Every year, young and fresh new talent rises in Hollywood. Many of these talented young women will go on to win awards- Oscars, Grammys, Emmys- you name it. A lot of them will garner international fame and endorsements, all of which come with a lot of attention and pressure. Being in the public eye is not easy and can be stressful. Being active, however, has been shown in many studies to help with stress management. Not to mention, that many young children and teens will look up to these rising stars as role models, so picking active, healthy idols is important!
Here are the 10 rising young actresses to watch (and get inspired by) in 2021:
Jessica Henwick
- Believes that feeling good on the inside shows on the outside- so she focuses on her physical, emotional, and mental health.
- Her Instagram speaks to the amount of effort that goes into playing such an action-packed role for Iron Fist, she’s also cast in Matrix 4
- For her role in Iron Fist, she ate high protein diet to bulk up: three protein shakes a day, six egg whites, very lean meat, greek yogurt
- Muscle and Fitness has a good compilation of some of her social media posts showing her training.
- On fitness, she told The New Potato: “I love competitive sports, and learning martial arts is probably one of my favorite physical activities. Lifting weights does make a big difference, so I’ll take that too, but I think gyms have such a silly amount of different weight machines these days. How many ways do you really need to work on your traps?”
- Used to be addicted to sodas, but read about the bad health consequences as a teen and weaned herself off of them.
- Enjoys hiking
- Yoga
Katherine Langford
- Trained for her physical role in Netflix show Cursed
- One of the reasons why Katherine took on the role is the “new challenges” it presented, which included intense fight scenes.
- She told E! News, “I’m a former athlete. I trained as a swimmer for nearly 10 years, so to be able to use my body for a role is something that I’ve never done before. I was really excited to dive into that. During shooting, it’s cold and you really have to fully commit.”
- Said in an interview with L’Officiel that she credits her background as a swimmer provided her with determination and drive.
- To prepare for the role, she had a rigorous bootcamp schedule that included 3-4 hours of swords and horseback riding
- In interviews, she says she loved the physicality of the role and would love to dive further into it.
- Cardio
- Weight training
- Skis
Lana Condor
- Was the February 2021 covergirl of SELF Magazine
- Grew up horseback riding and ballet dancing
- She works out remotely with a trainer 5 days a week
- A mix of cardio and HIIT
- “My mental health is the priority, and my mental health is always better when I am active” says Lana
- Recently added jumping rope to her routine which she’s found effective in quarantine because she doesn’t have a treadmill. She jumps rope in between sets to get her heart rate up.
- Lots of squats and lunges
- Hates using the slam ball but knows it’s good for her and helps her take out her stress. “If I’m having a bad day or I have a little aggression, slamming that ball down on the ground really helps me. It always makes me feel a lot better when it’s finished.” She also named it Beatrice, like a pet, to warm up to it.
- Uses bowflex dumbbells
- Misses in person classes and is looking forward to be able to resume them when safe
- Pilates Reformer
- Hot Yoga Sculpt
- Boxing
- Saying staying active is about being happy “I think it’s just about joy,” she says. “It’s showing up and consistency and doing things that bring you joy. Just to get your body moving—to be happy—is what I really want to focus on.”
Lashana Lynch
- Slated to be the first ever female 007 in No Time to Die
- Told TechRadar that the stunt work was a big part of the movie’s appeal to Lynch. “I’ve always wanted to do action, I’ve always wanted to portray someone powerful physically, and completely competent. Like I said, I asked the stunt team at the beginning of training if they could turn me into a ninja, they said ‘yes’, and that’s what I am for life now! I feel I have certified ninja status, as well as 00 status.”
- Does kickboxing
- Runs to relieve stress and anxiety
- Works out at gym whose motto is “No gut, no glory”
- Does yoga
- When asked by ESPN how she prepared for her Marvel role she answered “Well, I like the gym anyway. And I do a lot of classes, so I just continued in that lane. My friends and I had a squat challenge going on. I did a hundred squats a day. It helped get my whole core together.”
- She also said that flying F-16 fighter jets with female pilots for the role was one of the highlights of her life!
Anya Taylor-Joy
- Kickboxes
- Pilates Reformer
- Was a dancer and still loves it “I used to be a huge rave kid. I just loved being in a space where you could just lose yourself and meditate through dance,” she recalls
- Starts her day with dancing “I used to be a ballet dancer. I haven’t danced properly now for a couple of years, but I do one exercise class and immediately my poise comes back, and my muscles remember. I always dance first thing in the morning, silly crazy dancing. I do it to at least three songs, because it sets me up for the day.:
- On being active daily “the whole day feels like exercise, waking up at 4am and going straight to work. I want to get back into ballet and hip-hop dance classes. They help me to focus on one moment clearly”
- Told Elle that she would pick Apple cider vinegar over a beer
- Does cryotherapy
- She told Harper’s Bazaar UK last year that she eats vegan whenever she can. “I was vegan for a long time. I got into it because it’s the most ecologically conscious choice you can make as a consumer. When I was a vegan it was the healthiest I’ve ever felt because I had so much energy,”
- Having been a vegetarian since the age of eight, Taylor-Joy has had plenty of experience sticking to a diet that’s limited in animal products, and long on plant foods.
- Said in an interview that she’s prioritizing fitness “I’m trying to find a way of incorporating exercise more into my routine simply because you have to be strong to do this job. If you’re not taking care of yourself, you are not going to make it. It’s too demanding on you physically – you need that strength. But also, I just have too much energy and it is better for me to put it into something like boxing than to be let loose into the world with it!”
Adria Arjona
- Video of her actual training for role
- When she signs on for tough roles, she wants to do her own stunts
- Runs
- Bodyweight exercises
- Loves pilates
- Surfs
- Has a trainer who pushes her regularly and according to her “keeps me sane.”
- Tries to eat as healthy as possible so she can enjoy her drinks
- In an interview with Byrdie, she talk about how she used to hate running and now loves how it affects her brain “My meditation is running. It’s the only thing that allows me to get out of my head, into my body. When I’m running, I’m connected to my breathing. I sometimes come up with ideas. I’m my most creative when I’m in that runner’s headspace.
- Says she uses running to clear her mind and figure things out- she gets clarity for her roles from hitting the treadmill. She says “Running just fleshes everything out.”
Madelyn Cline
- Said she’s overcome an eating disorder that she struggled with as a teen
- Dances ballet for cardio
- Horseback rides
- Yoga
- Runs either on treadmill or outside
- Learning to snowboard
- Works out most morning
- In quarantine, has been doing YouTube workout videos
- Gets fresh air and sun daily for health
- Meditates daily “I have gotten into meditating, just because it has been such a strange mix of events—the show doing really well while we’re in quarantine in the middle of a global pandemic. It’s a bunch of weird stressors all thrown into the mix. So I’ve downloaded Headspace and I’ll just do a quick 20-minute guided meditation. That’s helped a lot because I have anxiety.”
- Told Byrdie she plans to keep some of the good habits she’s developed in quarantine “I think personally I’m definitely gonna take some of the habits I’ve created in quarantine because I think they’re healthy habits for life in general, like meditation, keeping a daily routine.”
Ana de Armas
- Boxes
- Spins
- Yoga
- Weight trains
- Runs outdoors
- Martial arts training
- Enjoys playing sports
- “Exercise makes me happy, but it has to be fun. I do something different every day — one-day boxing, the next spinning or weight training — to not get bored,” de Armas said.
- Her social media has many posts on working out and training for action roles
- Eats mostly healthy but likes to indulge sometimes
Joey King
- Loves hiking
- Told The New Potato “Most importantly, above all else, I practice self-love,” she told the publication. “Your inner beauty shines when you are emotionally and physically kind to yourself.”
- She tries to eat as healthy as possible, without being too restrictive- it’s all about balance “If I’m craving a piece of bread or a bowl of pasta, sometimes I just need to listen to my body and indulge. You definitely have to find a balance, though, because eating the right things has incredible health and healing benefits. It’s not about how you look–it’s about taking care of your body so you can be the best you.”
- Works out 4-5 times a week “I absolutely love exercise because I feel energetic and happy when I work out on a regular basis.”
- Loves boxing
- Runs
Christian Serratos
- Was a competitive figure skater- started at the age of 3
- Credited her athletic background with giving her discipline and motivation
- Is a dancer
- Has tried Cirque and pole classes to switch it up
- Does ballet barre
- Enjoys the gym and group fitness classes “I find that going to the gym is awesome and I have a good time there––I’m one of those people who actually likes to feel sore”
- Has a trainer
- Works out an hour daily
- Told Livingly that she used to eat like a human garbage can but now she only drinks water and essentially eats a raw organic diet. “Diet Coke was my addiction, so I’ve been drinking only water now for eight months. And all the foods I eat are organic, but I’m really loving this raw thing now, there are a lot of raw foods that I’m really into. And I feel clean, you know, to eat clean, I feel, is really doing yourself a solid. You feel so much better.”
- Has a lot more energy since switching to a healthy diet.
