Art by Stephany Torres
Becoming a household name in Hollywood, fashion, and the arts can often require extraordinary effort, and the celebrities and creatives on this list are nothing short of that— quickly climbing to the top thanks to their fierce talent, passion, and creativity.
From humble beginnings and self-taught perseverance, to creative risks and career pivots— the Latine folks on this list are climbing to the top while we cheer them on— and stay tuned to their 2025 glow up and rising power.
Check out or top ten celebrities and creatives to watch out for in 2025 below!
Peruvian actress Isabela Merced has been flexing her acting chops in a series of breakthrough roles, including the lead role in John Greene’s Turtles all the Way Down. She’s also played roles in Alien: Romulus, Madame Web, and was Dora herself in the live-action movie. Next up she’s playing the character of Dina in The Last of Us season 2 and Hawkgirl in Superman. As if that wasn’t enough, she’s also releasing music.
Perfecting a crisp and bespoke athletic jacket is second nature to Brooklyn-based Dominican designer, Kevin Leonel. Leonel is a self-taught designer, whose jackets have captured the attention of top athletes and celebs, such as SZA, Bad Bunny, Olympian Ilona Maher, and NY Mets’ Francisco Lindor— just to name a few.
A passion for film and cinema is at the heart of Danny Ramirez’ work as an actor and producer. From a leading role in Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World as the next Falcon to playing Becky G’s love interest in “Mercedes,” Ramirez isn’t slowing down. Now the actor of Colombian and Mexican descent is making his directorial debut with Baton, with Victoria Alonso and David Beckham producing.
17-year-old Brazilian fútbol player, Estêvão Willian was coined a “prodigious talent” by Goal.com, and rightly so. Known for his speedy ability to change direction and control the ball past opponents, Willian is one of the most highly anticipated athletes to watch in 2025. And he would be since Chelsea have agreed to pay up to £56m for this prodigy.
Iranian-Ecuadorian actor, Eman Esfandi was embraced with open arms into the live-action Star Wars TV series, Ahsoka, as beloved character Ezra Bridger. Now, Esfandi is expanding his creative energy, and releasing music under his artist name, DragonWulf.
Mexican singer-songwriter, Humbe, has captured social media’s heart with his viral song “Fantasmas.” After wrapping up his sold out Latin-American tour, Humbe is expanding past the one-hit-wonder label in his latest album Armageddon.
Salvadoran-Mexican American photographer, Thalia Gochez knows just how to capture the essence of Latine women and BIPOC individuals. Gochez has partnered with major brands like Nike, Rizos Curls, and Dr. Martens while staying true to authentic portraits of our beautiful Latine community. In 2024 he made her dream come true of working with Vogue.
Nava Mau’s breakout role as Teri in Baby Reindeer landed the Mexican actress on a wave of viral success. After being the first Trans Emmy Nominee for her role, Mau continues to glow up, landing a coveted place in the BAFTA Breakthrough Cohort and Time Magazine’s 2024 Latino Leader list. Next up is All the Words But the One, a short film she directed.
Colombian artist Ela Taubert has been steadily rising to Latina-pop prominence, releasing back to back hit singles in 2024, including a duet with Joe Jonas in ¿Como Pasó? Her first Grammy win for“Best New Artist” at the 2024 Latin Grammys only solidifies her upward trajectory.
Dominating the fashion, beauty, and GRWM landscape is a no brainer for social media influencer Daus Mendoza. With over 4.9 million followers on TikTok, Daus has worked with brands like Sephora, Kylie Cosmetics, and Covergirl. Now, Mendoza is dropping his first collab: Daus X Contour Goddess, a series of Hourglass Fantasy Waist Trainers in collobration with the Colombian brand Contour Goddess.
