Recently, more young stars have been appearing more frequently in Hollywood. Standouts in Young Hollywood include McKenna Grace, Walker Scobell, and Jenna Ortega, who have transitioned from acting as the younger versions of characters or playing roles in children’s films and TV to becoming main characters in projects with mature themes.
At just 18 years old and relatively new to acting in major movies, actor Mason Thames has set himself apart from the others. Matching Jim Carrey’s record set about 30 years ago, Mason Thames has elevated his role from celebrity to star. Carrey set the box office record for starring in three movies that reached number one in their opening weekend in 1994, with his films Ace Ventura, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber.
Thames, while reaching the same milestone Carrey did, with his movies How to Train Your Dragon, Black Phone 2, and Regretting You, shows the difference in today’s box office. Whereas all of Jim Carrey’s films were comedies, Mason’s were all different genres, with him portraying completely different characters with different personalities.
How to Train Your Dragon is a nostalgic, comforting fantasy where Thames’ character, Hiccup, is introverted and shy. Black Phone 2 is the sequel to the first Black Phone movie, which is a psychological horror film where Finney, Mason Thames’ role, demonstrates courage and solidity. Finally, Regretting You is an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s popular romance novel, in which Mason Thames is required to be able to convey the romantic tension between his character, Miller, and McKenna Grace’s character, Clara.
Altogether, Mason Thames is pushed to portray three different types of characters in three different types of movies, thus proving that right now, Hollywood appreciates variety. Seeing as there have been both widely successful and failing movies in 2025, the underlying message shows how, instead of focusing on one series or character type, variety and risk-taking pay off.
Ultimately, Mason’s success has truly shown Hollywood’s development to match what viewers desire, and no matter whether Mason Thames reaches Jim Carrey’s level of stardom or not, one thing can be said: Mason Thames is definitely going places.
