India Amarteifio, Gabriel Basso, and the 5 best breakout Netflix stars of 2023

Every year, Netflix releases handfuls upon handfuls of new shows, and you can never predict which shows will become the biggest of the year and which stars will become the breakout Netflix stars of the year.

In 2023, some of the top Netflix shows were Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, The Night Agent, The Fall of the House of Usher, and One Piece, and each produced at least one breakout star we’ll be watching well into 2024 and beyond.

Queen Charlotte introduced us to the dynamic duo of India Amarteifio and Corey Mylchreet, whose individual and combined chemistry made the Bridgerton prequel spinoff a massive success. Gabriel Basso became the action hero of our dreams in The Night Agent, and Ruth Codd and Iñaki Godoy each brought a little bit of levity to our screens in The Fall of the House of Usher and One Piece respectively.

Let’s take a closer look at what made these five breakout Netflix stars shine extra bright in 2023 and why we simply couldn’t get enough of their talents and presence!

India Amarteifio in Queen Charlotte

The fashionable Queen Charlotte was already a fan-favorite character in Bridgerton, and the prequel series solidified that fact even more. While Golda Rosheuvel plays the queen in the hit Netflix romantic drama series, India Amarteifio stepped into the glamorous role as we learned how the iconic character came into her power.

As we learned, it was anything but simple for Charlotte during her rise to queen, as her husband suffered from mental health struggles and she was pressured to produce an heir. Amarteifio brought all of the power, strength, and vulnerability necessary to make the audience root for and feel for Charlotte’s position. There’s no doubt we’ll be seeing the rising actress leading more shows and movies very soon!

Gabriel Basso in The Night Agent

If there’s a one show that helped define Netflix in 2023, it’s definitely The Night Agent. The action thriller series was a surprise spring hit back in March, so much so that the streamer renewed the series for a second season five days after its premiere. That’s unheard of! And I’d go so far as to say that without Gabriel Basso in the lead, the show just wouldn’t be the same.

The 28-year-old star previously appeared in popular titles like Super 8, The Big C, The Kings of Summer, and Hillbilly Elegy before becoming this year’s most crushed on popular action star. He brings the right mixture of rigidity and sweetness to Peter Sutherland, making him both a badass and a big ‘ol softy. Whether you were blown away by his stunts or fawning over his tattoos, Basso gained so many new fans this year. He deserves to flex his action star muscles in not just season 2 but Netflix movies, superhero movies, and even rom-coms. We’ll watch!

Corey Mylchreest in Queen Charlotte

Beside two stage plays in 2020, a short film, and an appearance in Netflix’s The Sandman, Corey Mylchreest‘s starring role in Queen Charlotte was his first major acting job. For his first big role to be the co-lead of a Netflix series — not just that but the highly anticipated Bridgerton prequel — must have been intimidating. But Mylchreest certainly delivered.

The limited series might be named after Queen Charlotte, but Mylchreest’s role as King George was also challenging and demanding. He wasn’t wearing corsets or heavy wigs, but he was also tasked with heavy scenes involving George’s mental health struggles and dangerous treatments. You’d never know that Mylchreest was a newcomer; his talent was just that magnetic. He and Amarteifio are both deserving of awards recognition and long, successful careers.

Ruth Codd in The Fall of the House of Usher

From TikTok star to Netflix star, Ruth Codd has had an excellent past few years. The actress recently made her return to TikTok and fans have been flooding her comments with love for her portrayal of Juno Usher in The Fall of the House of Usher. Of course, the Edgar Allan Poe-centered series isn’t her first foray into Mike Flanagan’s universe, as she previously starred in The Midnight Club and her character on that was also beloved.

But there was something especially endearing about Juno in The Fall of the House of Usher. She got dealt a raw deal by her new family as all of her new step-children treated her poorly. Thankfully, Juno ends up coming out on top and doesn’t meet the same grisly fate as the rest of her family. Codd’s natural charisma and sense of humor made her an absolute delight to watch on-screen and we cannot wait to see what she does next. (Written by Maddy Lennon)

Iñaki Godoy in One Piece

I think many people would agree with me when I say Netflix and the creative team behind the One Piece live-action series did a fantastic job at casting Iñaki Godoy as the show’s protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. I don’t think anybody else could’ve fit the role so perfectly.

I’m going to be honest here. I was initially nervous about how everything was going to turn out because Luffy is a very animated character, and not many people can bring such a colorful character to life. However, Iñaki Godoy completely knocked the role out of the park, in my opinion, and gave an outstanding performance through and through.

He definitely has Luffy’s look down pat and his loveable charm and mannerisms. He also did a good job of bringing out the comedic timing of Luffy’s idiotic antics. Overall, he definitely captures the spirit of Luffy, and I can’t wait to see him return to the role in the upcoming One Piece season 2. (Written by Crystal George)