Streaming titan Netflix may have begun as a convenient way for people to watch theatrical releases from the comfort of their homes, but it quickly established itself as a powerhouse studio capable of releasing some of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed media of the streaming age. And as Netflix originals continue to be released, exponentially it seems, they launch waves of previously unheard actors into stratospheric stardom. Here are 32 stars who gained massive fame after landing a role on a Netflix show or movie.
Millie Bobby Brown
Millie Bobby Brown burst into the mainstream at age 11 for her portrayal of Eleven, a mysterious girl with psychokinetic abilities, in the hit series Stranger Things. Eleven was so popular in fact, that her iconic look became a viral Halloween costume. Brown has landed many roles since starring in Stranger Things, including the titular role in Enola Holmes and its sequel, and Elodie in 2024’s Damsel, all of which are also Netflix originals.
Drew Starkey
Drew Starkey is best known for his role as Rafe Cameron, a turbulent character who struggles with anger issues and addiction, in the teen drama Outer Banks, which details a group of teens from different socioeconomic backgrounds living on the barrier islands of North Carolina. Starkey has gone viral for bringing Rafe to life, especially on TikTok, and has since landed roles in major films like Queer.
Cooper Koch
Cooper Koch gained notoriety and acclaim for his portrayal of Erik Menendez in the second season of Monsters, a true crime anthology series developed by Ryan Murphy. The second season tells the story of Erik and Lyle Menendez, two brothers who were convicted and sent to prison for ending the lives of their wealthy parents in the early ‘90s. Many of Koch’s moments from the Monsters press tour went viral, including his appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.
Chance Perdomo
Before his tragic passing in early 2024, Chance Perdomo was making a name for himself as one of Hollywood’s most exciting young actors, with his most recent role as metal manipulator Andre Anderson in The Boys spinoff, Gen Z. Before that, the role that put him on the map was the charismatic and hilarious Ambrose Spellman, cousin of the titular witch in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Tom Sturridge
Oftentimes, celebrities can experience great success in one specific area of the entertainment industry that does not translate to mainstream appeal. For example, Tom Sturridge had received two Best Actor Tony nominations before appearing as Morpheus / Dream in the fantasy drama The Sandman, but it wasn’t until his haunting and commanding portrayal of Dream that the Internet started buzzing about him.
Jenna Ortega
Jenna Ortega stands out as one of the few Gen Z former Disney stars who chose to pursue acting instead of pop music, and doing so has proven to be a smart career move for her. Her first Netflix gig was a supporting role in the hit psychological thriller You, which proved that she had the acting chops to take on more adult material. However, the show that made her a household name and earned her a much-deserved Emmy nomination was the leading role as Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s adaptation for Wednesday.
Louis Partridge
Louis Partridge’s breakout performance was as Viscount Tewkesbury, the love interest to Millie Bobby Brown’s Enola in Enola Holmes and its sequel. Since then, his jobs have included reimagining Peter Pan in The Lost Girls and working with Alfonso Cuaron in his thrilling miniseries Disclaimer.
Victoria Pedretti
The derangement of You’s Joe Goldberg, portrayed by Penn Badgley, had been unmatched until he met Love Quinn in Season 2, brought expertly to life by Victoria Pedretti. Pedretti’s ability to match, and in many instances outpace, the insanity of Badgley’s Joe with her haunting face acting and theatrical meltdowns is beyond impressive. Her performance stands out so much that, in a show with a cast of continuously rotating characters, she is second only to Badgley in how popular her character is.
Phoebe Dynevor
The talk of the ton, the Diamond of the Season, Daphne Bridgerton of the large, illustrious Bridgerton family in the self-titled series made Phoebe Dynevor a household name. Season 1 of Bridgerton, where Dynevor is a lead, quickly became a top 10 most-viewed season of a Netflix series of all time, when it was released. Since Bridgerton, she has continued to impress in films like Fair Play.
Madelyn Cline
Another standout from Outer Banks is Madelyn Cline, who portrays Rafe’s younger sister Sarah, who is embedded in a group of wealthy social elites but forms a relationship with the leader of the group of working-class locals. Since starring in Outer Banks, Cline has taken on more film roles, including a supporting role in Glass Onion; A Knives Out Mystery and the 2025 remake of I Know What You Did Last Summer.
Nicholas Alexander Chavez
Nicholas Alexander Chavez had already developed a cult following for portraying Prince Spencer Cassadine on ABC’s General Hospital when he was cast as Lyle Menendez in Monsters. Not only did Chavez’s explosive performance produce countless viral clips and memes, but he was also honored by becoming the Internet Boyfriend of the fall of 2024. Since Monsters, Chavez has continued with his television roles with an appearance with fellow Ryan Murphy project Grotesquerie, and he made his major feature film debut in the 2025 I Know What You Did Last Summer remake.
Simone Ashley
Phoebe Dynevor handed the reigns over to Simone Ashley to become the female romantic lead for Season 2 of Bridgerton. Ashley brings Kate Sharma to life, a headstrong, protective older sister who harbors complex feelings toward Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, who is betrothed to her younger sister. In the wake of her Bridgerton success, Ashley has continued to stun in her numerous red-carpet appearances and has appeared in big-budget films like the live-action Little Mermaid remake.
Glen Powell
Glen Powell quickly established himself as a modern Hollywood leading man, demonstrating his comedic sensibilities in the romantic comedy Anyone But You and his action capabilities in the disaster flick Twisters. But Netflix’s Hit Man is the film that made audiences and critics alike begin to take Powell seriously as a versatile actor, as the admittedly bizarre role, which centers around a college professor posing as a fake hitman, requires Powell to adopt many different, quirky personas, which he does with prowess.
Walker Scobell
Acting opposite Hollywood royalty Ryan Reynolds would be intimidating for any new actor, but to do it at age 12 with the prowess Walker Scobell did demonstrates how much talent he harbored from a young age. After his breakout role as the younger version of Reynold’s character in The Adam Project, Hollywood clearly took notice, because the following year he was cast as the lead in the Disney+ Percy Jackson and the Olympians television adaptation.
Aidan Gallagher
Many child actors fade into obscurity after they age out of the series that put them on the map. The same cannot be said for Aidan Gallagher who proved that he wasn’t just another Nickelodeon kid and had the range to hold his own against acting titans like Elliot Page and Emmy Rossum in The Umbrella Academy. What makes Gallagher’s portrayal of teleporter and time jumper Five so memorable is the believability with which he portrays living as a middle-aged man trapped in a pubescent boy’s body.
Laverne Cox
Laverne Cox’s portrayal of Sophia Burset in Orange Is the New Black balanced the line between being heartfelt and hilarious and made her the first transgender person to be nominated for an acting Emmy. With the acclaim and notoriety that Cox received from Orange, she has gone on to make enormous strides for transgender people in Hollywood and has remained a prominent advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
Lana Condor
Lana Condor endearingly brought to life one of the most likable young adult fiction protagonists to life in the film adaptation of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Lara Jean Covey’s stylish outfits, confident yet kind demeanor, and plentiful cutesy moments with Peter struck a chord with audiences, developing a fanbase for the franchise far beyond that of its source material.
Jonathan Bailey
In a show with so many eligible bachelors ready to become the next Hollywood Heartthrob, Jonathan Bailey’s ability to capture Bridgerton viewers’ hearts with his repressed yearning and devotion as Viscount Anthony Bridgerton is commendable. Bailey has continued to win the hearts of men and women alike, bringing to life crushworthy characters like Tim Laughlin in Fellow Travelers and Prince Fiyero in Wicked.
Charlie Cox
Before it moved to Disney+ and became MCU canon, Daredevil was a gritty, violent Netflix series depicting the life of one of Marvel’s most captivating vigilantes, with Charlie Cox at the helm. Cox’s performance was quickly singled out, as the work he put in to sensitively and accurately depict a blind character as a sighted person was visible on screen. He also showed off his impressive physicality in the series’ numerous action scenes, which have been clipped and shared across the web numerous times.
Jaz Sinclair
Before reuniting with Chance Perdomo on Gen V, Jaz Sinclair acted alongside him in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina as one of Sabrina’s best friends, Roz. Jaz’s depiction of Roz’s inner turmoil in coming to terms with her own magical abilities set her up wonderfully to portray a tortured character like Marie Moreau in Gen V.
Uzo Aduba
Uzo Abuba’s off-the-walls performance of Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren in Orange Is the New Black made her one of the only people in history to win Emmys in both the Drama and Comedy categories for the same role. Aduba has continued to receive many accolades on and off screen, including a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Play.
Kit Connor
Kit Connor became a household name after starring in queer, teen romance Heartstopper as schoolboy Nick Nelson. For his performance, Connor won the inaugural Outstanding Lead Performance Emmy at the first Children’s and Family Emmy Awards. He has since lent his voice to the beloved animated film The Wild Robot and portrayed Romeo in the Broadway musical adaptation of Romeo & Juliet.
Jacob Elordi
If there’s one actor who should be singled out for his range, it’s Jacob Elordi. While most might recognize Elordi for his role as Nate Jacobs in Euphoria, he first became a household name portraying Noah Flynn in The Kissing Booth, and though both projects are set in high school, tonally, they could not be more different. Elordi’s success from the Kissing Booth franchise helped catapult him to A-lister status, and he has stayed booked and busy.
Joseph Quinn
Few recurring characters from Stranger Things have left as lasting of an impact as Season 4’s Eddie Munson, brought to life by Joseph Quinn. Eddie is zany and charismatic, but also deeply misunderstood and empathetic, which makes audiences fall in love with him. Since Stranger Things, Quinn has booked many high-profile gigs, including a major role in A Quiet Place: Day One and Gladiator 2.
Ho-Yeon Jung
Ho-Yeon Jung gives a scene-stealing, supporting performance as North Korean defector Sae-Byeok Kang in Squid Game. Watching Sae-Byeok’s cold, reserved demeanor slowly melt in the presence of a genuine friend is truly gripping, making her fate in the show all the more heart-wrenching, and Jung captures this arc beautifully. It’s no wonder her performance had such a lasting impact on Squid Game's millions of viewers.
Noah Centineo
Noah Centineo’s charming portrayal of adorkable schoolmate Peter Kavinsky made him an Internet Boyfriend back in 2018. Centineo realized he struck gold with this archetype because he continued to take roles that were very Kavinsky-esque, including acting as Sierra Burgess’s crush in Sierra Burgess Is a Loser and the lead in the romantic comedy The Perfect Date.
Maya Hawke
Having superstars like Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman as your parents definitely doesn’t hurt your chances of making it big in Hollywood, but it takes a special talent to transcend “nepo baby” status and be celebrated for your own work, which Maya Hawke has successfully done through her role in Stranger Things. Hawke’s character, Robin Buckley, is so funny and down to earth, that you can’t help but love her, and, by extension, Hawke herself.
Joe Locke
Joe Locke gained notoriety for his sensitive portrayal of love-struck teen Charlie Spring in Heartstoppers, which garnered him a Children’s and Family Emmy Award nomination. His subsequent roles include Tobias Ragg in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street on Broadway and William Kaplan in Agatha All Along.
Richard Gadd
Richard Gadd had a devastating early start to his career as a screenwriter, and he somehow managed to spin those awful experiences into a comedic and harrowing limited series based on his own experiences called Baby Reindeer. Baby Reindeer has received mass viewership and acclaim and earned Gadd multiple Emmy awards and nominations for creating and starring in it.
Emma Myers
Emma Myers’s bubbly, energetic character Enid Sinclair is the perfect Golden Retriever best friend to compliment Wednesday Addams’s standoffish, black cat energy, quite literally in fact, considering Enid is a werewolf. And the Internet loves it when opposites attract, so Emma Myers quickly went viral for her character’s cheerful disposition and rainbow color palette.
Noah Schnapp
In many ways, Will Byers, brought to life by actor Noah Schnapp, is the heart and soul of Stranger Things. It is the search for Will, the desperation to release him from the monster’s grasp, and the longing to reconnect with him that drives the series forward. And Schnapp’s acting chops added so many textures to Will’s character, from his trauma and paranoia to his nerdiness and deep love for his friends, so it’s no surprise he became a fan favorite.
Jessica Gunning
As Penn Badgley knows, it takes a talented actor to compellingly portray a stalker so well that you compel viewers to watch you rather than repulse them, and Jessica Gunning proved that she was the best choice for the chop with her unhinged performance as Martha in Baby Reindeer. The performance was such a standout, in fact, that it earned Gunning her first Emmy award.
