.
I, Tonya 2017
No. 3 Margot Robbie: the movie she produced that springboarded her into serious, Oscar-nominated territory.
Terminal 2018
No. 3 Margot Robbie: a movie she produced that Sean calls one of the worst he's ever seen.
Dreamland 2019
No. 3 Margot Robbie: a movie she produced that basically nobody saw.
Promising Young Woman 2020
No. 3 Margot Robbie: a movie she produced, with complicated feelings Amanda promises to revisit.
Birds of Prey 2020
No. 3 Margot Robbie: neither host thought this one, which she also produced, worked.
The French Dispatch 2021
No. 2 Timothee Chalamet.
Dune 2021
No. 2 Timothee Chalamet: what the hosts call his potential Titanic-style breakthrough.
Superbad 2007
No. 1 Emma Stone.
Birdman 2014
No. 1 Emma Stone.
The Favourite 2018
No. 1 Emma Stone: a supporting, chamber-piece performance both hosts loved.
Aloha 2015
No. 1 Emma Stone: one of the misses Sean says he's willing to overlook.
La La Land 2016
No. 1 Emma Stone: the Oscar win Sean says tips the scales.
Cruella 2021
No. 1 Emma Stone: the 101 Dalmatians prequel up next, which Sean doubts will feel like the center of the conversation.
Also mentioned raised along the way
In passing Rules Don't Apply
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
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