Top 10 TV stars to watch in 2024

There’s an exciting mix of faces from the small screen who are set to hit the big time this year. National Entertainment writer Lisa Woolford shares her top 10 TV stars to watch for 2024. See the full list.

There’s an exciting mix of faces from the small screen who are set to hit the big time this year.

National Entertainment Writer Lisa Woolford shares her Top 10 ones to watch for 2024.

ALEX D’SOUZA

Alex D'Souza is one of the rising stars of Screen for 2024. Picture: Rebecca Hitch

The 20-year-old with Pakistani/Australian heritage was just one month into NIDA’s prestigious three-year Bachelor of Fine Arts program, when he had to withdraw after booking his screen debut in the upcoming Stan TV series Prosper.

And he’s kicking off his career in fine form alongside some of Australia’s acting royalty.

He’s Moses Quinn, the adopted son of Richard Roxburgh’s Cal Quinn — Founder and Global Pastor of one of the fastest growing megachurches in the world — and Rebecca Gibney’s Abi Quinn.

KARTANYA MAYNARD

Kartanya Maynard is one of the rising stars of screen for 2024. Picture Rebecca Hitch

A proud Truwulway and Nunga actor, Maynard is a storyteller who always aspired to be an artist. And the past 12 months have been massive.

She was a scene stealer in Prime Video’s comedy thriller Deadloch, starred in ABC’s Gold Diggers, and was the lead in The Messenger.

To cap it all off Maynard has just joined as a series regular in the second instalment of Netflix’s hit international series Heartbreak High.

Next year she’ll make her stage debut with the Sydney Theatre Company in Stolen.

She’s also a talented singer with a Bachelor in Music and has performed at music festivals across the country as a lead singer.

COURTNEY MONSMA

Gold Coast local Courtney Monsma will play Lillian in Paramount Pus Australian Original series. Picture: Supplied

She started out as a Dream World entertainer on the Gold Coast and has been tearing up the stage in musicals for a few years from covering as Princess Jasmine in Aladdin, to Mamma Mia and then starring as Princess Anna in the recent Australian tour of Disney’s Frozen, and as Katherine Howard in Six The Musical.

She’s also currently starring as the Good Witch Glinda in the Broadway hit Wicked.

The 26-year-old’s just transferred her considerable talents to the small screen and is making waves in her breakout TV role as Lillian in the brilliant, edgy drama series Paper Dolls streaming on Paramount Plus.

“It actually means everything – as a little girl, this is something you can only hope to do,” she said. “This is the start of my journey, it is really cool.”

EMMA HARVIE

Emma Harvie has joined the cast for the second season of Seven's RFDS. Picture: Seven

A graduate from The Actors Centre Australia, Harvie also studied at The Atlantic Acting School in New York.

After roles in The Letdown, Diary of an Uber Driver and Frayed, Harvie has a had a busy year as one of the leads in ABC’s In Limbo and the multi Logie Award-winning Binge original Colin From Accounts, which is currently filming its second season.

She also joined the cast on the second season of sprawling Outback drama RFDS.

She jokes that, while her acting career looks set after a stellar 2023, she enjoyed the intensive medical training on the Seven series so much that she pondered a job change.

“It was kind of fun and I was going: ‘Oh you know, if this acting thing dries up, maybe I’ll do medicine’,” she said.

EMALIA

Musician Emalia is another breakout star of Paper Dolls. Picture: Rohan Kelly

Creative powerhouse Emalia, as she is mononymously known, has previously enjoyed success as an Australian RnB/Pop artist and songwriter, after starting performing from the tender age of five.

In 2021, Emalia landed her first TV feature role as Natalie in Australian Gangster.

She’s another breakout star of the Paramount+ drama Paper Dolls – which is based on one-time Bardot member Belinda Chapple’s original concept.

She’s fiction band Harlow group member Izzy James in the series and she cried when she first read the script. “I just knew I had to be part of it.”

WILLIAM MCKENNA

William McKenna is a talent to watch in 2024. Picture: Supplied

In 2020, McKenna delivered his final performance as Scorpius Malfoy in the stage show Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: a role that earned him critical acclaim with one casting agent describing him as having “the talent of Hugh (Jackman) or a Cate (Blanchett)”.

He’s parlayed that success on to the small screen with the lead role in ABC’s The Messenger, and in BBC’s Queen of Oz, plus the upcoming Stan series Thou Shalt Not Steal. McKenna also starred in series 3 and 4 of Nowhere Boys.

He’s not sure he’ll pursue a career in comedy, despite winning the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Class Clowns competition in 2015.

COURTNEY CLARKE

Courtney Clarke is one of the leads of Paper Dolls. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Clarke was part of the Talent Development Project for 4 years, being trained under industry professionals as a singer-songwriter.

She was a featured artist in NSW’s Schools Spectacular three years in a row, including composing an original song that was recorded with Sony Music and performed live with the televised event.

Clarke was part of Australia’s iconic kids’ TV show and pop group Hi-5 from 2019-2021, and had a small part in Paramount+’s Last King of The Cross.

But her big break is as one of the leads Jade, on Paper Dolls – which is proving a great launching pad for new talent.

RAJ LABADE

Raj Labade will be on the Australian version of the iconic comedy The Office. Picture: John Appleyard

At 17, Labade began his professional career as Lewis in the Netflix feature film Back of the Net and, at 18, was accepted into the illustrious Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting) course at WAAPA.

This year, he has worked in the Sydney Theatre Company/State Theatre production Dictionary of Lost Words and Griffin Theatre production Sex Magick, as well as being cast in the SBS series Appetite.

Next year he’ll be seen in the Australian version of the iconic comedy The Office on Amazon Prime Video alongside Felicity Ward.

NATHALIE MORRIS

Nathalie Morris recently wrapped production on the fourth season of series Bump Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Morris was just 11 when she knew she wanted to be an actor, after watching a local theatre production.

She graduated from New Zealand’s prestigious Toi Whakaari with a Bachelor of Performing Arts in 2018.

Her credits include US shows Black Christmas and Almost Paradise, plus season 1 and 2 of One Lane Bridge.

She was last seen in feature film Petrol and will soon be seen in New Zealand feature Te Motu.

Morris recently wrapped production on the fourth season of Stan series Bump which drops on Boxing Day, reprising her lead role of Oly, alongside the show’s creator Claudia Karvan.

PERRY MOONEY

Indigenous model Perry Mooney is one to watch. Picture: PAM PIROVIC MODELS

Mooney is a Yuwi person with South Sea Islander and Euro-Australian lineage.

They began their career as a model in 2013, walking in two Australian Fashion Weeks in 2021 and 2022.

Mooney recently starred as Vic in ABC’s Gold Diggers and has since wrapped shooting a lead role in Population 11.

They made their onstage debut in Queen’s City, earning a Matilda Award for Best Emerging Artist and stepped in last minute to take over a role in Face to Face.

They will next star in Tiddas at Sydney’s Belvoir St.

Originally published as Top 10 TV stars to watch in 2024