Disney TV Discovers Selects 10 Actors for 2026 Showcase
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- Disney Television Discovers returns for its 24th year in 2026, showcasing a new class of rising actors.
- Casting team behind ABC Entertainment, Hulu Originals, Onyx Collective, and Freeform leads the selection, narrowing 42,000 submissions to ten performers.
- Ten selected actors—AJ Troup, Alexander Sanson, Eric Tabach, Jessica Damouni, Malia Munley, Mishka Yarovoy, Olivia Nikkanen, Renita Lewis, Sydney Winbush, and Taha Mandviwala—will star in the original comedy "Death to My Twenties" written by Brittani Nichols and based on Austin S. Harris’s characters.
- Richard J. Lee returns as executive producer and director for the 2026 piece.
- Program premiere is scheduled for August with an in‑person industry screening and virtual access.
- Felicia Joseph notes the program’s sharpened focus on casting for a global audience, highlighting the cast’s cultural perspectives and comedic voices.
- Disney Television Discovers has produced over 50 showcases and mentored more than 600 actors, with alumni such as Lupita Nyong’o and Chadwick Boseman.
Why it matters: The showcase gives ten emerging actors high‑profile exposure and hands‑on mentorship, while Disney expands its talent pipeline to reflect a global, culturally diverse audience, reinforcing its commitment to inclusive casting across its networks and potentially feeding future series and film projects.
