The 2025 CGA Rising Stars: Meet the 10 Australian Actors Ready for the World Stage
/Get to know Joseph Zada, Tanzyn Crawford, and the 8 other Aussie actors set to lead the next generation
The CGA 2025 Rising Stars list includes (clockwise from top left): Clare Hughes, Ioane Sa’ula, Joseph Zada, Lily LaTorre, Roxie Mohebbi, Stacy Clausen, Tanzyn Crawford, Tharanya Tharan, Xavier Molyneux, and Zoe Phillips. Photo courtesy of CGA/Nixco.
Hard work and dedication may help a young actor get the early parts needed to establish a decent resume, but when casting directors find someone who also demonstrates versatility, instinct, skill, and charisma in every role, they know that actor is ready to transition from local renown to global stardom in an instant.
The Casting Guild of Australia identifies the Australian talent most likely to become Hollywood sensations with their annual Rising Stars initiative. Now in its 11th year, the CGA has foreshadowed the incredible careers of alumni including Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon), Yerin Ha (Bridgerton), and Katherine Langford (13 Reasons Why).
The 2025 Rising Stars are no exception. From the post-apocalyptic state of Panem to the brutal battlefields of Westeros, this year’s list features artists who are already landing prime parts in major productions. Whether it’s Joseph Zada revealing the origin story of Woody Harrelson’s Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, or Tanzyn Crawford joining the sprawling mythology of Game of Thrones in HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the Class of 2025 has graduated with distinction.
Here are the 10 extraordinary actors the CGA has tapped as Australia’s next great exports, with a focus on the five to whom I had a chance to pose specific questions.
Tanzyn crawford, CGA RISING STAR 2025. PHOTO COURTESY OF CGA/NIXCO.
TANZYN CRAWFORD
Age: 25
Hometown: Perth
Notable Credits: Tiny Beautiful Things, Swift Street
Although she bounced around different hobbies throughout her childhood, including spending 10 years as a dancer, Tanzyn Crawford committed to acting at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), the proving ground for stars including Hugh Jackman, Tim Minchin and Fiona Choi. “The most valuable lesson I received, which may seem severe, was a talk from a teacher about how complex this industry really is, and to be aware that the long-haul effort you will have to put in may ultimately amount to nothing,” she recalls. “It was hard to hear, but it also gave me a kick in the butt to really learn to knuckle down, focus, and be ready to work, not just on set but behind the scenes, because that's where you will spend 90% of the time.”
Crawford rose to prominence in the 2023 Hulu miniseries Tiny Beautiful Things, based on Cheryl Strayed’s 2012 collection of advice columns, by playing Rae Kincade, the daughter of Kathryn Hahn’s protagonist, Clare Pierce. She then starred alongside Cliff Curtis in the 2024 SBS crime caper Swift Street before joining Nick Offerman, Lake Bell, and Randall Park as part of the ensemble of Miles Levin’s acclaimed film Under the Lights. In mid-January 2026, Crawford becomes Dornish puppeteer Tanselle Too-Tall in the Game of Thrones prequel series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. “I don’t think there is a singular role I’m most proud of because I think they are all a part of the incredible journey I have been on the past couple of years,” she says. “I have found enjoyment and growth in every single role I have played, and thinking of the more rounded, experienced actor that walked away from each one makes me proud in itself.”
As for actors she admires, Crawford cites Emma Stone as an inspiration. “I really love how she escaped the typecast that was so clearly pushed towards her in her early years,” Crawford explains. “She could have gone down the path of being the beautiful love interest. Still, instead of doing that, she forced herself into vastly different roles, including musicals, biopics, and, of course, the string of films with Yorgos Lanthimos that showcase vastly different and extreme characters and her incredible ability to morph into almost anything.”
“It’s a huge honour to be recognised as a CGA Rising Star. Sometimes sending in tapes feels like such a solo experience, so it’s nice to be reminded that there are other people involved and the work I put out is resonating with them. This is my first-ever award for acting, so that is really huge for me! It’s another excellent piece of encouragement to keep on how I’m keeping on.”
Stacy Clausen, CGA Rising Star 2025. Photo courtesy of CGA/Nixco.
STACY CLAUSEN
Age: 20
Hometown: Melbourne
Notable Credits: Crazy Fun Park, Scrublands, High Country
His parents may not have intended it, but Stacy Clausen admits his moniker may have predestined his career. “Mum has always told me I had a ‘movie star’s’ name,” he recalls. “I think her and Dad have always seen the passion in me that I have for performing. I remember doing a stage play for the first time at around 10 or 11 years old — it was probably just parents being supportive and I don’t doubt there was a bias — but they told me I was the brightest star on that stage. Once they’d see me perform as part of a fully laid out story, I think they knew it would be something they could, and I could, see myself doing.”
Starting strong in Australian dramas, Clausen says that getting his first speaking role in 2021 ABC drama Fires “was a sort of a confirmation that other people believed in my ability,” while a pivotal part in 2023 Stan crime thriller Scrublands “made be believe in my range as an actor.” Australians took notice, especially when he joined 2024 Rising Star Alyla Browne in the 2023 Netflix Jessica Watson biopic True Spirit and exuded both anarchic joy and profound sweetness in the ABC teen horror comedy Crazy Fun Park, which earned the 2023 Logie for Most Outstanding Children’s Program. As for the upcoming film The Rising, Clausen says that it “made me believe in my ability to compete in big American projects. I think with each performance, I gain more insights and learn more things that equal to, or build up to, confidence in what I do.”
Clausen adds he would love to appear opposite Babyteeth star Toby Wallace in the future. “Firstly, I always love watching Aussies make waves in the international markets,” he admits. “It makes me super proud to be Australian watching one of us perform at that level. Secondly, I think he’s just fantastic. Every project I watch him in, he’s so captivating and I lose myself in his performance every time, so to get the chance to work with him would be a dream come true.”
“I want people to know that I am truly passionate about what I do, and that I’m not here for any superficial reason. I’m here to tell stories that connect with people and speak to people. I see the industry as a space where creativity and hard work go hand in hand, and I don’t think either one of them can be sacrificed by an actor or any creative in this field.”
Roxie Mohebbi, CGA Rising Star 2025. Photo courtesy of CGA/Nixco.
ROXIE MOHEBBI
Hometown: “Tehran, Iran... Nelson, New Zealand... Sydney!”
Notable Credits: Shortland Street, Ladies in Black, Critical Incident
Since the early days of Hollywood, actors have been cautioned against working with animals or children. Roxie Mohebbi takes strong exception to the latter. “I was a neonatal/paediatric nurse before I took up acting fulltime,” she says, “and I really love being around kids and babies — despite what they say in showbiz!”
Mohebbi’s career has been defined by making surprising choices. Instead of formal acting lessons, “I got a nursing degree instead,” she says, “but I took so many lessons away from that on how to be a human.” She put that experience to practical effect as trainee surgeon Samira Moradi on stalwart New Zealand medical drama Shortland Street in 2021-22, which then led to standout turns in series such as One Lane Bridge and Ladies in Black.
After showing off her comedic chops (along with her Farsi fluency) in 2024 dramedy Miles from Nowhere, she fought for the part of Senior Constable Sandra Ali in 2024 crime drama Critical Incident, which brought her to her current base, Sydney. “I think it’s important to remember that there are still so many barriers for POC,” Mohebbi says about opportunities for actors of colour, “especially Middle Eastern/North African people, who are represented the lowest of all in the industry at 1%. We need to address that.” Her next project will pull more focus: Mohebbi joins the ensemble for the highly anticipated drama Run, which premieres January 1, 2026, on Binge.
“It’s so lovely! To know the tastemakers of our industry have my back means the world and just gives me that reassurance to keep going despite how challenging it can be to crack this game.”
Tharanya Tharan CGA Rising Star 2025. Photo courtesy of CGA/Nixco.
THARANYA THARAN
Age: 23
Hometown: Sunbury
Notable Credits: Mustangs FC, Shantaram, Year Of
Acting on television came early for Tharanya Tharan, who spent three seasons as high-achieving footballer Zee on teen dramedy Mustangs FC. Although she attended a performing arts high school as an extracurricular in her mid-teens and did a short course at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) when she was 17, “I had already started working in the industry by the time I was 14,” she explains, “so I learned mostly from being on set. The lesson that stuck with me the most is that while studying acting in a classroom definitely has its values and helps a lot, no amount of study can compare to how important life experiences are when it comes to acting.”
Playing the more harrowing and mature part of Sunita in 2022 Apple TV thriller Shantaram boosted Tharan’s confidence. “That role was the first time I’d been cast as a character entirely different to my personality,” she says, “and it was the first time I’d felt I’d been cast based on my acting ability instead of my natural likeness to the character.”
After a return to a high school setting as Priya in the Bump spin-off Year Of, Tharan will next blast off into major cosplay territory. “I’m most excited about Voltron, which just wrapped earlier this year,” she says of the Amazon MGM Studios live-action version of the anime classic, which also stars Henry Cavill, Rita Ora, and Sterling K. Brown. Even so, Tharan adds that she is grateful for a mix of projects and that, in the long run, “my hopes for my career in this industry would be to be a part of telling quality, original stories that resonate with people without the need for spectacles. I want to keep working in a space that prioritises honesty in its storytelling.”
“[Being named a CGA Rising Star is] super-reassuring in an industry that can be really disheartening sometimes. Glad to know that if casting directors think I have potential, I must be doing something right!”
Joseph Zada, CGA Rising Star 2025. Photo courtesy of CGA/Nixco.
JOSEPH ZADA
Age: 20
Hometown: Bronte
Notable Credits: Total Control, Invisible Boys, We Were Liars
Motherly instinct guided Joseph Zada in his career. “My mum would say it was from when I could walk,” he says of her belief he would follow his older brother, Hal Cumpston, into the creative arts. “She wouldn’t let us play rugby growing up because then I’d break my nose and wouldn’t be able to be an actor when I was older.” But it would be Hal, Zada’s father, and acting coach Miranda Harcourt who would give him the tools he uses on set everyday. “I spent years working with them through every lesson,” he explains, “but the main one that stuck out was just to constantly pursue the truth in each scene. Don’t try to push anything, just feel what you’re feeling, and trust the camera will read it.”
That open-book approach led to winning performances as free-spirited charmer Johnny Sinclair Dennis in the 2025 Prime Video series adaptation of YA novel We Were Liars, and closeted rock-star hopeful Charlie Roth in the 2025 Stan coming-of-age drama Invisible Boys. But Zada says he considers them the first rungs on a long ladder. “I’m proud of the stories, but the work seems as if it’s really in a development stage for me and I’m still gearing up for something special,” he explains. “But I do have two projects coming out next year that I’m extremely excited for people to see!’
Those would be the Netflix series East of Eden, where Zada will play Cal Trask in a cast that includes Martha Plimpton, Florence Pugh, Ciarán Hinds, Mike Faist, and 2023 Rising Star Costa D’Angelo, and The Hunger Games: Sunrise of the Reaping, where Zada transforms into a young Haymitch Abernathy, charting his path to becoming Woody Harrelson’s mentor figure in the original film trilogy. For that prequel, he is joined by Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes, Kieran Culkin, Jesse Plemons, and Elle Fanning.
As he continues with career, Zada recalls the first time he saw Jamie Bell in Billy Elliot and River Phoenix in Stand By Me. “Both those performances had such a profound impact on me as a person,” he says. “I think my confidence in wanting to be an actor comes from the idea that I may be able to have the same impact on others.”
“It’s amazing to even work as an actor, so to be recognised by the CGA is a real honour.”
Clare Hughes, CGA Rising Star 2025. Photo courtesy of CGA/Nixco.
CLARE HUGHES
Notable Credits: Ladies in Black, Ten Pound Poms
After graduating from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 2022, Clare Hughes landed roles in two period Australian dramas, Ladies in Black and Ten Pound Poms. In October 2025, she joined Susan Sarandon and Andrea Riseborough at The Old Vic in London to star in Mary Page Marlowe, a play from Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Letts. As Hughes told the NIDA website in September 2024, her advice to future graduates mirrors her own experience directly: “Go see theatre! Go to the cinema! Read books! Consume it because you love it. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help.”
Lily LaTorre, CGA Rising Star 2025. Photo courtesy of CGA/Nixco.
LILY LATORRE
Notable Credits: Run Rabbit Run, The Clearing, Rebuilding
Both Lily LaTorre and her brother, Jack LaTorre, have been standouts in their already substantial careers, joining forces in the 2024 family film Runt. Lily has held her own opposite Sarah Snook in the 2023 Netflix horror thriller Run Rabbit Run, played amongst a who’s who of Australian stars in the Disney+ psychological drama The Clearing, and explored a father-daughter relationship with Josh O’Connor in the 2025 drama Rebuilding. Next up, LaTorre goes for gothic horror with Alexander Skarsgård and Pernilla August in The Wolf Will Tear Your Immaculate Hands.
Xavier Molyneux, CGA Rising Star 2025. Photo courtesy of Toby Burrows/CGA/Nixco.
XAVIER MOLYNEUX
Notable credits: Take My Hand, Last Days of the Space Age, Neighbours
An event paramedic in 2020 when he competed in Season 12 of Big Brother, Xavier Molyneux had a part in 2021 rom-com Love You Like That before quitting his day job for good to play a young version of Adam Demos’ character in the 2024 romantic drama Take My Hand. After two years spent on Neighbours as Byron Stone, Molyneux left Erinsborough for Ireland in 2025 to lead the latest Vikings series from executive producer Michael Hirst, Prime Video’s Bloodaxe, where he will play 10th century warrior Erik Bloodaxe.
Zoe Phillips, CGA Rising Star 2025. Photo courtesy of CGA/Nixco.
ZOE PHILLIPS
Upcoming credits: My Sister Charlotte, East of Eden
Not many fresh faces can say their first project involved hunkering down in New Zealand for a few months of shooting with actors such as Florence Pugh, Martha Plimpton, and fellow 2025 Rising Star Joseph Zada, but Zoe Phillips did just that for Netflix series East of Eden. “I definitely have some connections for life now,” Phillips told Chantelle Iemma of the experience. She also has the title role in film My Sister Charlotte.
Iaone Sa’ula, CGA Rising Star 2025. Photo courtesy of CGA/Nixco.
IAONE SA’ULA
Notable credits: Bump, The Fall Guy, Plum
Nothing like having your debut television series become such a hit that it lasts for five seasons and spawns both a holiday movie and a spinoff. Iaone Sa’ula struck gold playing Vince Ingram in Stan dramedy Bump (2021-2024). Hollywood film parts followed, including Ryan Gosling actioner The Fall Guy and Rebel Wilson’s directorial debut, The Deb. Now he is in production on new Stan medical drama The F Ward with Anna Friel and Dan Wyllie, will appear in the final season of Netflix series Heartbreak High, and will join Anna Sawai and Kurt Russell for Season 2 of Apple TV’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.