43 Latinx Actors Under 40 You Should Know
Latinx actors and people are pushing for better representation in television and movies. While Hollywood still has plenty of work when it comes to diversity both in front of the camera and behind, the tide continues to turn when it comes to entertainment. Latinx consumers made up 23% of all movie ticket sales in 2023 and are the second-fastest-growing racial or ethnic group in the U.S. population. Although on-screen representation remains remarkably low, it’s making leaps like never before, especially when it comes to showcasing complex characters that do more than just meet a diversity quota.
From newer Latin-led shows like Wednesday and Lopez vs. Lopez to fan favorites including On My Block and Jane the Virgin, Latinx actors are finally claiming roles that portray well-rounded people with a variety of storylines and life experiences. Below, these 43 actors are pulling up a seat at the table.
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Isabela Merced
A former Nickelodeon star, Isabela Merced has crafted an exciting career full of buzzy movies, critically-acclaimed series, and of course, a memorable turn as Dora in the live action Dora the Explorer film. The actress, who is Peruvian on her mother's side, also starred in Madame Web, Turtles All the Way Down, and Rosaline, and she'll soon appear in The Last of Us as Dina.
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Xolo Maridueña
A rising star best known for his role in Netflix’s Cobra Kai and DC’s Blue Beetle, Xolo is one to watch. He is of Mexican, Cuban, and Ecuadorian decsent and is currently set to star in The Smurfs Movie and will finish out the sixth and final season of The Karate Kid spin-off show in 2025.
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Jessica Marie Garcia
With reoccuring roles on Liv and Maddie, Betch, and Diary of a Future President it’s no surprise that Jessica managed to land a lead role on Netflix’s On My Block. While we’re devastated that Jasmine and the rest of the crew have completed their journey together, Garcia has stayed busy, working on projects like Go Off with Jess & Julissa, Illegally Brown, and even had a guest appearance on Lopez vs. Lopez.
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Selena Gomez
Selena famously got her start on Barney & Friends in 2002 (with BFF Demi Lovato) and went on to become a household name for her role as Alex Russo on Wizards of Waverly Place. Starring in her fair share of movies, such as Monte Carlo, Spring Breakers, and Princess Protection Program, the Mexican-American star is also known for her music and her makeup brand, Rare Beauty. She has also been nominated for several Emmy and Golden Globe Awards thanks to her role in the hit TV show Only Murders in the Building.
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Bruna Marquezine
Brazilian-born actor Bruna Marquezine first began acting all the way back in 1999. She most recently starred alongside Xolo and Belissa in Blue Beetle and is set to appear in the Netflix show Love of My Life later this year. When she’s not acting, Bruna models and has a rather impressive following on Instagram.
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Belissa Escobedo
With acting credits like The Baker and the Beauty and American Horror Stories under her belt, it’s no surprise we’ve seen even more of Escobedo as of late. In 2022, she helped lead the highly anticipated Halloween film Hocus Pocus 2 and recently starred alongside Xolo in the film Blue Beetle. She is set to appear in the show Happy’s Place in 2024 with Reba McEntire.
Michael Tran7/43Ariela Barer
You may recognize the Mexican-American actor from her guest roles on Disney shows including Liv and Maddie and K.C. Undercover or on Netflix’s Atypical and One Day At A Time. She is perhaps best known for her role as the purple-haired feminist superhero Gertrude “Gert” Yorkes on Marvel’s Runaways, which ran on Hulu for two seasons. Most recently, Ariela appeared in five episodes of Saved by the Bell, the short film Oddities, How to Blow Up a Pipeline, and has an upcoming role in The Last of Us.
Frazer Harrison8/43Tyler Posey
Before he was Scott McCall on MTV’s Teen Wolf, Tyler made his big screen debut in 2002 as Jennifer Lopez’s son on the classic rom-com Maid in Manhattan. The actor and musician, who is Mexican from his mom’s side of the family, also appeared on Scream: The TV Series, Jane the Virgin, and thriller film Truth or Dare. Most recently, he reprised his Teen Wolf role for the 2023 movie and has two upcoming movies that have yet to be released.
Greg Doherty9/43Isabella Gomez
Born in Medellin, Colombia, Isabella is best known for her role as the video game-loving Elena on One Day At A Time. The young actor won viewers’ hearts for her portrayal of a Latinx teen coming out to her family and educating them on social issues — even if her abuelita rolls her eyes every so often. Isabella previously appeared on Modern Family, The Goldbergs, and is set to appear in two upcoming films: The Mannequin and Pledge Trip.
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Bella Thorne
You probably know by now that Bella’s first prominent role was on Shake It Up as dancer CeCe Jones alongside Zendaya. Since then, she’s gone on to lead her own Freeform show Famous In Love and appeared in a wide range of movies, including The DUFF, You Get Me, and The Babysitter. The actress and musician, who is of Cuban descent, also appears in this year’s Midnight Sun and Assassination Nation among other projects.
Paul Archuleta11/43Marcel Ruiz
Opposite Isabella on One Day At A Time is Marcel as the suave, ever-confident little brother Alex. This was the Puerto Rican actor’s first major role. Growing up with filmmaking in the family, we’ll surely be seeing him on our screens for a long time to come. He’s already set to appear in a film short titled Telaraña, which is currently in post-production.
12/43Auli'i Cravalho
Auli’i made a splash as the voice of Disney’s Moana in 2016, which she followed up with a powerful performance at the Academy Awards the following year. Most recently, the 23-year-old Hawaiian actor, who is Puerto Rican on her dad’s side, has appeared in the film Mean Girls, lended her voice to several video games, and will reprise her role as Moana in Moana 2, set to release later this year.
13/43Camila Mendes
You most likely already know and love Camila for her portrayal of Veronica Lodge on Riverdale. The actor, who comes from a Brazilian family, often speaks out about the importance of playing a Latinx character on television that defies stereotypes. Since wrapping Riverdale, Camila has appeared in several films, including Do Revenge alongside Maya Hawke, and Música alongside Rudy Mancuso. She is rumored to be up for a role in 2025 remake of I Know What You Did Last Summer.
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Jharrel Jerome
In Moonlight, Jharrel Jerome made an onscreen debut that cemented him as one of the most exciting actors to watch. The Afro-Latinx actor, who is Dominican and Haitian, has since had a slew of interesting roles, including in I'm a Virgo, When They See Us, and Full Circle. His next starring turn is in UNSTOPPABLE, where he plays champion wrestler Anthony Robles; the film hits theaters in December 2024.
Paul Zimmerman15/43Jason Genao
The Dominican-American actor appeared in The Get Down and Logan before landing a lead role on Netflix’s On My Block as one of the four main characters. The show, which wrapped in 2021, followed a group of inner-city kids trying to make it through high school in Los Angeles. He’s also appeared in the TV mini series Boo, Bitch and the film Ambush.
16/43Francia Raísa
The Mexican-Honduran actor currently stars in Grown-ish as Ana, roomie and BFF to Yara Shahidi’s Zoey. But before she was playing a student at the fictional Cal U, Francia gained recognition for her role on The Secret Life of an American Teenager. She’s also starred in movies like Bring It On: All or Nothing and Fired Up. She also has a recurring role on How I Met Your Father as Valentina, Sophie’s roommate and best friend.
Michael Tran17/43Diego Boneta
The Mexican-American actor started out in Spanish-language shows like Rebelde before landing roles on Pretty Little Liars, 90210, and Scream Queens, to name a few. He is perhaps best known for playing Mexican singer Luis Miguel on the biographical show Luis Miguel: La Serie which ran from 2018 to 2021. He’s appeared in several films and TV shows since and currently has five projects in the works.
Steven Ferdman18/43Ozuna
The Puerto Rican singer is perhaps best known for his bops and collabs alongside hitmakers like Cardi B, Selena Gomez, and Jennifer Lopez. But in 2019, he crossed over onto the big screen with his first Spanish-language rom-com, Que León. He also appeared in 2022’s Father of the Bride as himself and in F9: The Fast Saga as young Santos.
Stefanie Keenan19/43Herizen Guardiola
Herizen stole our hearts as Mylene, an aspiring gospel and disco singer on Netflix’s The Get Down. Although the Baz Luhrmann series was ultimately canceled, the Cuban and Jamaican artist’s breakout role introduced audiences to her powerful voice. She’s currently focused on her music, acting, and modeling — oh, and she has a killer Instagram feed.
Dimitrios Kambouris20/43Cierra Ramirez
Raised in a Mexican and Colombian home, Cierra is a talented actor and musician known for her role as Mariana on The Fosters. She also played the daughter of Eva Mendes in the 2013 film Girl in Progress. In 2019, Freeform announced that Cierra and her Fosters costar Maia Mitchell would produce and star in their own spin-off series. Good Trouble ultimately went on to have five seasons, airing its last episode on March 2024.
Jim Spellman21/43Jake T. Austin
Before joining the cast of Wizards of Waverly Place as the youngest Russo sibling, Jake started out voicing Diego on Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go. The actor, who is of Puerto Rican and Argentine descent, went on to star in The Fosters after his run on Disney Channel. He continues to do voice work on films including Rio, Justice League vs. Teen Titans, and The Emoji Movie.
Jason LaVeris22/43Melonie Diaz
Raised in New York City by parents of Puerto Rican heritage, Melonie made a name for herself in films like Fruitvale Station and Amazon’s Gringo. She’s also starred in the VH1 series The Breaks and is perhaps best known for her role as Mel Vera and Maggie Vera in the 2018 reboot of Charmed, which ended in 2022.
Matt Winkelmeyer23/43Rico Rodriguez
Rico started out with small roles on Disney shows including Corey in the House before landing the part of Manny on ABC’s Modern Family in 2009. The actor, who is of Mexican descent, appeared on the critically-acclaimed series until it wrapped in 2020. Since then, he’s dabbled in voice work for Disney’s The Lion Guard and recently launched his podcast How To Win Friends and Disappear People.
ANGELA WEISS24/43Sofia Carson
Many fans know Sofia from various Disney Channel roles, including Evie in the Descendants movies. She has appeared in various other television shows, such as Faking It and Famous in Love. More recently, she starred in the Netflix film Purple Hearts and released her debut album, Sofia Carson, in 2022.
Tommaso Boddi25/43Jorge Lendeborg, Jr.
You may recognize the Dominican-born actor from his role as Nick in the hit film Love, Simon. Before he starred in the teenage rom-com, Jorge also appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming and The Land. Although he hasn’t appeared in anything since 2022, we’re hopeful we’ll be since more of him soon!
Syfy26/43María Gabriela de Faría
María kicked off her acting career on the Venezuelan telenovela Ser bonita no basta. She later rose to fame on Nickelodeon, where she played Isabela on Isa TKM, along with other roles on Grachi and as Franky Andrade on Yo soy Franky. American audiences got to know her on Syfy's Deadly Class, where she starred alongside Lana Condor. She is set to appear in the 2025 Superman film as Angela Spica, The Engineer.
Rich Polk27/43Madeleine Mantock
The British Afro-Caribbean actor began her career on BBC shows Casualty and Lee Nelson’s Well Funny People. She crossed the pond to star in The CW’s The Tomorrow People and AMC’s Into the Badlands. Most recently, she appeared as the older sister Macy on the 2018 reboot of Charmed.
Greg Doherty28/43Diego Tinoco
Like Jason, Diego is one of the four main characters of Netflix’s On My Block. His character Cesar struggles with the pressure to join a gang, which his family members are a part of. Prior to joining the coming-of-age series, the actor, who is of Colombian and Mexican descent, appeared on MTV’s Teen Wolf. He currently hosts the podcast On My Pod.
Rich Polk29/43Sarah Jeffery
You may have seen the Mexican-Canadian actress as Princess Audrey on the Disney Channel original movie Descendants or as the daughter of Jennifer Lopez’s character on the NBC series Shades of Blue. She’s also appeared in the Charmed reboot where she played Maggie Vera and Mel Vera.
Matt Winkelmeyer30/43Moises Arias
You probably remember him as Rico from Hannah Montana, but the Colombian actor has stayed busy since his Disney Channel days. He starred in films The Kings of Summer, Ender’s Game, and voiced Antonio in Despicable Me 2. He also starred as Poe alongside Cole Sprouse in the romantic drama Five Feet Apart, directed by Jane the Virgin’s Justin Baldoni. Most recently, fans got to watch him in the hit Amazon show Fallout.
Young Hollywood31/43Christian Lee Navarro
The Puerto Rican actor starred in shows like Rosewood and Vinyl before taking on the role of Tony Padilla on Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why. He is an outspoken activist and champion of Latinx representation in Hollywood and appeared in the 2022 show Critical Role.
Leon Bennett32/43Allegra Acosta
The Mexican-American actress from El Paso, Texas, starred in Nickelodeon’s 100 Things To Do Before High School before playing Latinx superhero Molly Hernandez on Marvel’s Runaways. She is now focused mainly on her music career.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin33/43Jenna Ortega
The 21-year-old actress, who is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent, has become one of the most booked and busy actors of her generation. As a kid, she played lead character Harley Diaz on Disney’s Stuck in the Middle. But Jane the Virgin fans may also recognize her as the young version of Jane in the show’s many flashbacks. Her career took off when she appeared in the Netflix show You. She’s since gone on to star in Scream, Wednesday, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, set to release later this year.
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Mayan Lopez
The Latin nepo baby we love and deserve — Mayan Lopez is the daughter of comedian George Lopez. While she had minor acting credits to her name before, she recently rose to fame in the 2022 series Lopez vs. Lopez where she stars alongside her father.
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Julio Macias
Mexican-born actor Julio is best known for his roles on Netflix’s Selena: The Series and On My Block, but did you know he also appeared in Jane the Virgin and Promise Land? Since OMB wrapped in 2021, Julio has appeared in the mini series Young Dario and has several upcoming films, including the 2025 film Delfino’s Journey where he will star alongside Helen Hunt.
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Tyler Dean Flores
The star of Netflix’s Neon, Tyler plays wannabe reggaetonero Santi who moves to Miami with his best friends to pursue his dream. He also appeared in The Dark Knight Rises, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and I Saw the TV Glow.
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Emma Ferreira
Emma is a relative newcomer to Hollywood, and we’re so glad she’s here. The Dominican-Canadian actor has appeared in the Netflix shows Neon and Unstable. She has two upcoming projects: Fried Fish and Plantain and Main Street.
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Ariana Greenblatt
It’s hard to believe that Jewish and Puerto Rican star Ariana Greenblatt is only 17 years old. She’s already had 18 impressive roles, including starring roles in In the Heights, Barbie, and Borderlands. With even more roles ahead of her, including Fear Street: Prom Queen and Now You See Me 3, it’s safe to say we’re going to be seeing a lot more of her in coming years.
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Rachel Zegler
Rachel Zegler launched onto the scene back in 2021 with her lead role in West Side Story. Shortly afterwards, she landed the lead role in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and is set to appear as Snow White in Disney’s live-action remake.
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Alexa Demie
Alexa Demie rose to fame back in 2019 with the premiere of Euphoria on HBO. She starred as infamous baddie Maddy Perez and (quite honestly) we can’t wait for the next season to come out to see what drama she’s going to bring to the small screen. She’s also appeared in one episode of The Idol and Fantasmas.
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Iñaki Godoy
Twenty-year-old Mexican actor Iñaki Godoy captured the hearts of millions with his portrayal of beloved anime character Monkey D. Luffy in Netflix’s live action adaptation of One Piece. He started his career back in 2016 with a small role in the TV series Blue Demon and has since appeared in shows like Who Killed Sara? And The Imperfects. He’s set to reprise his role as everyone’s favorite stretchy pirate in the next season of One Piece and a voice role in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2.
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Maia Reficco
After breaking out in the U.S. with Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, child star Maia Reficco is already taking Hollywood and Broadway by storm. Reficco, who was born in Boston but grew up in Buenos Aires, has appeared in Netflix's Do Revenge, One Fast Move with KJ Apa, and soon, in the adaptation of YA novel A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow. She's also currently starring as Eurydice in Hadestown on Broadway.
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Jaden Michael
Jaden Michael, who is Dominican, began his acting career as a young child, but his career has really taken off in the past few years. After roles in The Get Down and Blue Bloods, Michael played young Colin Kaepernick in Colin in Black and White to critical acclaim. He also has some projects on the horizon: Me Caso con tu Ex and Atrabilious.
