Cailee Spaeny (/ˈkli ˈspni/;[4] born July 24,[5] 1998) is an American actress.[6] Spaeny's first major role was in the science fiction film Pacific Rim Uprising (2018). She followed this appearing in the neo-noir film Bad Times at the El Royale (2018), the biographical films On the Basis of Sex and Vice (both 2018), the fantasy film The Craft: Legacy (2020), and the miniseries Devs (2020) and Mare of Easttown (2021).

Cailee Spaeny
Spaeny in 2023
Born (1998-07-24) July 24, 1998 (age 26)[1][2]
OccupationActress
Years active2014–present

Spaeny portrayed Priscilla Presley in the biographical film Priscilla (2023), for which she received the Volpi Cup for Best Actress and a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. Further recognition came in 2024 for starring in the dystopian drama film Civil War and the horror film Alien: Romulus.

Early life

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Spaeny was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and raised in southern Missouri. She has eight siblings.[3] Growing up, she spent a large amount of time in the Springfield Little Theatre group, with which she participated in many plays.[7] She also took acting, voice, and dance classes six days a week at the Springfield Little Theatre group.[7] In the 2014–2015 season, she landed the lead role of Dorothy in a stage production of The Wizard of Oz.[8][9]

Career

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Spaeny in 2018

In 2018, Spaeny played several major film roles, starring in Steven S. DeKnight's science fiction monster adventure Pacific Rim Uprising, alongside John Boyega and Scott Eastwood; Drew Goddard's thriller Bad Times at the El Royale;[10][11][12] and the biographical dramas On the Basis of Sex and Vice.[13]

She next appeared in the main cast of the FX miniseries Devs and starred in the film The Craft: Legacy, both in 2020.[14] In 2021, she appeared in the HBO limited series Mare of Easttown, a murder mystery, starring Kate Winslet.[15] She then portrayed Anna Roosevelt Halsted in the series The First Lady (2022).[16]

In 2023, Spaeny starred as Priscilla Presley in Sofia Coppola's biographical drama film Priscilla alongside Jacob Elordi as Elvis Presley.[17] Reviewing the film for Variety, Owen Gleiberman opined, "Spaeny makes Priscilla a figure of strength, but the force of her performance is how she enacts Priscilla's slow-motion melancholy".[18] Her performance earned her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the 80th Venice International Film Festival.[19][20]

In 2024, Spaeny starred in the war drama Civil War as Jessie, a young war photographer, and in the science fiction horror film Alien: Romulus as Rain Carradine, a space colonist.[21][22] Reviewing the latter film, Jordan Hoffman of Entertainment Weekly deemed Spaeny "the finest weapon in the arsenal... differentiating herself quite a bit from the doe-eyed characters she played in Civil War and Priscilla."[23]

Spaeny will next star in the mystery film Wake Up Dead Man, the third installment of the Knives Out series, set for a Netflix release in 2025.[24] In 2024, she joined the cast for the second season of Netflix's anthology series Beef, alongside Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, and Charles Melton.[25]

Filmography

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Key
Denotes productions that have not yet been released

Film

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List of Cailee Spaeny's film roles
Year Title Role Notes
2018 Pacific Rim Uprising Amara Namani
Bad Times at the El Royale Rose Summerspring
On the Basis of Sex Jane Ginsburg
Vice Lynne Cheney (young)
2020 The Craft: Legacy Lilith "Lily" Schechner
2021 How It Ends Little Liza
2022 Unlimited World Lars Short film
2023 Priscilla Priscilla Presley
2024 Civil War Jessie Cullen
Alien: Romulus Rain Carradine
2025 Wake Up Dead Man TBA Post-production

Television

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List of Cailee Spaeny's television appearances and roles
Year Title Role Notes
2020 Devs Lyndon Main role; miniseries
2021 Mare of Easttown Erin McMenamin
2022 The First Lady Anna Roosevelt Halsted Recurring role

Video Games

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List of Cailee Spaeny's video game appearances and roles
Year Title Role Notes
2024 Dead by Daylight Rain Carradine voice and likeness; Purchasable skin for Ellen Ripley

Music videos

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Awards and nominations

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Award Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
Golden Globe Awards 2024 Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Priscilla Nominated [26]
Gotham Awards 2023 Outstanding Lead Performance Nominated [27]
London Critics Circle Film Awards 2024 Breakthrough Performer of the Year Nominated [28]
Satellite Awards 2024 Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical Nominated [29]
Venice International Film Festival 2023 Volpi Cup for Best Actress Won [30]

References

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  1. ^ Ford-Palmer, Sophia (August 4, 2021). "Glass interviews up-and-coming American actor Cailee Spaeny – The Glass Magazine". Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  2. ^ Smith, Krista (January 11, 2018). "Get Ready to See a Lot More of Pacific Rim Uprising's Cailee Spaeny". Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Sobrevilla, Savannah (November 2, 2023). "V145: It's Time For Cailee Spaeny - V Magazine". Archived from the original on December 15, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  4. ^ "Pacific Rim Uprising Cast Answer 50 of the Most Googled Kaiju Questions". YouTube. Wired. March 22, 2018. Archived from the original on April 9, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  5. ^ "Cailee (@CaileeSpaeny) | Twitter". Archived from the original on September 22, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  6. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (April 11, 2017). "WME Signs 'Pacific Rim 2' Actress Cailee Spaeny". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 9, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  7. ^ a b Houghton, Jeff (April 2018). "Cailee Spaeny's Journey from Springfield Little Theatre to Pacific Rim: Uprising". 417 Magazine. No. April 2018. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022.
  8. ^ Collins, Larry T. (April 11, 2015). "The yellow brick road comes to Landers: A review of 'The Wizard of Oz'". Springfield News-Leader. p. 3A. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  9. ^ "The Wizard of Oz | Springfield Little Theatre". Springfield Little Theatre. Archived from the original on April 4, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  10. ^ Kroll, Justin (September 15, 2016). "Newcomer Cailee Spaeny Lands Female Lead in 'Pacific Rim 2'". Variety. Archived from the original on September 18, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  11. ^ White, James (September 15, 2016). "Pacific Rim sequel adds Cailee Spaeny". Empire. Archived from the original on August 11, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  12. ^ "Cailee Spaeny Cast as Female Lead in Pacific Rim Sequel". ComingSoon.net. September 15, 2016. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  13. ^ Kit, Borys (September 15, 2016). "Drew Goddard's 'Bad Times at the El Royale' Adds Newcomer Cailee Spaeny". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  14. ^ Galuppo, Mia (June 21, 2019). "'The Craft' Reboot Finds Lead With Cailee Spaeny (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  15. ^ Romano, Nick (February 17, 2021). "Kate Winslet gets her prestige murder mystery drama in HBO's Mare of Easttown trailer". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  16. ^ Petski, Denise (July 23, 2021). "'The First Lady': Ellen Burstyn, Eliza Scanlen, Cailee Spaeny To Recur On Showtime Anthology Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  17. ^ Jackson, Angelique (September 12, 2022). "Jacob Elordi to Play Elvis, Cailee Spaeny Is Priscilla Presley in Sofia Coppola's Film 'Priscilla'". Variety. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  18. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (September 4, 2023). "'Priscilla' Review: Sofia Coppola's Piercingly Authentic Inside Drama About the Troubled Love Story of Priscilla and Elvis Presley". Variety. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  19. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy; Ntim, Zac (September 9, 2023). "Venice Winners: Golden Lion Goes To Yorgos Lanthimos For 'Poor Things'; Hamaguchi, Sarsgaard, Spaeny Also Score — Full List". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  20. ^ "Cailee Spaeny Brings Florals to the 2024 Golden Globes Red Carpet". The Fashion Enthusiast. January 7, 2024. Archived from the original on January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  21. ^ Kroll, Justin (November 16, 2022). "Cailee Spaeny Circling New Alien Movie At 20th Century Fox And Scott Free". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  22. ^ Grobar, Matt (January 21, 2022). "Alex Garland Reteams With A24 For Action Epic Civil War; Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura & More Set To Star". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 18, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  23. ^ "'Alien: Romulus' launches Cailee Spaeny into winning gross-out orbit". EW.com. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  24. ^ Kroll, Justin (May 27, 2024). "Josh O'Connor And Cailee Spaeny Join Daniel Craig In Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 28, 2024. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  25. ^ Petski, Denise (October 22, 2024). "'Beef' Confirms Season 2 With Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Charles Melton & Cailee Spaeny". Deadline. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  26. ^ film, Guardian (December 11, 2023). "Golden Globes 2024: full list of nominations". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  27. ^ Lang, Clayton Davis,Brent; Davis, Clayton; Lang, Brent (October 24, 2023). "Gotham Awards Nominations: 'All of Us Strangers' Leads With Four Nominations". Variety. Archived from the original on October 24, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  28. ^ Pulver, Andrew (December 20, 2023). "All of Us Strangers leads London film critics awards nominations". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on December 20, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  29. ^ "2023 Nominees | International Press Academy". Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  30. ^ Ritman, Scott Roxborough,Alex; Roxborough, Scott; Ritman, Alex (September 9, 2023). "Venice: Yorgos Lanthimos' 'Poor Things' Wins Best Film (Full Winners List)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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