Kiersey Clemons

Kiersey Clemons is only 24 and already taking over the world. Where have you seen her? Where haven’t you seen her? The queer actress, who trained with the iconic Groundlings improvisational and sketch comedy troupe, starred with another one of our favorites, Ellen Page, in the remake of the science fiction/horror film Flatliners; garnered a role in The Only Living Boy in New York along with Jeff Bridges and Kate Beckinsale; played Bianca in Transparent; starred in Lady Gaga’s video “’Til It Happens to You;” and of course, we can’t forget her role as Diggy in Dope, a film about a nerd who gets involved with the wrong crowd. She’s also been called an “actor to watch” by Variety, and pointed, in that article, to fellow actors Page and Zoë Kravitz as inspirations for how to select roles. “It’s funny,” she says. “I was just telling someone else how interesting it was to grow up and be a young woman and figure yourself out on camera and in your personal life at the same time. It sounds a lot more vulnerable, I think, than it is. It’s just really self-reflective, and it feels cool to watch yourself, and it helps you understand yourself. It’s been a blessing for me.” Look for her in the horror film Sweetheart as well as the highly anticipated feature film Hearts Beat Loud and on your playlist when she drops that debut EP she’s been working on. —GH