Noah Fearnley: The Vertical Drama Actor You Need to Know

The actor, who started out in short miniseries, is gaining more popularity by the day and will appear next to a Marvel star soon.

These days, it may seem like there aren't any new faces in Hollywood. You often see the same big names being cast for almost every movie out there, and every other possible breakout star is often an already established influencer.

People are craving someone new, an unexpected heartthrob from nowhere, to spice things up. That's Noah Fearnley! He has been building his career steadily, appearing in micro-dramas that are redefining the way to tell stories. Let's discover more about him!

Starting in TV Movies

Raised in Orange, Connecticut, Fearnley first appeared in the short series "Morgan's Secret Admirer," playing the character of Sam Hitchens. It's a cute high school story where the main female character, played by Michelle Mao, tries to discover who has been sending her things and trying to get her attention.

He has also appeared in several TV movies like "Dognapped: Hound for the Holidays," "Mother's Deadly Son," and "Infamously in Love," all of which were released in 2022.

Fearnley has had smaller appearances in "A Lifeguard's Obsession," "Secret in the Building," and even "The Company You Keep," also starring Milo Ventimiglia. He played a valet in "Doctor Odyssey" last year. But the core of his work currently consists of miniseries, also known as micro-dramas or vertical dramas.

Vertical Dramas

Most people are still unfamiliar with this new format of storytelling, but it's gaining more popularity than you can imagine already. So, what are they? In the age of TikTok and Instagram reels, younger generations are often watching and making vertical short videos.

Therefore, entertainment companies began creating stories in this format, rather than the traditional vertical, long-form format, and they're garnering millions of viewers, with a market value estimated to reach several billion by 2027.

The genre was first developed in China and has been called "TV for the TikTok generation." Duanjus, which is Chinese for micro-dramas, began on social media and has now become a legitimate audiovisual market.

Many companies based in China are now working with Western production businesses to make these short stories for broader audiences. This has led to the creation of particular platforms like ReelShort, ShortTV, DramaPops, and FlexTV.

In November 2024, ReelShort surpassed TikTok as the most popular entertainment app on the Apple Store in the United States.

The Appeal of Vertical Dramas

Audiences are flocking to this type of entertainment for several reasons. First, the stories are usually established tropes that romance book readers may already understand, like enemies to lovers and a marriage of convenience. Sometimes, they even include supernatural aspects like vampires and werewolves.

However, they hook viewers right away with a catchy, and often clickbait, title. Additionally, the short episodes almost always end on a cliffhanger. The apps that host these micro-dramas tend to require a subscription, but they may release sneak peeks or the first episode online for free to catch attention.

The stories also go by at a fast pace, and they don't require serious effort to understand. Additionally, they're faster to produce. This means that no matter what, there's an ending.

In today's busy world, many people don't want to commit to a complicated story only to discover that they have to wait years to see what happens next. They want to escape real life for a little while and see a happy ending as soon as possible

In these tales, love prevails in the end, the main character gets revenge on those who wronged them, and good triumphs over evil every time.

Noah Fearnley's Vertical Dramas

Micro-dramas make up most of Fearnley's career so far, with over 20 credits on IMDb, where he is usually the main male character.

"Love on the Sidelines" is one example. It's the story of an engaged woman whose life is turned upside down when her brother accidentally kills her fiancé's sister. She ends up vanishing for seven years, only for her fiancé, played by Fearnley, to find her now that she has a new family.

Another option is "Food, Love, Robots," which is perfect for anyone who loves a bit of sci-fi. A woman's soulmate dies but returns as a humanoid robot on Christmas.

For a great vengeance story, check out "Avenging Heiress Plunged Into Darkness." It's about a woman whose mother was murdered, and she was accused of the crime by her father. Fearnley plays a detective who will help her uncover what really happened.

Some of his other micro-dramas include "Stake to the Heart," "The Hockey Star's Remorse," "The Way Back Into Love," "Desired by the Billionaire Football Star," and many others.

The Future for Noah Fearnley

Although Fearnley has several vertical dramas in production, including "Gold Hearts of Hot Rod Country," one of his upcoming projects is the film "Mercy," also starring Chris Pratt.

Outside of acting, he works on restoring a 1968 Mustang, loves spending time with his family, and dedicates time to working out. In fact, fans can see his routines on TikTok as he has an account with over 60,000 followers as of this writing. He also uploads behind-the-scenes footage of his projects.

On Instagram, Fearnley has over 120,000 followers, where he has posted several professional images, including some shots modeling Calvin Klein underwear. His Facebook, however, is a bit more relaxed with selfies and messages of gratitude to fans.