Ariana Greenblatt is Gen Z’s upcoming “it” girl. She’s been in the industry for years, and you’ve probably already seen her on your screen if you’re one of the many, many people who rushed to see Greta Gerwig’s Barbie blockbuster at your local movie theater. This summer, Greenblatt had a standout role as Sasha, the troublesome teen and daughter of Gloria (played by America Ferrera), in Barbie.
She might’ve looked familiar to some of you: At just 16 years old, she already has a resume longer than mine. She’s acted in everything from Disney Channel shows to Marvel blockbusters to movie musical adaptations. A-Listers like Margot Robbie and Chris Pratt have worked side-by-side with her, but they often steal the spotlight since they’re so well-known. And honestly? It’s time we give Miss Greenblatt the stage.
Here’s everything you should know (and a few extra fun facts) about Hollywood’s next big breakout star.
- Greenblatt has been dancing since she was just two years old.
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The young actress has a handle on her dance skills. She competed on Dancing with the Stars: Juniors at 11 years old and secured her season’s first perfect score with her foxtrot routine. A major slay.
- She’s a Virgo.
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To keep everyone humble, she had to go ahead and become a movie star before she even had her learner’s permit. Her birthday is August 27, 2007 and she turned 16 this year. Driver’s license, here she comes!
- Sophomore slump? Not for Greenblatt.
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If you weren’t already impressed, Greenblatt is also a student and juggles school simultaneously with her acting career. She takes classes with regular teens her age, and apparently they “don’t give a poop” about her acting career, according to an interview she did with Elle in April 2023. This means she earned their respect like a normal teen girl — by showing up snatched for homecoming, as shown on her Instagram.
- Margot Robbie and Greenblatt share a core memory.
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Greenblatt also revealed in that Elle interview that the two stars shared matcha lattes and sushi while they talked about Frank Ocean and Lana Del Rey. Turns out they share the same music taste. This Barbie bonding moment is so freaking cute.
- She love, love, loves boba tea.
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In this video interview, Greenblatt spilled on her boba addiction and had one on her the whole time. #Relatable.
- Jenna Ortega and Greenblatt played on-screen sisters.
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Ortega and Greenblatt played sisters in Disney Channel’s Stuck in the Middle, and yes, they’re still friends. They’ve wished each other happy birthday online (and off) and show support for each other’s successes.
- Her dream collab list makes perfect sense.
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The dream coworkers for Greenblatt? Natalie Portman, Timothée Chalamet, Joaquin Phoenix, Winona Rider, and Angelina Jolie, Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, Jordan Peele “and then Tim Burton, obviously,” according to Elle. Maybe she can cameo on Wednesday with her friend Ortega?
- She’s been in two films that joined the Billion-Dollar Club.
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Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images As Sasha in Barbie and Young Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War, this teen can claim fame as a actress in, not one, but two billion-dollar productions.
- She taught Josh Brolin and 200 aliens extras from Avengers: Infinity War how to Dab and Milly Rock.
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At 11 years old, it makes sense that Greenblatt was educating the Marvel crew on the 2018 dance trends, according to The Hollywood Reporter. We need the BTS footage of this ASAP.
- Next up, She’s got a role in Borderlands.
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Greenblatt will get to work with a handful of older celebs including Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, and Jamie Lee Curtis. The Last of Us got the video game adaptation hype going and I hope that Borderlands can keep it going. Greenblatt will play Tiny Tina, the teenage explosives expert, in the sci-fi action film coming in summer 2024.
Clearly I’m doing something wrong, since I haven’t gotten to become besties with Margot Robbie, but I can cope by living vicariously through Greenblatt and you can too. It looks like the best is yet to come for this Gen Zer, so keep an eye on her acting evolution.