• 10 Fresh Faces

  • Jhené Aiko

  • Chadwick Boseman

  • Gia Coppola

  • Dan + Shay

  • Natalie Dormer

  • Dakota Johnson

  • Tatiana Maslany

  • Lupita Nyong'o

  • Sam Smith

  • Miles Teller

The CNN 10: Fresh Faces

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CNN 10: Fresh Faces

As we gear up to honor Hollywood's heavyweights at the Academy Awards next month, we take this opportunity to look ahead at the new crop of personalities poised to make our culture go pop.

CNN Entertainment chose 10 rising stars from the worlds of TV, movies and music, and for their connections to literature, fashion, youth culture and counterculture. There's homegrown U.S. talent, as well as international representation. And whether you recognize them from earlier work or this is your first introduction, expect to see a lot of these faces in 2014 and beyond.

Of course, fame isn't scientific. Our list doesn't predict the next tabloid stars; we don't anticipate seeing these celebs behaving badly. Instead, we focused on what entertainment fans like us care about most: the many highly-anticipated debut and breakout projects that are likely to fuel our cultural conversation over the next 12 months – and the feisty, fearless characters behind them.

Without further ado, meet the freshmakers of 2014.

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Introduction
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Jhene Aiko
Roger Kisby/Getty Images

Jhené Aiko

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Jhené Aiko already has a pretty solid fan base – if you count some of today's hottest rappers.

Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole and Childish Gambino (a.k.a former "Community" star Donald Glover) have all worked with the singer. And Drake recently introduced her to the American public at large when they performed their duet "From Time" on "Saturday Night Live."

With her stunning looks and breezy voice, Aiko could easily be fronting a girl group instead of getting grimy singing hooks with some of the bad boys of hip hop. But as we can see with her recently released debut album, "Sail Out," the singer is serious about her craft and lays bare her soul with her lyrics. Her willingness to "go there" is part of what is drawing in new fans. It's as much therapy for Aiko as it is for her listeners. "When I'm in a dark place, that's when I'm basically writing my way out of it," she said.

"I think now more women in R&B are not afraid to talk about who they are," she said. "Before it was about who can have the hot single. It was about doing whatever was considered hot at the time."

As much a songwriter as a singer, Aiko draws her lyrical inspiration from an interesting source – the late rapper Tupac Shakur.

"I look up to Tupac 'cause he spoke his mind and always expressed himself, even if it contradicted what he said the day before," she explained. "If you express everything all the time you're gonna look a little crazy, but that's how you think in your mind and I think I do the same thing (as him)."

And despite her close ties to hip-hop, the singer wants it to be known that she is not a one-genre performer.

"I can do other things than just sing with rappers," she said.

We can't wait to see.

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Chadwick Boseman
Matt McClain for The Washington Post/Getty Images

Chadwick Boseman

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Chadwick Boseman is fast becoming the king of biopics.

The actor broke out in 2013 playing Jackie Robinson in "42." The drama got heads turning and became a surprise hit at the box office, grossing nearly $100 million domestically.

Boseman began his career in theater after graduating from both Howard University and the British American Dramatic Academy at Oxford, England. The jack-of-all-trades acted in, wrote and directed a number of stage productions while taking bit TV credits to build his résumé.

His big screen debut came with a supporting role in 2008's "The Express," the story of Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. Now the actor is set to take 2014 by storm with his most high-profile role yet: James Brown in the upcoming drama "Get On Up" (August 1).

The film is being helmed by "The Help" director Tate Taylor, and produced by Mick Jagger and Brian Grazer. Boseman will be joined onscreen by Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, and he'll stretch his singing and dancing muscles for the part.

But for Boseman, getting into character means going beyond the surface signals. He says it's important to bring his craft to the role.

"You're not acting if you're doing an impression. That's the total opposite of what you want to do," he said. "It's a real person and you have that pressure of trying to find the spirit of that person without imitating them."

Despite his increasing résumé of real-life roles, Boseman isn't worried about being pigeonholed. In fact, the up-and-comer said he would love to play Jimi Hendrix and other important African-American icons.

"It'd be foolish to say I wouldn't play another real person or historical figure," Boseman said. "It just has to be the right one. And, it probably shouldn't be the next one."

Looks like papa may soon have a brand new bag.

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Gia Coppola
Domenico Stinellis/AP

Gia Coppola

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With the Coppola name comes immense expectations, but we think burgeoning filmmaker Gia can handle the pressure.

The granddaughter of Francis Ford Coppola (and the niece of Sofia and Roman) has already made her noticeable stamp on cinema with her feature-length debut, "Palo Alto." After being swept away by James Franco's collection of short stories bearing the same name, Coppola adapted the collection for the screen and planted herself in the director's chair.

Ironically, considering her lineage, directing wasn't her original career choice. She attended Bard College to study photography, and at one point even gave bartending school a whirl.

But when you're a Coppola, all roads lead back to film. She started by making shorts. Then came Franco's "Palo Alto," a story collection that she felt was "truthful to what it's like to be a teenager," and she walked into her first feature film. The project debuted at film festivals to resounding applause; the Hollywood Reporter deemed it "the best feature film by someone named Coppola in a number of years," while Variety praised it as a "terrific debut." Through her story of four Northern California kids searching for love, trouble, and sometimes both, Coppola found a way to establish her own voice.

"My name does help me get in the door," she said, "but it doesn't do the work for me."

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Dan + Shay
Courtesy Warner Music Nashville

Dan + Shay

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With great hooks and good looks, Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney – better known as Dan + Shay – are poised to take the country world by storm.

The duo formed in late 2012 after meeting at a keg party in Nashville, and their debut single, "19 You + Me," has already broken the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. They are prepping their debut album for release later this year on Warner Bros. Records.

Dan + Shay just received their first major award nomination, Vocal Duo of the Year at the 2014 Academy of Country Music Awards. The newcomers are up against powerhouses like Big & Rich and Florida Georgia Line, and they recently made their Grand Ole Opry debut, a milestone for any legitimate country artist.

But Dan + Shay are still getting used to the recognition. They admit to freaking out when people sing their lyrics or when their song comes on the radio.

"At the last BMI Country Awards, Keith Urban came up to us, and said he was fan of our song. He said he wants to write with us, and gave us his number!" Shay gushed to CNN.

"We've had artists say, 'Enjoy every moment, enjoy the climb.' We're taking that to heart and enjoying every single moment of it," Dan said.

The pair will hit the road with Hunter Hayes this spring before opening for Blake Shelton on his "Ten Times Crazier" tour this summer alongside The Band Perry.

When it comes to writing songs, Dan believes he's found the perfect match. "With two people, it's easier to collaborate. There aren't too many cooks, but you still get another perspective. We have a great working relationship and have become best friends."

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Illustration
Julian Broad/Contour by Getty Images

Natalie Dormer

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Natalie Dormer is the rebel to look out for in 2014 – and she already has the hairstyle to prove it. Dormer debuted her daring 'do at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in January, half-shaved for her upcoming role in "The Hunger Games." In the two-part conclusion, Dormer plays Cressida, a documentary filmmaker who joins the rebellion led by Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) against the Capitol.

The British actress, who turns 32 on February 11, certainly isn't new to playing dangerous characters. In 2007 Dormer starred in "The Tudors," but fans know her best as the malicious and calculating Margaery Tyrell from the hit series "Games of Thrones." A character that "makes you want to cringe," she said, but, "she's so much fun to play."

Dormer's cunning characters don't end there; she also plays Moriarty on CBS's "Elementary," the criminal mastermind, archnemesis and former lover of Sherlock Holmes, played by Jonny Lee Miller. Plus she has co-starred opposite some of Hollywood's biggest hunks, such as Chris Evans in "Captain America," Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem in "The Counselor," not to mention a steamy scene with Chris Hemsworth in "Rush."

While it may seem like Dormer's blowing up Hollywood now, she said roles didn't always come her way. She revealed on "Live with Kelly and Michael" that she was out of work for nine months after her first film "Casanova" in 2005. Though, she said, that time helped her realize nothing should be taking for granted, and called it the "best lesson I could learn."

Now she's on her way to the head of the class.

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Dakota Johnson
Victoria Will/AP

Dakota Johnson

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Dakota Johnson may end up with the last laugh.

Until now, the actress was largely known for two things: being the daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson (and granddaughter of screen legend Tippi Hedren), and being the actress 91,000 people didn't want playing Anastasia Steele in "Fifty Shades of Grey."

Those aren't exactly the kind of creds an up-and-comer craves. But by landing (and keeping) her role as the naïve college student who undergoes an S&M-themed sexual awakening, Johnson is now officially a Hollywood player.

For the past four years, the natural blonde has mostly played smaller roles, and occasionally objects of affection – see her in "The Five-Year Engagement" as Jason Segel's temporary love interest, Justin Timberlake's bedfellow in the Oscar-winning "The Social Network," and another undercover cop in "21 Jump Street."

Even with that kind of exposure, "Fifty Shades" fans had a hard time placing Johnson when she was unveiled as Universal Studio's top choice for Ana – an anonymity that might have continued had she not been so tenacious about scoring the role. Story has it, the budding star begged her manager for an audition without having read the books, was willing to perform a sexually explicit monologue as an audition piece, and then followed up daily to see if she got the job.

"I just really understand it," Johnson said. "I think it's an incredible love story and that's why it's affected so many people. … Adding in the sex makes it perfect. Sometimes you feel a little bit naughty and that's OK."

Just how naughty the movie will be – and producer Michael de Luca has promised that fans will get "an erotic and intense love story" – is what's on the tip of everyone's tongues, and, along with that, Johnson's name.

You should get used to saying it, by the way. Before "Fifty Shades of Grey" bows in February 2015, the actress has three movies slated for this year: a comedy with Sarah Hyland and Nick Offerman called "Date and Switch"; a high-octane drama with Aaron Paul called "Need for Speed"; and a contemporary take on Shakespeare's "Cymbeline" with Ethan Hawke.

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Tatiana Maslany
Courtesy BBC America

Tatiana Maslany

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Tatiana Maslany is a woman of many faces. And most of them are on the same show.

Maslany stars in "Orphan Black," the BBC America series about con artist Sarah Manning, who discovers she has several clones. What's more intriguing is that the clones, though obviously physically identical to Manning, come from a variety of countries and have different occupations. Manning is British; one clone is a Canadian police detective; another is a Ukrainian serial killer; and so on. Above them all is a twisted conspiracy involving a scientist (Matt Frewer, probably best known for "Max Headroom") and his company, Neolution.

Critics have gushed about Maslany's performance(s) and the way she inhabits her characters so fully, and fans were aghast when she wasn't nominated for an award. But as a longtime improviser – she started doing comedy in high school – Maslany just goes with the flow.

"My friends and I would, instead of going to parties, like, congregate in my basement and play improv," she said. "It's definitely always been a part of my life, and I think as far as Sarah's concerned, it's the way she's gotten by."

Even before "Orphan Black," Maslany was starting to work her way up the showbiz ladder. The Canadian actress played Nadia in two episodes of "Parks and Recreation" and Lily in the film "The Vow." But now the show is an all-consuming affair. Maslany is said to work 18-hour days, sometimes doing three characters in one day, to keep up with it all.

"I think I used up the adrenaline I would have for the duration of my life on that show," she said.

We hope not.

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Lupita Nyong'o
Chris Pizzelloi/Invision/AP

Lupita Nyong'o

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Call her "othecklifying."

The word refers to "a sense of wonder beyond human understanding," according to Lupita Nyong'o, the Oscar-nominated actress of "12 Years a Slave."

She admits the word was made up by her father, a Kenyan diplomat and political scientist, but what better word to describe the talented performer?

Nyong'o's background is as fascinating as her vocabulary. She was born in Mexico while her father was teaching there, but came to Kenya as a child and lived there until she was 16 – at which point her parents sent her back to Mexico to learn Spanish.

She came to the United States for college, majoring in film and theater studies at Massachusetts' Hampshire College. She even made a film, "In My Genes," in 2009, about Kenya's albino population.

But acting kept tugging at her. She'd had a part in a Kenyan TV drama. Soon after, she enrolled at the famed Yale School of Drama, emerging with a graduate degree in 2012. Just before finishing school, she auditioned for "12 Years a Slave" in Los Angeles. After returning to New Haven, she received a call from director Steve McQueen. She'd gotten the part.

"My knees gave way and I sat on the pavement," she said.

Now Nyong'o is on the road to stardom. Designers love her; with her small frame and shaved head, she makes a striking figure. She's been close-cropped since she was 19, after experimenting with a variety of styles and colors: "It was so liberating," she said.

And her work? Well, we'll let the honors speak for her: supporting actress honors from more than 20 critics' organizations, a SAG Award, and nominations from the Baftas and the Oscars.

There should be a word for that.

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Sam Smith
John Marshall/PA Wire/AP

Sam Smith

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Sam Smith is ready to make you feel all of your feelings.

The British singer has gotten the most attention for his song "Latch" with the electronic music duo, Disclosure, but he is actually a solo artist. And what a solo artist he is.

Check out Smith's acoustic rendition of his single "Lay Me Down" and you may find yourself reaching for the phone to call that lover you lost. When he croons "And I don't want to be here/If I can't be with you tonight" it's evident why he's all the rage overseas.

He's already won the 2014 Brits Critic's Choice Award and been named the BBC Sound of 2014, which polls critics, bloggers and the like for the best new artist of the coming year. Smith is in good company with past recipients Adele and Jessie J.

Now he is poised to conquer fans on this side of the pond, with an upcoming tour and a recent appearance, with Disclosure, on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon." Despite the welcome success, Smith admitted that it's hard for him sometimes to fathom his spreading fame.

"I'm always so shocked when I'm abroad and people know who I am," he said. "It's very strange."

But the artist who says he was inspired as a child by singer like Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan and Joni Mitchell, tips his hat to fellow Brit Adele for making it cool to be classy.

"I feel like classic voices are coming back," he said. With Smith, we are sure.

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Miles Teller
Victoria Will/Invision/AP

Miles Teller

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Miles Teller is having anything but an "Awkward Moment."

In just a few years, the versatile actor, who turns 27 on February 20, has gone from supporting roles to leading man. By the end of 2014, Teller will have starred in five films, including the current buddy comedy starring fellow heartthrobs Zac Efron and Michael B. Jordan.

Teller's big screen debut was opposite Nicole Kidman in the Oscar-nominated film, "Rabbit Hole." Since then, he's co-starred with Shailene Woodley in 2013's "The Spectacular Now," a film the late Roger Ebert gave four stars to. This January, Teller had what he considers the biggest moment of his acting career so far – "Whiplash," a film about a young jazz drummer, earned both the audience award and the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. On the heels of that success, he was cast opposite Aaron Eckhart in "Bleed for This," a biopic about boxer Vinny Pazienza, produced by Martin Scorsese.

He seems to be doing just fine on his own, but it's hard not to root for Teller. Even with his star on the rise, he remains down to earth. He gets excited about purchasing a toaster oven, still lives an apartment with two high school friends and brings his parents as dates to film premieres. Of course, he's also not above joking to CNN that he "remains the most famous" alumni from his high school.

Teller re-teamed with Woodley for "Divergent," playing villain Peter in the film adaptation of the popular sci-fi young adult novels by Veronica Roth, and he'll soon start filming the sequel, "Insurgent." He is also rumored to be in the reboot of the superhero flick "The Fantastic Four," and is being considered to play Dan Ackroyd for an untitled "Belushi" project.

Even with all this success, Teller still readily recalls being upset years ago when people laughed during his first drama scene performance. But clearly he's doing something right.

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