#KaraYoung (@karaakter) isn’t afraid to hype herself up. Among her favorite TV shows and films? “‘Is God Is’ by Aleshea Harris, ‘I’m a Virgo’ by Boots Riley, and ‘I Love Boosters’ by Boots Riley,” she says, citing some of her latest critically-acclaimed work. (As she should!) “Not because I’m in all of them…I think they are incredible works of art.” In addition to appearing in ‘The Staircase’ on HBO and Netflix’s ‘The Punisher,’ Young is a thespian through and through: This summer, she shared the Lincoln Center stage with Kerry Washington in ‘The Whoopi Monologues’ and is a two-time Tony Award winner (for ‘Purpose’ and ‘Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch’). In 2025, she became the first Black performer to receive a Tony nomination for four consecutive years. InStyle’s #BreakthroughList2026 Editor-in-Chief: @sallyholmes Writer: @actuallyjonathanborge Photographer: @celestesloman Creative Director: @jennabrillhart Executive Editor: @danismcnally Exec Dr. ...