12 Exceptional Young Actors Who Achieved Success Without Family Ties

      Here are 12 young actors who achieved success without any familial ties — solely through hard work and immense talent.

      No nepo babies in this lineup.

      Let's dive in.

      Jenna Ortega

      Jenna Ortega in Wednesday – Credit: Netflix

      At just 23 years old, Jenna Ortega, the star of Scream and Wednesday, is one of the rapidly ascending young talents who entered the industry without family connections. She recounted to MovieMaker that she began her acting journey by pleading with her mother, a nurse, starting when she was just six. Growing up in Coachella Valley as the fourth of six children, she shared, “I wanted to start acting at six, but my mom said no. I begged her until she bought me a monologue book from Barnes and Noble to quiet me. I performed a monologue for her about my mom dying of cancer, and she jokingly taped it and shared it on Facebook saying something like, ‘Oh, my little drama queen.’

      “A casting director happened to see the video and reached out to my mom, suggesting she set up a meeting with an agent. So, my mom kind of dug her own grave with that one.”

      Recently, she appeared in the sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and the drama Finestkind (above).

      Zendaya

      Zendaya in Dune 2. Warner Bros. – Credit: C/O

      The daughter of two educators, Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman participated in a Black History Month play at her Oakland, California school and later joined the California Shakespeare Theater, where her mother was employed as the house manager during summer.

      She quickly began landing modeling gigs and Disney roles. Today, she stars in Euphoria, Dune, and the Spider-Man franchise, establishing herself among the top-tier actors and outshining many who have better connections.

      The 29-year-old is currently featured in the new film The Drama and the highly anticipated third season of Euphoria. More details on that soon.

      Barry Keoghan

      Colin Farrell and Barry Keoghan (R) in The Banshees of Inisherin. Searchlight Pictures – Credit: C/O

      Barry Keoghan, 33, faced a challenging childhood, with his mother struggling with addiction and him spending time in 13 foster homes between ages 5 and 12. His mother would visit him and his brother until her passing.

      “It was the worst day of my life,” Keoghan shared with Ireland Unfiltered's Dion Fanning. “I was around 12, but I learned to work through it, and it made me stronger.”

      He began acting in school plays and secured his first film role in 2011 by responding to a casting call for Between the Canals. He later appeared in major films like Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk and Yorgos Lanthimos's The Killing of a Sacred Deer, as well as Martin McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin — earning him an Oscar nomination — and had a notable role as The Joker in Matt Reeves' The Batman.

      This year, he's starring in Crime 101 and Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. Besides being among young stars with no family ties in the industry, he’s also an amateur boxer.

      Daniel Kaluuya

      Daniel Kaluuya in NOPE. Universal – Credit: C/O

      At 36, Daniel Kaluuya, an Oscar winner for Judas and the Black Messiah, was raised by his Ugandan mother in public housing in London. Reflecting on his school days, he recounted, “The teacher said I was difficult, and I thought, ‘I’ll show you,’” in an interview with The New York Times in 2018.

      He wrote a play that won a local competition and was staged at the esteemed Hampstead Theater, where he further developed his craft as a teenager.

      He quickly landed a role and eventually became a writer for the British series Skins, which opened more doors for him. His breakout came with Jordan Peele’s Get Out, and he reunited with Peele for NOPE.

      Making his directorial debut with Netflix's The Kitchen, he is set to appear next year in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.

      Selena Gomez

      Selena Gomez in The Only Murders in the Building. Hulu – Credit: C/O

      In The Only Murders in the Building, Selena Gomez's mother, Mandy Teefey, gave birth at 16. Her parents, Mandy and Ricardo, divorced when Gomez was five. “I often blamed my mom since I longed for a traditional family,” Gomez remarked in an interview with E!. “I was angry with her for that.”

      However, she grew to recognize her mother's sacrifices: “My mom gave up everything and worked multiple jobs for me.”

      At 33, she starred in Emilia Perez last year and recently married Benny Blanco.

      Simu Liu

      Simu Liu in Shang-Ch