expression, noun
person of the moment; man/woman of the hour
Refers to someone who is currently attracting widespread public attention, often due to a recent event or achievement. The phrase is gender-neutral in Japanese; English glosses specify gender only for natural translation.
彼は一躍、時の人になった。
He suddenly became the man of the hour.
あの選手は今、まさに時の人だ。
That athlete is really the person of the moment right now.
話題の人 is more general for 'person being talked about,' while 時の人 emphasizes a fleeting, peak-of-fame moment.
A set phrase combining 時 (time) and 人 (person), literally 'person of the time.' The exact origin is uncertain, but it has been used in modern Japanese to describe someone who captures the public's attention for a limited period.