Rhenzy Feliz walked into West Hollywood’s Soho House Holloway on Wednesday for The Hollywood Reporter’s Next Gen bash in partnership with Instagram and Waymo, posed for a couple of photos and then managed to perfectly capture the spirit of the celebration in a few short sentences.
“We’re surrounded by so many people who really care about this thing,” explained The Penguin breakout of this thing called entertainment. “People who are passionate about what we’re doing and the future of what it might look like. It’s exciting to even be a part of the conversation.”
Over the actor’s shoulder, there were plenty of exciting conversations happening between creatives, creators, executives and actors, all of whom had been singled out as the future of Hollywood by this publication as part of the annual (and coveted) Next Gen lists. There’s the 31st annual tally of the top 35 executives under 35 featuring rising stars from high-profile places like Netflix and Hulu to CAA and WME, a roster of top talent like Kaia Gerber, Josh Rivera, Ryan Destiny, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai and Aaron Pierre, and an inaugural list of 15 rising content creators like Harry Daniels (who broke out by ambushing pop stars while singing their hits), Cyrus Veyssi (who documents everything from Iranian family dynamics to dating as a gender fluid creator), Rachel Coster (the messy boy room breakout) and Caleb Simpson (the “how much do you pay for rent” guy, fresh from being profiled in The New York Times).
And during a pre-party dinner on the Holloway House rooftop, they all got some conversation tips from THR president Joe Shields. “We value and have a ton of respect for all of you,” he said in his opening remarks, which followed brief introductions from THR co-editor in chief Maer Roshan and film reporter Mia Galuppo, who helps spearhead the selections. “We all have that friend who went to an Ivy League school and are constantly dropping the fact that they went to Harvard into the conversation. Now you get to do that with your THR Next Gen status.”
Shields then passed the microphone to Claudine Cazian, Instagram and Meta’s director of strategic partnerships, public figures and creators, who kept the good vibes going. “Your dedication to your craft is inspiring, and we are so privileged to be on this journey with you. I’m looking at so many faces in this room that I have known for years — absolute years — and it’s been a joy to see you all blossom. On behalf of Instagram, we want to say thank you for sharing your voice, thank you for sharing your creativity and your vision on our platform, and most importantly, your community. We see you, we celebrate you, and we are in your corner forever.”
Those seen inside Holloway House included Next Gen talent like the aforementioned names and Dominic Sessa along with buzzy talent like It’s What’s Inside’s James Morosini and Gavin Leatherwood, English Teacher breakout and TikTok phenom Brian Jordan Alvarez, Kathryn Newton, Charlie Hall (fresh from Monsters and Sweethearts), Benito Skinner (social media phenom turned star of the upcoming Overcompensating), Diego Tinoco (On My Block), Nico Hiraga (Sweethearts), Ava Phillippe (who stars in Role Model’s “Look at That Woman” music video) and Jack Martin (La Brea).
Also making rounds were multi-hyphenates like Jordan Weiss, social media stars like Delaney Rowe, Hannah Kosh, Courtney Parchman, Kate Steinberg, Maddy Taylor, Marco Zamora (interior designer and home decor), Monica Mamudo, Sydney Lynn Carlson, Theresa Mayanja, Yasmine Sahid, and actors Caylee Cowan, Chandler Kinney, Josie Totah, Loren Lott, Nicole Maines, Olly Sholotan, Simone Joy Jones, Steven He, Trace Lysette, and many more. (See photos of the event.)
Downstairs DJ Zoe Gitter pumped out the beats to fill the lobby level, where conversations continued along with plenty of toasts, pats on the back and praise for those who made the list this year from friends, colleagues and Next Gen alums. Scattered throughout were also copies of THR’s Next Gen issue featuring cover star Selena Gomez, who told the mag’s Lacey Rose that she’s found peace in her career after arriving at a place where she can appreciate her accomplishments with an eye on the exciting road ahead. That sentiment was shared by many in the room on Wednesday night.
“I’ve been so lost in work that I hadn’t had a minute to look up and consider something like this, so it’s very cool to be thought of in this way,” explained Danielle Pistotnik, a manager at Select Management Group who happens to be the youngest on the 35 under 35 list. “The slow burn of career growth, even if it’s relatively fast, it feels slow. So when it culminates in a moment like this and you can take a step back and appreciate what you’ve done, it feels really nice. It’s hard to give yourself credit sometimes.”
In the center of the bash, Entertainment 360’s Ryan Tunick and Gersh’s Gaby Cohen were giving each other credit for accomplishing longtime goals of securing a spot on the list during the same year.
“We were talking about this very late last night,” Cohen revealed. “It’s strange because all I’ve ever wanted is to be recognized in this way and I woke up today and said to myself, ‘What is the new goal? I’ve been so inspired all day trying to figure out what that will be. What’s next?” Said Tunick, who was joined at the party by partner and legendary manager Evelyn O’Neill: “I was in the mailroom on my second or third day, and someone posted a copy of an article about secrets of the Hollywood mailroom, and it was in the Next Gen issue. I’ve known about it for 14 years. Every year I saw the list, I would say to myself, ‘I’m going to make the list. I’m going to make the list.’ And this year I did.”
Cohen, supported at the party by co-president Bob Gersh, said she’s yet to zero in on a new goal but was giving herself the night off to celebrate. “In a time where everything is kind of weird, we have to celebrate each other and these victories.”
WME’s Alden Dalia said he received likely “more than 50 calls” and too many emails to count. “Internally, WME sent out a big email so there were a lot of congratulations from colleagues and senior partners. It was very cool,” explained the motion picture executive who operates in a unique space among his agenting peers. “When I was an assistant 13 years ago, the first thing I saw when I started was The Hollywood Reporter Next Gen list, and I thought it would be so cool to be on it one day. Thirteen years later, I got on it right before I turned 36.”
CAA’s Brian Boone can relate to an overflowing inbox. “It’s amazing, overwhelming and humbling,” said the rising star, who reps Oscar winner Ariana DeBose and Emmy winners Lamorne Morris and Sheryl Lee Ralph. He spent a chunk of the day receiving congrats from colleagues who started calling at 8 a.m., but the best shine he received was “from my 95-year-old grandmother who called me, so that was very sweet.”
Also pretty sweet was witnessing two Netflix colleagues celebrate becoming Next Gen peers. Coral Wright, who made the list in 2023, rushed over to congratulate Emily Levitan, who was selected this year. “It’s a beautiful Hollywood moment to be back at this event and have a friend who is also on the list this year, especially during a time when we need more excitement and energy,” said the TV executive. “I’m proud to share it with somebody that I am so happy to work with.”
Levitan, who added that the pair started work at the streamer just two weeks apart, said her day was filled with nice calls from colleagues, friends and family. “It was special,” she noted. “We’re used to being behind the scenes so when you have a moment like this, it’s nice to feel celebrated, appreciated and recognized. I remember seeing my boss get this honor when I was in my first assistant job at 22, and I thought how cool it would be to be on this list one day. It’s a nice full-circle moment.”
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