{"id":222347,"date":"2026-02-11T17:08:46","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T17:08:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/11\/these-famous-celebrities-took-off-in-2016-and-never-looked-back\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T17:08:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T17:08:46","slug":"these-famous-celebrities-took-off-in-2016-and-never-looked-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/11\/these-famous-celebrities-took-off-in-2016-and-never-looked-back\/","title":{"rendered":"These Famous Celebrities Took Off in 2016 \u2014 and Never Looked Back"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Every year, a new wave of talent crashes into the spotlight, and it\u2019s one of the most thrilling things about pop culture.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of these famous celebrities seem to come out of nowhere \u2014 one day you\u2019ve never heard their name, and the next they\u2019re everywhere. Others have been quietly grinding, stacking up credits and small wins, long before the rest of the world catches on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s what makes looking at where they are now so satisfying. The breakout moment is just the beginning of the story.<\/span><\/p>\n

Case in point: 2025 gave us fresh faces like Ad\u00e9la<\/strong>, Odessa<\/strong> A\u2019Zion<\/strong>, Chase<\/strong> Infiniti<\/strong> and the global girl group Katseye<\/strong>, who <\/span>entered the chat<\/span><\/a> and are all expected to keep building momentum into 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

Which famous celebrities did 2016 give us?<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019ve spent any time on TikTok recently, you already know what\u2019s really dominating the cultural conversation: the \u201c2026 is the new 2016\u201d trend.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And honestly? It hits different when you realize that the stars who defined your college years, your first apartment, your early-twenties chaos \u2014 they\u2019ve been on their own wild journeys this whole decade too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So let\u2019s do what the internet does best and take a long, loving look back at some of the biggest breakout stars of 2016, and trace exactly where life has taken them since.<\/span><\/p>\n

Grab your emotional support iced coffee. This one\u2019s going to feel like a time capsule.<\/span><\/p>\n

Millie Bobby Brown<\/b><\/h3>\n
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ANGELA WEISS \/ Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption>
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Photo by ANGELA WEISS\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s a fact that might make you feel ancient: Millie Bobby Brown<\/strong> was just 12 years old when she debuted as Eleven in \u201cStranger Things\u201d in 2016. Twelve. While many of us were stressing about student loans or figuring out how to cook something other than ramen, this kid was becoming one of the most recognizable faces on the planet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, 10 years later, Stranger Things<\/em> has been put to rest after five seasons, and Brown has built a career that goes far beyond the Upside Down. She\u2019s appeared in multiple films, including The Electric State, Damsel<\/em> and both Enola Holmes<\/em> films. She\u2019s a two-time Emmy nominee. And in a move that still feels incredibly impressive, she was announced as UNICEF\u2019s youngest-ever <\/span>Goodwill Ambassador<\/span><\/a> on World Children\u2019s Day in 2018.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the update that really puts the passage of time into perspective? She\u2019s now a mother. In 2025, Brown <\/span>adopted a baby girl<\/span><\/a> with her husband Jake Bongiovi<\/strong>, whom she married in 2024.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tom Holland<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez\/Getty Images for CinemaCon<\/p>\n

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Speaking of 2016 debuts that changed everything \u2014 Tom Holland<\/strong> was just 20 years old when he showed up as Spider-Man in <\/span>Captain America: Civil War<\/span><\/i> and immediately stole the movie. That wide-eyed, fast-talking energy was exactly what the MCU needed, and it launched Holland into a career trajectory that\u2019s nothing short of staggering.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the decade since, he has appeared in six MCU superhero films and has become one of the <\/span>highest-grossing film actors<\/span><\/a> of all time. Beyond the spandex, he\u2019s also appeared in <\/span>The Devil All the Time, Cherry<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Chaos Walking<\/span><\/i>, proving he\u2019s got dramatic range to spare. And he\u2019s not slowing down \u2014 he\u2019s set to star in <\/span>The Odyssey<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Spider-Man: Brand New Day<\/span><\/i> in 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about the update that broke the internet (and plenty of hearts): Holland <\/span>announced his engagement<\/span><\/a> to Zendaya<\/strong> in 2024. If you\u2019ve been shipping \u201cTomdaya\u201d since those early press tours, this was the payoff of a lifetime. Watching two people you\u2019ve followed since your own early twenties hit that kind of milestone? It genuinely feels personal, and that\u2019s the beauty of growing up alongside the celebrities you love.<\/span><\/p>\n

Glen Powell<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Photo by Mike Windle\/Getty Images for The Hollywood Reporter<\/p>\n

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If there\u2019s one breakout story from 2016 that perfectly encapsulates the \u201cslow burn to superstardom\u201d arc, it\u2019s Glen Powell<\/strong>. This is a guy who made his acting debut all the way back in 2003 but didn\u2019t score his first major breakthrough role until he starred as Chad Radwell on the first season of Scream Queens<\/em> in late 2015. He followed that up with appearances in <\/span>Ride Along 2<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>Misconduct<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Everybody Wants Some!!<\/span><\/i> in 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n

And then? Powell has enjoyed tremendous success in the decade since. He joined the cast of <\/span>Top Gun: Maverick<\/span><\/i> in 2022 \u2014 a movie that felt like its own cultural event \u2014 and went on to appear in <\/span>Hit Man, Anyone but You, The Blue Angels, Twisters<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Running Man<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>per IMDB<\/span><\/a>. He also starred in and created <\/span>Chad Powers<\/span><\/i> and is set to star in <\/span>The Great Beyond<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>How to Make a Killing<\/span><\/i> in 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

Powell\u2019s trajectory is honestly the kind of career arc that\u2019s deeply satisfying to watch unfold. Over a decade of work before the world caught up \u2014 and now he\u2019s everywhere you look. If that\u2019s not the ultimate \u201ctrust the process\u201d story, what is?<\/span><\/p>\n

Hailey Bieber<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Photo by Ben Gabbe\/Getty Images for Hearst<\/p>\n

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Hailey Bieber<\/strong> was already making headlines in 2015, but she continued her rise in 2016 with campaigns for Ralph Lauren\u2019s Denim & Supply line, H&M x Coachella, Tommy Jeans and Guess. She also briefly dated Justin Bieber<\/strong> before the two split in early 2016 \u2014 a detail that, in retrospect, makes everything that followed even more compelling.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now 10 years later, Hailey and Justin have been married for eight of those years and <\/span>welcomed their first child<\/span><\/a> in August 2024. Beyond her personal milestones, Hailey has become a full-on beauty mogul. She\u2019s the founder and chief creative officer (CCO) of skin care brand Rhode, which was <\/span>acquired by e.l.f. Beauty<\/span><\/a> in a $1 billion deal in 2025. A billion dollars. For a brand she built from the ground up. That\u2019s not just a glow-up \u2014 that\u2019s a whole empire.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alessia Cara<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Photo by Michael Loccisano\/Getty Images for iHeart<\/p>\n

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If you were alive and awake in 2016, you heard Alessia Cara<\/strong>. She released her debut studio album, \u201cKnow-It-All,\u201d in November 2015 and continued her rise with hit singles \u201cWild Things\u201d and \u201cScars to Your Beautiful\u201d in 2016 \u2014 the kind of songs that soundtracked late-night drives and early mornings with equal effectiveness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since then, Cara has released three more studio albums, including <\/span>The Pains of Growing<\/span><\/i> (2018), <\/span>In the Meantime<\/span><\/i> (2021) and <\/span>Love & Hyperbole<\/span><\/i> (2025). She became the first Canadian artist to ever win the Grammy Award for <\/span>Best New Artist<\/span><\/a> in 2018 and was also nominated for Song of the Year, Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo\/Group Performance that same year. Four Grammy nominations in a single year, just two years after her breakout \u2014 that\u2019s a career defined by momentum.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kelsea Ballerini<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Photo by Rick Diamond\/Getty Images for Sweet Talk PR<\/p>\n

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Kelsea Ballerini<\/strong> released her debut album <\/span>The First Time<\/span><\/i> in 2015, but she didn\u2019t truly enjoy the fruits of her labor until 2016, when her single \u201cPeter Pan\u201d hit No. 1 on the country charts. She then won New Female Vocalist of the Year at the ACMAs in 2016, cementing her place as country music\u2019s next big thing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now 10 years later, she\u2019s one of country music\u2019s hottest stars \u2014 and \u201chottest\u201d might be an understatement. She\u2019s won two awards at the 2021 CMAs and is now a six-time <\/span>Grammy nominee<\/span><\/a>. Her fifth studio album, <\/span>Patterns<\/span><\/i>, was released in 2024, and her third EP, <\/span>Mount Pleasant<\/span><\/i>, was <\/span>released in 2025<\/span><\/a>. She also <\/span>debuted as a coach<\/span><\/a> on the 27th season of <\/span>The Voice<\/span><\/i> in 2025. From country radio darling to coaching the next generation of talent \u2014 that\u2019s a full-circle moment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Halsey<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Photo by Frazer Harrison\/Getty Images for Coachella<\/p>\n

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Halsey<\/strong> released her debut studio album, <\/span>Badlands<\/span><\/i>, in 2015, but 2016 was the year everything went nuclear. Her feature on the Chainsmokers\u2019 single \u201cCloser\u201d became her first No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Suddenly, she wasn\u2019t just an up-and-comer \u2014 she was inescapable. If you were at any party, in any car, or walking through any store in late 2016, you heard that song. You know it. You can probably still sing every word.<\/span><\/p>\n

Halsey went on to release four studio albums between 2017 and 2024, all of which peaked no lower than No. 2 in the US. Her song \u201cWithout Me\u201d won an AMA for Favorite Pop\/Rock Song in 2019. She has been nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Best Alternative Music Album in 2022 for <\/span>If I Can\u2019t Have Love, I Want Power.<\/span><\/i> And on the personal front, she <\/span>announced her engagement<\/span><\/a> to actor Avan Jogia in 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maren Morris<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Photo by Terry Wyatt\/Getty Images for Academy of Country Music<\/p>\n

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Maren Morris<\/strong> released her debut studio album, <\/span>Hero<\/span><\/i>, in 2016 and won New Artist of the Year (along with four other nominations) at the 2016 CMAs. If Kelsea Ballerini was country\u2019s princess in 2016, Morris was right there with her, building a career that would prove to be just as lasting.<\/span><\/p>\n

The numbers tell the story: in the 10 years since, Morris has five wins (and 18 nominations) at the ACM Awards, one win (eight nominations) at the AMAs, five wins (25 nominations) at the CMAs, and one win (17 nominations) at the Grammy Awards. She has released three studio albums since 2019 \u2014 <\/span>Girl, Humble Quest<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Dreamsicle<\/span><\/i>. And in 2024, she was included on the Billboard list of the <\/span>100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time<\/span><\/a>. Debut album in 2016, all-time great by 2024. That\u2019s the kind of decade most artists only dream about.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ashley Graham<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Photo by Pascal Le Segretain\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Ashley Graham<\/strong> became the first plus-size model to pose for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2016. That same year, she appeared in DNCE\u2019s video for the song \u201cToothbrush.\u201d It was a moment that felt genuinely significant at the time \u2014 and everything she\u2019s done since has only reinforced that.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the past decade, Graham has become a major voice in the body positivity movement. She authored a book, <\/span>A New Model: What Confidence, Beauty, and Power Really Look Like,<\/span><\/i> in 2017. She gave an <\/span>inspiring TED talk<\/span><\/a>, launched clothing lines, made her Broadway debut in 2025, and has <\/span>welcomed three children<\/span><\/a> (including a set of twins) with her husband Justin Ervin<\/strong>. From trailblazing on the cover of a magazine to owning stages on Broadway, Graham\u2019s decade is a testament to what happens when you refuse to be boxed in.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kaia Gerber<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Photo by Michael Kovac\/Getty Images for Lifetime<\/p>\n

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Kaia Gerber<\/strong> was just 15 years old when she made her New York Fashion Week debut in 2016. She also starred in a campaign for Miu Miu sunglasses, became a face of Marc Jacobs Beauty and posed for Vogue that year. 15 and already working with those names \u2014 that\u2019s a level of early-career success that\u2019s hard to wrap your head around.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gerber went on to win Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in 2018. But aside from her impressive career as a model, she has also made a name for herself as an actress. She has had a recurring role on <\/span>Palm Royale<\/span><\/i> since 2024 and appeared in multiple films, including <\/span>Bottoms, Saturday Night<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Shell.<\/span><\/i> She\u2019s set to appear in <\/span>Outcome<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Mother Mary<\/span><\/i> in 2026, <\/span>per IMDB<\/span><\/a>. The pivot from runway to screen is one of the hardest transitions in entertainment, and Gerber has made it look seamless.<\/span><\/p>\n

Auli\u2019i Cravalho<\/b><\/h3>\n
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SANTA MONICA, CA \u2013 DECEMBER 11: Actress Auli\u2019i Cravalho attends The 22nd Annual Critics\u2019 Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on December 11, 2016 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

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Auli\u2019i Cravalho<\/strong> made her acting debut with Disney\u2019s <\/span>Moana<\/span><\/i> in 2016, voicing the titular heroine \u2014 and instantly giving an entire generation a new anthem with \u201cHow Far I\u2019ll Go.\u201d If you didn\u2019t belt that song at least once in 2016, we need to talk.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cravalho has since had <\/span>leading roles<\/span><\/a> in <\/span>Rise<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>All Together Now<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>Darby and the Dead<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>The Power<\/span><\/i> and the 2024 film adaptation of <\/span>Mean Girls: The Musical.<\/span><\/i> She also reprised her most prominent role of Moana in the film\u2019s 2024 sequel, <\/span>Moana 2.<\/span><\/i> She had a voice role in <\/span>Zootopia 2<\/span><\/i> in 2025 and is now an <\/span>executive producer<\/span><\/a> of the live-action adaptation of <\/span>Moana<\/span><\/i>, set for release in 2026. Going from voicing a character to executive producing her live-action story is a power move, plain and simple.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anya Taylor-Joy<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Anya Taylor-Joy<\/strong> became one of Hollywood\u2019s most in-demand young actresses after she starred in <\/span>The Witch<\/span><\/i> in 2015. She followed that with roles in <\/span>Morgan, Barry<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Split<\/span><\/i> in 2016, quickly establishing herself as someone who gravitates toward bold, genre-defying projects.<\/span><\/p>\n

She has since continued to <\/span>star in major films<\/span><\/a>, including <\/span>Split\u2019s<\/span><\/i> 2019 sequel <\/span>Glass, Peaky Blinders, Emma, The Queen\u2019s Gambit, Last Night in Soho, The Northman, The Gorge, The Menu<\/span><\/i> and the apocalyptic film <\/span>Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.<\/span><\/i> She also voiced Princess Peach in <\/span>The Super Mario Bros. Movie.<\/span><\/i> She\u2019s now set to star in <\/span>Lucky, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Dune: Part Three<\/span><\/i> in 2026. That range \u2014 from psychological horror to animated Nintendo princesses to sweeping sci-fi epics \u2014 is genuinely unmatched.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sofia Boutella<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Photo by Kevin Winter\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Sofia Boutella<\/strong> scored her major breakthrough in 2016 when she starred as Jaylah in \u201cStar Trek Beyond,\u201d one of the highest-earning films of the year. It was the kind of role that puts you on Hollywood\u2019s radar in a big way.<\/span><\/p>\n

Boutella has appeared in <\/span>more than a dozen films<\/span><\/a> since her 2016 breakthrough, including <\/span>The Mummy, Atomic Blonde,<\/span><\/i> both <\/span>Rebel Moon<\/span><\/i> films, <\/span>Argyle, Climax, The Killer\u2019s Game<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Hotel Artemis.<\/span><\/i> She\u2019s set to appear in <\/span>DreamQuil<\/span><\/i> in 2026 and has several other films in post-production.<\/span><\/p>\n

Grace VanderWaal<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Photo credit should read BRYAN R. SMITH\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Grace VanderWaal<\/strong> took the music industry by storm in 2016 when she auditioned and later won the 11th season of <\/span>America\u2019s Got Talent.<\/span><\/i> She was Howie Mandel\u2019s<\/strong> \u201cgolden buzzer.\u201d She signed a recording deal with Columbia Records shortly after her win and released her debut EP, <\/span>Perfectly Imperfect,<\/span><\/i> in December of that year.<\/span><\/p>\n

VanderWaal was just 12 years old when <\/span>she won <\/span>AGT<\/span><\/i><\/a>. Now 10 years later, she has released two studio albums, including <\/span>Just the Beginning<\/span><\/i> in 2017 and <\/span>Childstar<\/span><\/i> in 2025. She was an opening act for Imagine Dragons in 2018 and Florence and the Machine in 2019. Her most recent tour was the \u201c<\/span>Childstar Tour<\/span><\/a>\u201d in 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n

Which famous celebrities will break out next?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Looking at this list, what stands out isn\u2019t just individual success stories \u2014 it\u2019s the sheer range of what a decade can hold. Marriages and babies. Grammy nods and billion-dollar deals. Career pivots that nobody saw coming and slow-burn rises that feel cosmically earned.<\/span><\/p>\n

The \u201c2026 is the new 2016\u201d trend isn\u2019t just about nostalgia. It\u2019s about reckoning with the fact that a full decade has passed since these people \u2014 and, let\u2019s be honest, many of us \u2014 were just getting started. Wherever these stars go next, one thing is clear: 2016 was one heck of a launching pad. So, who\u2019s next?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n