Daisy Edgar-Jones: The new face of Hollywood’s next-gen stars

A viral moment that changed everything

On July 14, Universal Pictures was in the final stages of promoting its summer blockbuster, Twisters. Amid a hectic day of interviews, Daisy Edgar-Jones, the film’s lead actress, spontaneously decided to teach her co-stars Glen Powell and Anthony Ramos the Charli XCX “Apple” dance. Recognizing the potential of this impromptu moment, she had it recorded and shared on her Instagram. The clip went viral, amassing nearly 10 million views on her account and 18 million on Ramos’ TikTok. Even Charli XCX herself, unaffiliated with the movie, reposted the dance.

This wasn’t a calculated move by a marketing team but a genuine moment created by Edgar-Jones. Universal’s chief marketing officer, Michael Moses, praised her for her natural ability to connect with audiences authentically. “She just had an unerring sense of what it takes to connect with an audience without it ever feeling performative or inauthentic,” he said.

The heavy lifting of promotion

Edgar-Jones took on a significant role in promoting Twisters, especially since Powell was in South Africa filming another project until two weeks before the movie’s release. The 26-year-old actress toured various cities, engaging in everyday activities like shopping for cowboy boots and enjoying local barbecue joints. Even after Powell joined the promotional efforts, she continued to embrace her role, famously shotgunning beers with Luke Combs and Powell during a New Jersey concert.

Moses noted, “So many are like, ‘No, I’m a movie star. I don’t chug a beer.’ I think it really was a lot of the off-interview things that made all the difference.”

A record-breaking debut

Edgar-Jones’ approach to promotion paid off. Twisters had a massive $81 million opening in the U.S. and Canada, the highest domestic debut ever in the natural disaster subgenre. The film, which follows a meteorologist (Edgar-Jones) and a storm chaser (Powell) battling killer tornadoes, has grossed $274 million worldwide to date.

This success has catapulted Edgar-Jones into the spotlight, placing her alongside Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney as one of the few 20-something actresses that major studios are betting on. These actresses represent a new model of TV stars breaking into movies and leveraging their social media influence. Edgar-Jones, in particular, evokes the classic ’90s female movie star—accessible and aspirational, reminiscent of Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock.

A rising star with an impressive track record

Before Twisters, Edgar-Jones had already made a name for herself. She starred in Sony’s 2022 murder mystery Where the Crawdads Sing, which earned $144 million worldwide, and the Hulu and BBC Three series Normal People, which became the latter’s most streamed series of 2020 with 62.7 million views.

When it came time to cast the protagonist for Twisters, director Lee Isaac Chung was already aware of Edgar-Jones. He was further impressed by an unsolicited letter she sent him. “I thought, ‘Wow. This is so well thought out and so eloquent,’ and that was striking to me,” Chung recalled. Their subsequent meetings solidified his decision to cast her without an audition.

Mastering the art of promotion

Edgar-Jones quickly won over the marketing teams of both Universal and Warner Bros., who handled the domestic and international releases, respectively. She met with the marketing teams for Barbenheimer and took detailed notes, preparing herself for the promotional push. “She was by herself and just sat down with her notebook and a real open curiosity and intention about how to approach a big summer blockbuster,” Moses said.

Her social media presence also saw a significant boost, with her Instagram followers growing to 2.3 million. However, social media numbers alone don’t guarantee box office success. Edgar-Jones’ strategic use of TikTok-friendly clips for Twisters set a new standard for movie promotion.

What’s next for Daisy Edgar-Jones?

Sources close to Edgar-Jones reveal that she is currently fielding a variety of scripts, ranging from rom-coms to erotic thrillers. A Twisters sequel seems inevitable, though no formal talks have begun.

Director Lee Isaac Chung believes Edgar-Jones has a talent for physical comedy, something her followers have already seen. “She’s a very good physical comedian,” he noted. “She was incredibly funny on set. And if she ever did a role like that, she would be hilarious.”

If Edgar-Jones continues on her current trajectory, she could follow in the footsteps of Roberts, Bullock, or even Meg Ryan, making movies that are both hilarious and wildly profitable.

For more information and to watch the trailer for Twisters, click here.

Note: This article is a reimagined version of an original piece, enriched with personal reflections and in-depth analysis for cinema, TV series, and music enthusiasts.