Now a bonafide star, Chloë Grace Moretz has been working since before she was 10. After guest spots on various television shows like Desperate Housewives and Dirty Sexy Money and a supporting role in the film The Eye, the actor truly burst onto the scene in 2009 when she appeared in (500) Days of Summer as Joseph Gordon-Levitt's wise-cracking little sister. When she was 13, she took on the role of Hit-Girl in Kick Ass while simultaneously appearing in more kid-friendly fair like Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Over the years, Moretz has made a name for herself as a budding young actress, appearing in everything from indie comedies (Laggies) to Martin Scorsese blockbusters (Hugo). Now at age 18, Moretz is starring in The 5th Wave , her first real potential franchise. The actor seems poised to earn the title of action star, but based on her other 2016 films, she's also not one to be pigeonholed.
The 5th Wave, a YA adaptation, hopes to follow in the footsteps of The Hunger Games and Divergent — earning millions for studios while propelling its female lead into stardom. Although some franchise stars stick to their genres (Arnold Schwarzenegger makes action films and Jim Carrey makes comedies...) some choose to take on many different types of roles. Both Jennifer Lawrence and Shailene Woodley have been able to shed their franchise images to star in other genres, and it's clearly worked; Lawrence recently earned her fourth Oscar nomination for Joy , while Woodley has made a name for herself on the indie drama circuit. Based on her upcoming projects, it looks like Moretz is looking to follow in their footsteps. She has three other films scheduled for release in 2016, all starkly different — November Criminals, a teenage drama; Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, a comedy; and a biographical film about a woman who goes insane, Brain on Fire . And, in 2017, Moretz will star in the live-action adaptation of Disney's The Little Mermaid.
But a diverse resume isn't the only think young stars like Lawrence and Woodley have in common. To be an It Girl nowadays, a female actor or musician has to be talented, yes, but she must also be opinionated and involved with her supporters — Taylor Swift has her fan surprises, and Lawrence recently spoke out about pay inequalities in Hollywood. Like them, Moretz has not been shy when it comes to making her opinions heard. In December, she went on a bit of a Twitter rant criticizing the Miss Universe pageant for "overtly sexualizing the young women."
She's also a self-declared feminist who isn't afraid to challenge the status quo of her peers. While most young women in Hollywood are eagerly embracing the image of female friendship with their #SquadGoals, Moretz sees the phenomenon as exclusive. "I agree with having a good core group of friends, but the issue I have with squads is it creates exclusivity," Moretz said in an interview with Nylon . "I was never included in those things when I was a kid. I was the weird one that chose to do movies, so now I go out of my way to be nice to people and make them feel included." But probably the bravest thing Moretz has spoken out about in the last year or two is politics. She's a Hillary Clinton supporter and has been for years, citing the candidate's ideas for educational reform as a major reason for her support in the Nylon interview, and calling her "an amazing role model."
So, with The 5th Wave on the horizon, Moretz certainly has the career and the personality to become a major force in Hollywood. But this is Hollywood, which means that a star isn't a star unless they have the perfect look, too, and after spending a majority of her life working in Hollywood, Moretz is more than covered in the fashion department. She's been stunning on the red carpet already for years.
Whether or not The 5th Wave is a hit at the box office, Moretz's time as an in demand young Hollywood star is not going to end any time soon. Her future projects, unapologetic outspokenness and fashion domination have ensured that she will be more than just "the next Jennifer Lawrence," some passing trend that'll disappear when the next ingenue comes along. Chloe Moretz is here to stay.
Images: Giphy; chloegmoretz/Instagram
