Emma Corrin and Bella Ramsey top British stars on 2023 influential people list

British acting stars Emma Corrin and Bella Ramsey feature on Time magazine’s 100 Next list of influential people among a host of famous faces, including Paul Mescal, Hailey Bieber and Rachel Zegler.

Corrin, who played Diana, Princess of Wales in The Crown and appeared alongside Harry Styles in My Policeman, was described as having had a ground-breaking career that is “only just getting started” by Schitt’s Creek co-creator and star Dan Levy.

After Corrin, 27, was honoured under the artists section of the list, actor Levy wrote a tribute: “I had met Emma Corrin only once before I invited them to stay with me in Los Angeles. Which says a lot considering my crippling social anxiety.

“We went for dinner after one of their (Olivier-nominated) theatre performances in London and bonded over a fear of losing ourselves to newfound waves of attention, both struggling with having suddenly become public figures during the pandemic.

“Emma and I vowed to be there for each other if things ever got overwhelming. But what’s clear is that their success — a singular, ground-breaking career that is only just getting started — is firmly anchored by their wisdom and an unwavering dedication to who they are.

“Truth is, they’ve never needed help, but it is a privilege to be there for them if they ever do.”

Time describes the list as the “emerging leaders from around the world who are shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership”.

The Last Of Us star Ramsey, who rose to fame following a break-out role in Game Of Thrones, was honoured under the Phenoms section of the list on Tuesday.

House Of The Dragon star Emma D’Arcy said the phrase that comes to mind when thinking about 19-year-old Ramsey is “radical honesty” and described them as having “grounded humility and exquisite, dry humour” despite all of their success.

The 31-year-old said: “Onscreen and off, their remarkable power is in an outright refusal of pretence or persona, choosing instead the riskier path: candour, generosity, and the bravery to be.

“The result is a formidable actor, and one of the most charming people you could meet.

“Bella’s captivating screen presence has been undeniable from the start. Their first professional acting gig, seen by millions, was met with universal acclaim. Bella was only 11.

“In the eight years since, they’ve become an inspiring figure in the LGBTQIA+ community, a radical force for change within film and TV, and were even nominated for an Emmy.”

D’Arcy added: “As a nonbinary person starting out as an actor, I feared there wasn’t space for me in the mainstream industry.

“Young trans and gender-nonconforming people coming into film and TV today will know that there is indeed space, in no small part because of Bella.”

Meanwhile, Normal People star Mescal, 27, was hailed for the “indelibly honest” nature of his acting by his fellow Irish superstar Colin Farrell.

Similarly, Bieber was praised by fellow US model Ashley Graham as a “renaissance woman” who conquered the world of high-end fashion, has a “thriving” marriage to pop superstar Justin Bieber, her own beauty brand and yet “still manages to stay true to herself”.

Graham, 35, continued: “That’s what I love most about Hailey, the fact that she’s exactly the same on and off the red carpet.

“There’s no alternate version of her. She’s sweet, kind, and genuine, a total girl’s girl all the time.

“She’s truly making a name for herself, and I think this is just the beginning. I’ll be rooting her on as she builds an empire.”

Award-winning actor Rita Moreno also penned a tribute to US star Zegler, who rose to fame for her film debut playing Maria in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story.

Describing her as a “triple threat”, 91-year-old Moreno wrote: “Rachel Zegler has a reservoir of emotions that she’s able to pull from every time she performs.

“I first heard her singing during rehearsals for a film, and I thought, Wow, this is a find! I told her that I shit a brick when I heard her voice. You just don’t hear voices like that in movies anymore.”

US musicians Ice Spice, Tems and Kelsea Ballerini also made Time magazine’s 100 Next list.