Every actor, musician, YouTuber, or media personality aspires to reach A-list celebrity status; after all, fame can open doors to more lucrative opportunities.
Unfortunately, many of these individuals allow their popularity to inflate their egos, leading to a downfall from grace to obscurity.
Some celebrities, rather than leveraging their fame for leading movie roles, opt for conventional 9-to-5 jobs.
Surprisingly, there are noteworthy individuals in the Z-list category who go to great lengths to sustain or revive their careers.
They venture into YouTube, participate in interviews, and launch new products, all in an effort to stay relevant.
In this post, I will be highlighting some of these celebrities: the Z-List celebrities who deserve a second glance.
Before then, let’s learn some basics…
Who’s Considered a Z-List Celebrity?
Z-list celebrities are celebrities who are considered to be at the lowest tier of celebrity status, often having limited fame and recognition compared to A-list or more mainstream celebrities.
These individuals may not be widely known to the general public and might be associated with niche or specific areas of entertainment.
Disclaimer:
The term “Z-list celebrities” is not a standard or common classification in the celebrity ranking system. The concept of celebrity rankings typically uses letters from A to D to categorize individuals, with A-list representing the most famous and influential celebrities.
Also keep in mind that celebrity classifications are subjective and can vary based on different criteria such as fame, talent, and public perception.
Top 20 Z-List Celebrities
Despite their lower profile, some Z-list celebrities actively engage in efforts to maintain or revive their public presence through various means, such as social media, interviews, or new projects.
Here is a list of Z-list celebrities who might not be in the mainstream, but have qualities worth recognizing.
- 1. Brad Goreski
- 2. Liza Koshy
- 3. Tana Mongeau
- 4. Ariel Winter
- 5. Meghan Markle
- 6. Rob Mariano
- 7. Todrick Hall
- 8. Anneliese van der Pol
- 9. Devon Joseph Werkheiser
- 10. Rajiv Surendra
- 11. Jen Atkin
- 12. Simon Huck
- 13. Mario Dedivanovic
- 14. Jason Walsh
- 15. Nick Viall
- 16. Joseline Hernandez
- 17. Brooklyn Beckham
- 18. Sam Asghari
- 19. Chord Overstreet
- 20. Adam Dahlberg
1. Brad Goreski
Anyone who has been around in the last decade must have heard of Goreski, a popular TV personality and fashion stylist.
Brad debuted in 2008 as Zoe Rachel’s assistant on the Rachel Zoe Project. He has worked with various celebrities including Lea Michele, Demi Moore, and Kaley Cuoco.
Brad launched his own show, “It’s a Brad, Brad World” which aired for 2 seasons.
Currently, he is working as one of Canada’s Drag Race judges. He also owns Brad Behavior, a unique podcast that has featured several celebrity interviews.
2. Liza Koshy
Before opening her YouTube channel, Koshy was already on Vine. Her popularity in YouTube earned her a few acting roles in movies like “Boo! A Madea Halloween” and “Freakish.”
She also had some voice roles in a couple of animations, but since 2019, she hasn’t had any acting gig.
But she did star in her own YouTube comedy series that ended back in 2021. She was featured in Forbes 30-under-30 list in 2019, But now she is hosting Chopped:Next Gen.
3. Tana Mongeau
Another hardworking Z-lister who’s fighting to remain relevant is Mongeau.
Tana is known for her exceptional storytime videos that made her famous back in 2017.
One of her popular videos was the N-word clip that was actually a dare back in 2017.
She had been dared by iDubbbz and later apologized the same year. iDubbbz released an apology video in 2023.
Tana has done everything to remain relevant including organizing a content creator convention in 2018, which was canceled on the same day.
Last year she appeared in various YouTube interviews including @Officialhowiemandel podcast where she claimed to be sober now.
4. Ariel Winter
Lovers of Modern Family know and love Ariel Winters; in fact, we have seen her grow with every episode.
But as she grows older, her career pathway has changed from a lead actor to a voice actor.
The last movie she starred in was “The Last Movie Star” in 2017. Last year she became a contestant of Stars on Mars.
5. Meghan Markle
Before becoming a member of the royal family, Meghan was a rising superstar known for her role in the series “Suits.”
But over the last few years, she has stopped acting and stayed beside her husband.
Unfortunately, the drama with the royal family has made her one of the most hated Z-list celebrities.
Meghan and Prince Harry retained their title even after resigning from the royal family.
But Bob Seely, a Conservative MP, is proposing that they change the law and strip them off their title.
6. Rob Mariano
Mariano is a reality TV star that has been featured in a number of reality TV series since 2002.
After testing fame, he took part in several reality TV shows before winning the 2011 Survivor: Redemption Island.
After winning, most folks expected him to start getting main roles in movies but he was never successful; instead, he focused on reality TV shows.
Currently, he is set to take part in the Deal or No Deal Island in 2024.
So, you should watch out for Rob, who is also a member of the design team for Secret Celebrity Renovation.
7. Todrick Hall
Hall gained national fame after featuring in the American Idol season 9.
After appearing on the show, he gained massive followers on YouTube with his videos going viral.
His fans expected him to become a superstar, but his career didn’t reach the expected heights.
Todrick has released 4 albums; unfortunately, they were as successful as the ones produced by other American idol winners.
8. Anneliese van der Pol
Another child star whose career didn’t become what we expected when she became an adult is Anneliese.
After featuring in so Raven, Anneliese has never got a leading role in years.
She has played various supporting roles in various Television series and movies.
Anneliese even has to work in various hotels to support herself while chasing her next big role.
9. Devon Joseph Werkheiser
Nickelodeon has produced various children stars over the years; unfortunately, some of them didn’t make it as adults.
A good example is Davon, who was the lead character in “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide.”
Since then he hasn’t landed a leading role in any TV series. Devon even tried starting a music career, but only managed to release a single album in 2015.
10. Rajiv Surendra
After failing to get a lead role in “Life of Pi,” Raj relocated to Munich and got a 9-to-5 job.
He spent a year in Germany, and then went back home to Canada and started a business.
Rajiv also appeared in the Mean Girls Reunion in 2020 together with the other stars like Lindsey Loghan who had a great career after her role in Mean Girls.
Rajiv featured in a Walmart Black Friday advert in 2023. He also started a self-titled YouTube channel in 2022.
11. Jen Atkin
Atkin may not be an actor or musician, but she has worked with top celebrities.
Jen became popular after she gave the Kadashians their beachy waves.
After that she launched QUAI Haircare, her unique brand. She serves as Glamour magazine’s columnist and founded Mane Addicts.
12. Simon Huck
Any fan of the KUWTK (Keeping up with the Kardashians) knows Simon Hucks; after all, he has been the shows supporting cast member for years.
Huck became popular after starring in his own show “The Spin Crowd” in 2010. He had a huge potential but the show only aired for 1 season.
His clients were the Kardashians who helped increase the show’s ratings. Currently, he is still a supporting cast member on KUWTK.
13. Mario Dedivanovic
Another celebrity who has benefited from the popularity of the Kardashians is Mario.
Mario is a renowned makeup artist behind Kim’s best beauty looks. He even founded Makeup by Mario that offers some unique makeup classes.
You can take Kim and Mario makeup classes for $500.
14. Jason Walsh
Jason is a popular trainer who has managed to toughen up some of the world’s A-list celebrities like Matt Damon and Bradley Cooper.
But did you know that he is also an actor? Jason starred in Captain Marvel, Elysium, and American Sniper.
Unfortunately, his career as an actor hasn’t taken off. But he is still a popular celebrity trainer who once dated Hillary Duff.
15. Nick Viall
The Bachelor TV series lovers know Nick from starring in Season 21 of the bachelor.
Nick is also a 2 times runners-up in the bachelorette shows.
After becoming popular, Nick tried acting but he wasn’t successful with his last appearance on TV being his appearance in General Hospital.
Currently, he hosts a popular podcast where he hosts celebrities.
16. Joseline Hernandez
The Puerto Rican princess’s career hasn’t reached the levels we expected, but she is still known in some parts of Atlanta.
Joseline’s popularity reached its peak after she resigned from Love and Hip Hop and dissed Cardi B.
She then launched a music career, but none of her tracks hit the Billboard charts.
17. Brooklyn Beckham
Unlike the other celebrities in our list, Brooklyn is the child of two celebrities who hasn’t been able to surpass his parent’s fame.
Brooklyn has appeared in various magazines including Vogue and Dazes Korea magazines.
He even tried launching a cooking online show which was criticized by his fans, but he is still quite popular and rich thanks to his parents.
18. Sam Asghari
Sam may be an actor and model, but he became more popular after he married Britney Spears.
He has featured in a number of television series like NCIS and movies like Hot Seat.
Luckily, he is still young and may get his huge break in the future, even after divorcing Britney Spears.
19. Chord Overstreet
Overstreet became popular after winning a leading role in Glee as Sam Evans. The show’s popularity helped him win a few supporting roles until 2021 when he became Chad Davies in Acapulco.
Despite his roles in Acapulco and Glee, he isn’t a household name. Even when he dated Emma Watson, folks wondered who he was.
20. Adam Dahlberg
Adam started his career as a video commentator on his YouTube channel “the SkyDoesMinecraft”.
His YouTube channel had over 10 million subscribers; unfortunately, he quit YouTube to focus on music videos.
His music career hasn’t peaked yet and he is still known by his YouTube name.
Wrap Up
Even though the celebrities I featured in this list are currently labeled as Z-list celebrities, it doesn’t imply that their status won’t evolve in the future.
They continue to pursue their dreams, and some might land significant roles that elevate their popularity to A-list status.
Their podcasts, YouTube channels, and current engagements play a crucial role in maintaining their relevance.
