The remake of the 1990s cult classic [1] The Craft just announced its leading lady [2]: Cailee Spaeny. While there's a good chance you probably don't recognise her name (yet), there's also a pretty good chance you've already seen one of her movies. Over the course of her short career so far, she's starred opposite some of young Hollywood's biggest names and managed to make big impacts in smaller roles [3]. The Springfield, MO, native is having a pretty great couple of years, so this is the perfect time to learn more about her. Ahead, check out some fun facts about Spaeny: where she's from, how she got her start, and what she's learned from her famous costars.
She's a Singer, Too
Spaeny's talents aren't just limited to the big screen. In 2016, she released an original single, "Fallin."
She's Surprisingly Young
Spaeny's career is taking off, but you might be surprised at how young she actually is. Born July 24, 1997, she's only 21 years old.
She's a Theatre Kid at Heart
Spaeny started her career like so many young actors: acting in youth theatre productions. During her childhood, she acted with the Springfield Little Theatre in her hometown of Springfield, MO.
She Convinced Her Family to Move to LA When She Was 15
After growing up in Missouri, Spaeny had her "eureka" moment when a teacher told her she was failing every class.
"I was like, 'I'm going to do something with my life that feels good,'" Spaeny told Hemispheres. At age 15, she convinced her mom to move them to LA so she could go on auditions.
She Had 4 Major Releases in 2018 Alone
Her First Major Film Credit Was a Sci-Fi Franchise
Spaeny first made a splash in the 2018 sci-fi sequel Pacific Rim: Uprising. Prior to that, her only film credit was a short film, Counting to 1000.
Her First International Trip Was For a Movie
When Spaeny booked Pacific Rim: Uprising, she'd never left the country before — but the movie was set to film in Australia.
"I had never been outside the country, and suddenly I was on a 17-hour flight to Australia," she told Hemispheres. "It was wild."
She's Played 2 Real-Life People
In the 2018 biographical film On the Basis of Sex, Spaeny played Jane Ginsburg, the teenage daughter of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In real life, Jane Ginsburg is a lawyer and law professor [4], specialising in copyright and arts law at Columbia University. Spaeny also portrayed the young version of Lynne Cheney (played as an adult by Amy Adams [5]) in Vice.
She's Learned From Her Famous Costars
In an interview with SyFy, Spaeny describes how her On the Basis of Sex costar Felicity Jones gave her some crucial advice [6] for navigating film sets.
"Most sets are fast-paced; [Felicity taught me] you've got to make a stand and say you're going to do this or not do that," she continued. "How kind they were but also how they held their ground was something I've learned from a lot of people I've worked with. How you can be a really nice person but also get what you want to get done, done."
She Has 1 Type of Role She'll Never Play
Everyone's got their limits, and for Spaeny, the one thing she simply won't ever do ishaunting, spirit, or "demonic" movies [7].
"No matter what people tell you, you will always have those things that will be with you forever," she explained to SyFy.
She Just Wants to Be a Normal Young Adult — Or Play 1
Right now, Spaeny's dream roles aren't flashy franchises or iconic characters. As she told Hemispheres, she'd like the chance to portray the kind of teen experience she never got to have herself.
"I'd love to do a slice-of-life teenage film. I've never been a regular teenager in my own life, so I want to see what that's like."