Cailee Spaeny
Spaeny at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival
Born (1998-07-24) July 24, 1998 (age 27)
Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 2014–present

Cailee Spaeny (/ˈkeɪli ˈspeɪni/ KAY-lee SPAY-nee;[1] born July 24, 1998) is an American actress. Her first major roles were in the science fiction film Pacific Rim Uprising and the neo-noir film Bad Times at the El Royale (both 2018). Her television roles include appearances in the miniseries Devs (2020) and Mare of Easttown (2021). She also starred in the second season of the anthology series Beef in 2026.

In 2023, Spaeny received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Priscilla Presley in the biographical film Priscilla, for which she received the Volpi Cup for Best Actress and a nomination for a Golden Globe Award. She gained further recognition for her roles in the dystopian drama film Civil War (2024), the science fiction horror film Alien: Romulus (2024), and murder mystery Wake Up Dead Man (2025).

Early life

Spaeny was born on July 24, 1998 in Knoxville, Tennessee, to Mark and Reja Spaeny. The seventh of nine children, she was raised in Springfield, Missouri as a Southern Baptist.[2][3] Growing up, she spent a large amount of time in the Springfield Little Theatre group, with which she participated in many plays.[4] She also took acting, voice, and dance classes six days a week at the Springfield Little Theatre group.[4] When she was 13, she dropped out of school to pursue acting and briefly worked at Silver Dollar City.[5][6][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

Early work (2018–2021)

Spaeny in 2018

Cailee Spaeny made her film debut in March 2018 in Pacific Rim: Uprising, the sequel to Pacific Rim (2013), directed by Steven S. DeKnight.[10][11] In the cast, she appeared alongside John Boyega and Scott Eastwood, playing Amara Namani, one of the protagonists of the story.[12] The character is a young orphan, intelligent, skilled, and independent, who becomes a self‑taught engineer. The reception to her performance was generally positive, especially given that it was her first major film role.[13]

Also in 2018, Spaeny took part in three other films. In September, she joined the cast of Bad Times at the El Royale, a thriller directed by Drew Goddard, in which she played Rose Summerspring, the younger sister of Emily Summerspring, played by Dakota Johnson.[14] The character is a fragile and impressionable teenager, manipulated by the cult led by Billy Lee, played by Chris Hemsworth. The role highlighted the actress's versatility; after playing the determined Amara in Pacific Rim: Uprising, she took on a character marked by vulnerability.[15]

In November, she acted in On the Basis of Sex, a biographical legal drama directed by Mimi Leder based on the life and early cases of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second woman to serve as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. In the film, Spaeny played Jane C. Ginsburg, the elder daughter of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, portrayed by Felicity Jones.[16][17] In December, she appeared in Vice, a biographical comedy-drama written and directed by Adam McKay about the life of Dick Cheney, played by Christian Bale. In the film, Spaeny played Lynne Vincent, a teenage version of Lynne Cheney, with the adult version portrayed by Amy Adams.[17] Thus, she ended 2018 having participated in four films.

In March 2020, Cailee Spaeny made her television debut in the miniseries Devs, created by Alex Garland.[17] In the production, she played Lyndon, a central member of the team working on the secret Devs project, developed by the technology company Amaya. The character was originally conceived as male, but was played by Spaeny as part of a creative choice by the series.[18] In October of the same year, she starred in The Craft: Legacy, a supernatural horror film written and directed by Zoe Lister-Jones, conceived as a sequel to The Craft (1996).[19] This marked her first leading role in a film, as well as her first time going through a casting process. The production follows a group of young women who develop supernatural abilities, taking place within the same narrative universe as the original film.[20]

In January 2021, Cailee Spaeny took part in the film How It Ends, an independent apocalyptic comedy also directed by Zoe Lister-Jones. In the production, she played Young Liza (also referred to as "Little Liza" or "Younger Self"), a teenage version of the protagonist Liza, played as an adult by the director herself.[21] In April of the same year, she joined the cast of the HBO miniseries Mare of Easttown, created by Brad Ingelsby and starring Kate Winslet.[22] In the work, Spaeny played Erin McMenamin, a 17-year-old and single mother living in Easttown, a small working‑class town in Pennsylvania. Her character faces financial difficulties while caring alone for her son, who needs an expensive hearing surgery. The events involving Erin constitute the central element that drives the main narrative of the miniseries.[23]

Breakthrough (2022–present)

In April 2022, Cailee Spaeny joined the cast of the series The First Lady, which depicts aspects of the personal and family lives of three First Ladies of the United States: Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama. In the production, Spaeny played Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (also known as Anna Roosevelt Halsted), the only daughter of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt.[24][17]

In September, Spaeny was cast as Priscilla Beaulieu Presley in the film Priscilla, directed by Sofia Coppola, alongside Jacob Elordi as Elvis Presley. The film is based on Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir, Elvis and Me.[25]

Spaeny at the 2023 BFI London Film Festival

The film premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, where Spaeny was widely acclaimed for her portrayal of Priscilla Presley, a performance that earned her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress.[26][27] At the premiere, the actress watched the film alongside Priscilla Presley herself, who was moved by the work and by Spaeny's performance.[28]

In an interview, the actress commented on the preparation process for playing the character: "It was very daunting, but I was very lucky to spend some time with Priscilla, and she was very generous. When you're playing someone so well-known, that support makes all the difference. She was very kind to me and supported me, and that was my main source, besides the book."[28]

In 2024, Cailee Spaeny starred in the dystopian war drama and action film Civil War, directed by Alex Garland, with whom she had previously worked on the miniseries Devs. In the film, she appeared alongside Wagner Moura and Kirsten Dunst, playing Jessie Collin, a young aspiring war photographer.[17][29] That same year, she starred in Alien: Romulus, a film directed by Fede Álvarez and produced by Ridley Scott, part of the Alien franchise. In the production, she played the space colonist Rain Carradine, the central character of the narrative.[30][31] 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."[32]

In 2025, she was part of the cast of Wake Up Dead Man, a film belonging to the Knives Out franchise, written and directed by Rian Johnson and starring Daniel Craig.[33] In the plot, she played Simone Vivane, a former cellist of international renown whose career was interrupted due to a chronic neuropathic pain condition. The character is drawn to a small town under the promise of a cure by becoming involved with the local church.[34]

In 2026, Spaeny stars in the second season of the anthology series Beef, alongside Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, and Charles Melton.[35][36] She was also cast in the upcoming Elden Ring film, a live-action adaptation of the eponymous game.[37] Which is set for a March 2028 release.[38]

Filmography

Spaeny speaking at the 2024 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival
Key
† Denotes films that have not yet been released

Film

List of Cailee Spaeny's film roles
Year Title Role Notes
2016 Counting to 1000 Erica Short film
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 Young Liza
2022 Unlimited World Lars Short film
2023 Priscilla Priscilla Presley
2024 Civil War Jessie Cullen
Alien: Romulus Marie Raines "Rain" Carradine
2025 Wake Up Dead Man Simone Vivane
2027 Deep Cuts † Eileen "Percy" Marks Post-Production
2028 Elden Ring † TBA Filming

Television

List of Cailee Spaeny's television appearances and roles
Year Title Role Notes
2020 Devs Lyndon Miniseries; 8 episodes
2021 Mare of Easttown Erin McMenamin Miniseries; 5 episodes
2022 The First Lady Anna Eleanor Roosevelt Halsted Recurring role; 7 episodes
2026 Beef Ashley Miller Season 2; Also executive producer

Video games

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

  • "Send Her to Heaven" (2019), by The All-American Rejects[39]

Awards and nominations

Award Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
Chicago Indie Critics 2024 Breakout Artist Priscilla Nominated [40]
Columbus Film Critics Association 2025 Actor of the Year (for an exemplary body of work) Alien: Romulus / Civil War Nominated [41]
Florida Film Critics Circle 2023 Breakout Award Priscilla Nominated
Golden Globe Awards 2024 Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Nominated [43]
Gotham Awards 2023 Outstanding Lead Performance Nominated [44]
Greater Western New York Film Critics Association 2023 Breakthrough Performance Nominated [45]
Hollywood Creative Alliance Midseason Awards 2024 Best Supporting Actress Civil War Nominated [46]
London Critics Circle Film Awards 2024 Breakthrough Performer of the Year Priscilla Nominated
North Texas Film Critics Association 2023 Best Actress Nominated [47]
Online Film & Television Association 2023 Breakthrough Performance: Female Nominated [48]
Satellite Awards 2024 Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical Nominated [49]
Saturn Awards 2025 Best Supporting Actress Alien: Romulus Nominated
Venice International Film Festival 2023 Volpi Cup for Best Actress Priscilla Won [50]

References

  1. ^ "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.
  2. ^ Frommer, Fred; Gosner, Will (July 3, 2025). "Cailee Spaeny". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on July 11, 2025. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
  3. ^ Sobrevilla, Savannah (November 2, 2023). "V145: It's Time For Cailee Spaeny". V. Archived from the original on December 15, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ Priscilla Star Cailee Spaeny Proves You Should Never Underestimate an Angry Young Woman
  6. ^ Soloski, Alexis (August 18, 2024). "Cailee Spaeny Is Still Learning How to Be a Star". The New York Times. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
  7. ^ Houghton, Jeff (April 2018). "Cailee Spaeny's Journey from Springfield Little Theatre to Household Name". 417 Magazine. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
  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. ^ Weldon, Glen (March 22, 2018). "'Pacific Rim Uprising' Serves Up Another Helping Of Mech And Cheese". National Public Radio. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ Langberg, Eric (September 10, 2020). "The Stunning Transformation Of Cailee Spaeny". TheList.com. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  16. ^ Galuppo, Mia (January 7, 2019). "Making of 'On the Basis of Sex': How Felicity Jones Brought "Punk Icon" Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Life". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
  17. ^ a b c d e Marina Toledo (April 20, 2024). "Quem é Cailee Spaeny, atriz que estrela "Guerra Civil" ao lado de Wagner Moura" (in Portuguese). CNN Brasil. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
  18. ^ Radish, Christina (April 9, 2020). "Devs: Cailee Spaeny on Why She Plays a Male Character on the Show". Collider. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ Davids, Brian (November 23, 2020). "Why 'The Craft: Legacy' was the "Missing Piece" for Cailee Spaeny". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  21. ^ Debruge, Peter (December 15, 2020). "Sundance Film Festival Lineup Features 38 First-Time Directors, Including Rebecca Hall and Robin Wright". Variety. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ Haines, Samuel Wyatt (August 25, 2024). "Kate Winslet Solves Cailee Spaeny's Murder in This Twisty HBO Miniseries". Collider. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  24. ^ 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.
  25. ^ Jackson, Angelique (September 12, 2022). "Jacob Elordi to Play Elvis, Cailee Spaeny Is Priscilla Presley in Sofia Coppola's Film 'Priscilla'". Variety. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ "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.
  28. ^ a b "'Priscilla' Star Cailee Spaeny Says Watching Movie with Priscilla Presley in Venice Was 'Absolutely Surreal'". People. September 6, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
  29. ^ 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.
  30. ^ "Fede Álvarez's Alien Movie Rounds Out Cast (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. March 3, 2023. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  31. ^ 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.
  32. ^ "'Alien: Romulus' launches Cailee Spaeny into winning gross-out orbit". EW.com. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  33. ^ 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.
  34. ^ McIlvane, Brookie (December 17, 2025). "Meet the Cast of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery". Tudum by Netflix. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  35. ^ Petski, Denise (October 22, 2024). "'Beef' Confirms Season 2 With Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Charles Melton & Cailee Spaeny". Deadline. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  36. ^ Cardoso, Giulia (January 7, 2026). "Tudo o que sabemos sobre a 2ª temporada da série 'Treta'". Rolling Stone (in Portuguese). Retrieved February 17, 2026.
  37. ^ Kit, Borys (April 20, 2026). "'Elden Ring' Live-Action Movie Adds Tom Burke, Havana Rose Liu, Sonoya Mizuno, Emma Laird as Production Begins". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  38. ^ Kroll, Justin (April 20, 2026). "Alex Garland's 'Elden Ring' Adaptation At A24 Sets A March 2028 Release In Imax; Cailee Spaeny Among New Additions To Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  39. ^ Siwak, Miranda (November 3, 2023). "Who Is Cailee Spaeny? 5 Things to Know About the Actress Playing Priscilla Presley in Sofia Coppola's Biopic". Yahoo Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 24, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  40. ^ Neglia, Matt (January 20, 2024). "The 2023 Chicago Indie Critics (CIC) Windie Award Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  41. ^ Neglia, Matt (January 3, 2025). "The 2024 Columbus Film Critics Association (COFCA) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  42. ^ Neglia, Matt (December 21, 2023). "The 2023 Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  43. ^ "Golden Globes 2024: full list of nominations". The Guardian. December 11, 2023. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  44. ^ 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.
  45. ^ Neglia, Matt (January 6, 2024). "The 2023 Greater Western New York Film Critics Association (GWNYFCA) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  46. ^ Neglia, Matt (July 3, 2024). "The 2024 Hollywood Creative Alliance (HCA) Midseason Astra Award Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  47. ^ Neglia, Matt (December 18, 2023). "The 2023 North Texas Film Critics Association (NTFCA) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  48. ^ Neglia, Matt (March 3, 2024). "The 2023 Online Film & Television Association (OFTA) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  49. ^ "2023 Nominees | International Press Academy". Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  50. ^ 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.
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