Breakthrough Jew – Ansel Elgort

Hot, hip, and heady, the next wave of Jewish artists and influencers has already arrived. This is Breakthrough Jew, your weekly showcase of those on the verge of discovery and ready to be a regular figure in pop culture; setting trends, redefining genres, and simply getting it done-whatever ‘it’ is. These days, it’s not enough to know what’s hot now; you need to catch someone when they’re just starting to simmer.

Featuring those in film, fashion, food, and beyond, we’ll find the story before substance is obscured by style, before hype meets backlash, and before talent and purpose gets lost in a maze of Internet chatter. See an artist in the cozy bar before they hit the amphitheater, dine at a chef’s new restaurant before the line begins, and catch a young writer’s work before the demands of ratings and longevity encroach.

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Name: Ansel Elgort

Age: 20

Hometown: New York City

Breakthrough Cred: Starring opposite Chloë Grace Moretz in the 2013 remake of Carrie.

Being named after iconic American photographer, Ansel Adams, undoubtedly good things will happen. Likewise, being the son of famed Vogue photographer Arthur Elgort, and opera director, Grethe Barrett Holby, interesting things will transpire. Although he can’t legally consume alcohol in the U.S. yet, many, many things have happened to Ansel Elgort in a short period of time.

“My dad would throw me in the picture if they needed an extra. From an early age, I understood the concept that, if you’re not the star, then your job is to not pull attention away from the star,” Elgort explained to Vogue in 2012.

Although he dabbled with modeling throughout his life, Elgort had other aspirations even at the tender age of six.

“I wanted to be an actor, a singer, or a dancer. My dad told me that if I became a well-known actor, people would want to take my picture for magazines anyway,” he explained.

At nine, Elgort’s mother took him to audition at the world-renowned School of American Ballet in New York. That same year, he graced the stage of Lincoln Center in The Nutcracker. He also studied tap dance and singing, not to mention, being an avid pianist his whole life.

“I wanted to be a lot of things in my life,” Elgort joked to People.

Once his teenaged years rolled around, Elgort enrolled at the prestigious Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. The logical choice for a young man vaguely aware of the path his life would take.

“My high school experience was very different. LaGuardia High School is a place of acceptance. You have every type of kid there, performing. The outcast girl would not have been made fun of in my high school,” he explained to Interview Magazine.

Whilst still a senior in high school in 2012, Elgot made his professional debut in Matt Charman’s Off-Broadway play, Regrets. As a personal point of interest, he received the part after only one audition.

Find out more about this week’s Breakthrough Jew, Ansel Elgort, on the next page!