Abby Ryder Fortson's 10 Best Movies & TV Shows (2024)

The best Abby Ryder Fortson movies and TV shows allow the rising young star to illustrate her impressive range, and she has already accomplished a lot despite her youth. Making her debut in 2013 at the age of 5, Fortson has already put in a decade of work in Hollywood, and each new project seems to amplify her status as an up-and-coming talent. While most of her early roles have involved playing precocious kids and younger versions of main characters, Fortson's ease onscreen has made her an in-demand talent in indie films all the way up to some of the biggest blockbusters of the 2010s.

One of the most difficult things for a child star to do is establish themselves as they grow older and age out of playing young children. Fortson hasn't missed a beat since the dawn of the 2020s and continues to rise as a teen star playing bigger and bigger roles that illustrate more of her talents. 2023's Are You There God? It's Me Margaret was essentially Fortson's reintroduction to the world at large, and the Judy Blume movie adaptation was a platform for the young star to truly claim the spotlight for the first time in a leading role.

10 The Whispers (2015)

• The Whispers is available to buy or rent on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and Vudu

Despite having everything going for it, the short-lived ABC horror series The Whispers mostly missed the mark. A child specialist named Claire (Lily Rabe) is called in by the FBI to assist in a string of incidents involving children taking dangerous orders from a mysterious imaginary friend named Drill. Appearing in a handful of episodes, Abby Ryder Fortson played Harper Weil, a young child who is one of Drill's friends, and she gave an appropriately creepy performance. The series effectively built tension across its single season, but the story was succinctly wrapped up too soon, and the show's sudden cancelation robbed audiences of a satisfying conclusion.

9 The Mindy Project (2012 - 2017)

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• The Mindy Project is available to stream on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu

The Mindy Project was a cultural comedy touchstone of the 2010s, and it is counted among Abby Ryder Fortson's earliest TV shows. Mindy (Mindy Kaling) is a successful doctor who tries to become a more mature adult despite her many humorous and relatable shortcomings. Fortson appeared in season 2, episode 7 "Sk8r Man" as Clementine, a precocious young girl who asks Mindy some very tough questions. "Sk8r Man" was one of the best episodes of The Mindy Project largely because of Fortson's scene-stealing debut performance which went a long way in encapsulating the themes of the show. It was Fortson's first part, but she was obviously star material.

RELATED: 10 Guest Stars You Forgot Were On The Mindy Project

8 Forever My Girl (2018)

• Forever My Girl is available to stream on Netflix and Hoopla

Abby Ryder Fortson's path to the top has been a straight line upward, and it was movies like Forever My Girl which continued her meteoric rise. Self-centered country music superstar Liam (Alex Roe) returns to his hometown and comes face to face with Josie (Jessica Rothe) his former love. Though nothing special, Forever My Girl was a decent box office success (via Box Office Mojo), and featured a strong cast and even stronger music. Fortson played younger sister Billy Anne and her character took full advantage of her child-star cuteness. Even in a minor supporting role, Fortson showed that she could hold her own with her adult co-stars.

7 Ant-Man And The Wasp (2018)

• Ant-Man and the Wasp is available to stream on Disney +

Though Ant-Man and the Wasp was released after Infinity War, the film managed to stand on its own as a perfectly serviceable MCU entry. Scot Lang (Paul Rudd) is pressed back into service as Ant-Man despite rising concerns about his work and life balance as a new superhero. Though it was one of the biggest Abby Ryder Fortson movies in terms of budget, the second Ant-Man film was a minor role that saw the burgeoning star reprise her part as Scott's daughter Cassandra. While fun and entertaining, Ant-Man and the Wasp suffered from following the climax of Infinity War and its stakes felt somewhat lackluster.

6 A Dog’s Journey (2019)

• A Dog's Journey is available to stream on Fubo TV

Coming as a sequel to 2017's A Dog's Purpose, A Dog's Journey delivered all the expected tear-jerking moments of the average dog-centric movie. Bailey the dog (voice by Josh Gad) is assigned to protect and love Ethan's (Dennis Quaid) granddaughter CJ (Abby Ryder Fortson and Kathryn Prescott) as she experiences the trials and tribulations of life. Fortson shares her role and appears early in the film as the younger version CJ who eventually grows over the course of the film. Even if A Dog's Journey was formulaic, its effective use of emotion made it a successful tearjerker and even the hardest heart could find something to enjoy.

5 Tales From The Loop (2020)

• Tales from the Loop is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Freevee

The ending of Tales from the Loop season 1 left the door open for more, but the show was unfortunately canned after its debut season. The townsfolk of Mercer, Ohio experience a slew of strange scientific anomalies thanks to living above the machine known as The Loop. In yet another shared role, Abby Ryder Fortson plays the younger version of science whiz Loretta, and she carried her two-episode arc with ease. The show itself was noted for its slow-burn sci-fi, and it was obviously building toward something bigger until it was canceled. Well-received projects like Tales from the Loop were the first steps to Fortson shedding her child star image.

RELATED: The Best Shows On Amazon Prime Video For Those Who Love Sci-Fi

4 Togetherness (2015 - 2016)

• Togetherness is available to stream on Max

Though many Abby Ryder Fortson TV shows are somewhat short-lived, she has appeared in a string of critical darlings that have elevated her prestige as an actor. Togetherness follows the Piersons (Mark Duplass and Melanie Lynskey) whose rocky marriage is challenged when Alex (Steve Zissis) and Tina (Amanda Peet) move in with them. The hilariously irreverent series practically dripped with midlife crisis, and the subtlety of the humor was itself a brilliant joke. Fortson played the Pierson's daughter Sophie and despite being a child, understood the deadpan humor. Though critically acclaimed, the series was canceled after only two seasons.

3 Transparent (2014 - 2019)

• Transparent is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Freevee

Often considered one of the best Amazon original TV shows, Transparent represented the streaming giant's first big step into exclusive content. The dysfunctional Pfefferman family is thrown into disarray when the patriarch (Jeffrey Tambor) comes out as transgender. Despite the controversy surrounding a cisgender man playing a trans woman, the show found a perfect synthesis between the typical family drama and heartfelt modern comedy. In the show's first season, Fortson appeared as Ella Novak though she was replaced in subsequent seasons as the character aged. Though Transparent has aged poorly, it was a trailblazing early streaming exclusive hit.

2 Ant-Man (2015)

• Ant-Man is available to stream on Disney +

Even early on in her career, Abby Ryder Fortson movies have included some of the biggest blockbusters of the day, and she is no stranger to massive Hollywood hits. Ant-Man follows petty criminal Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) as he is recruited to dawn Dr. Hank Pym's (Michael Douglas) shrinking suit and become the superhero Ant-Man. A perfect way to close out the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase Two, Ant-Man was a playful and energetic spin on the superhero genre. Fortson played Scott's daughter Cassandra though she mostly took a backseat to the bombastic action going on around her.

1 Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023)

• Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret is available to buy or rent on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and Vudu

Fortson took the next step in her career in 2023 when she landed the leading role in the adaptation of the classic Judy Blume novel Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. The quintessential coming-of-age tale follows young Margaret (Fortson) as her recent relocation to a new town causes her to question every aspect of her adolescent life. Besides its spot-on recreation of Blume's many themes, the film delivered the simple beauty of a coming-of-age story through Abby Ryder Fortson's strong performance. She had previously proven herself as a child star, but Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret showed she was ready for so much more.