5 actors to watch in 2022

Adrienne Warren, Jabari Banks and more are set to appear in some of 2022's biggest projects in TV and film

From films like King Richard and West Side Story to shows like Harlem and The Wonder Years, 2021 gave us some truly thrilling performances from actors across multiple mediums. By the looks of 2022’s slate, it seems we’re in for even more exciting turns from actors ready to make big splashes in their respective projects. Check out theGrio‘s official 5 actors to watch in 2022 list, below:

Adrienne Warren

"Blindspotting" Premiere - 2021 Tribeca Festival
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 11: Adrienne Warren attends 2021 Tribeca Festival Premiere of “Blindspotting” at Pier 76 on June 11, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)

Fresh off her Tony Award-winning performance as Tina Turner in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Adrienne Warren is set to make quite the splash in the TV/film arena in 2022. The actress is starting of the year as Mamie Till Mobley, the mother of Emmett Till in ABC’s Women of the Movement series, which premieres in January. Warren will also join Colman Domingo and Audra McDonald in the upcoming Bayard Rustin biopic, Rustin, which comes from the Obamas‘ Higher Ground production company.

This image released by ABC shows Cedric Joe as Emmett Till, left, and Adrienne Warren as Mamie Till-Mobley in “Women of the Movement.” (Matt Sayles. ABC via AP)

Jabari Banks

Bel Air Fresh Prince thegrio.com
(Credit: YouTube screenshot/Peacock)

Fresh Prince fans, meet your new Will! As theGrio has previously reported, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is back with a reboot described as a “contemporary reimagining” of the original series. With Will Smith returning as producer, the series is one of the most highly anticipated shows of 2022, and newcomer Jabari Banks starring in the leading role of Will. Co-showrunners and executive producers T.J. Brady and Rasheed Newson shared a statement regarding finding Banks to lead their show, explaining, “His name is Jabari Banks and he won our hearts in the same way he won this role. Our creative team, including Will Smith, recognized that Jabari embodied the talent, charisma, and sheer swagger necessary to make this iconic role his own.” 

Sophia Brown

While The Witcher fans have been busy binging the second season that just dropped on Netflix, 2022 will see the series launch its first prequel with a brand new star at the helm. Sophia Brown is set to co-star in the series alongside Michelle Yeoh and Laurence O’Fuarain. The Witcher: Blood Origin is “set in an elven world 1,200 years before the world of The Witcher,” with Brown starring as, “Éile, an elite warrior blessed with the voice of a goddess, who leaves her clan and position as Queen’s guardian to follow her heart as a nomadic musician,” per Deadline.

Moses Ingram

Photo: Moses Ingram’s Fandom

From her Emmy-nominated performance in The Queen’s Gambit, to her turn as Lady Macduff in A24’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, Moses Ingram had quite an impressive year. 2022, however, is shaping up to be an even more exciting year for the actress. As theGrio previously reported, Ingram was cast as Robyn Crawford in the highly anticipated Whitney Houston biopic, I Wanna Dance with Somebody. She also is set to appear in the upcoming Star Wars series on Disney Plus, Obi-Wan Kenobi, which sees Ewan McGregor returning to the titular role after more than 15 years.

Tati Gabrielle

Marvel Studios "Captain Marvel" Premiere - Arrivals
Tati Gabrielle attends Marvel Studios “Captain Marvel” Premiere on March 04, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

From Chilling Adventures of Sabrina to the latest season of You, Tati Gabrielle has steadily become one of television’s most exciting faces, and next year the actress will continue her success with some major projects. Gabrielle will appear in Uncharted, which stars Spider-Man‘s Tom Holland in a film adaptation of the popular video game series of the same name. She also nabbed a main role in Jigsaw, a new Netflix series set to follow, “around the largest heist ever attempted, and the vengeance, scheming, loyalties, and betrayals that surround it.”

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