10 Things to Know About Cailee Spaeny, the New Star of Alien

Who is Sigourney Weaver’s heir in the Xenomorph saga? Portrait of an already essential star.

Almost half a century ago, the world discovered a certain Sigourney WeaverThe actress stole the show as Ellen Ripley, the female action hero ofAlien, the eighth passenger. Today is Cailee Spaeny which is coming to our screens as its heir, while it is released this week in cinemas Alien: RomulusBut who is this young 25-year-old American woman who is still largely unknown, but whose career is already impressive?

A childhood marked by Virgin Suicides

Child of Midwestern America, Cailee Speeny is raised in a strict Christian family, with her 8 brothers and sisters. Her life will change when she discovers one day the film Virgin Suicides of Sofia Coppola : “This is the very first movie I ever saw in my life.“, confided Cailee Speany in the pages of Première last year.For me, a kid from Missouri who grew up in a very strict, ultra-Catholic upbringing, this movie was like a bombshell. It opened up a world I didn’t know existed and gave me permission to explore what was inside me. I told myself that if I ever had the chance to make a movie, this is the kind of movie I wanted to be in.”

She first started by singing

Regularly attending his parish church, Cailee Spaeny She learned to develop her voice and quickly went on stage: “I was a regular dinner performer at Silver Dollar City, a theme park near my home. And since I was terrible at school, I put all my energy into my quest for a career. I did commercials, took piano lessons, was in a band, played Dorothy in a play of The Wizard of Oz…” Then one day she decides to pack her bags and drive 25 hours to try her luck in Los Angeles.

His first job: a huge blockbuster

When she was only 18 years old and had just arrived in Hollywood, Cailee Speeny was noticed by Steven S. DeKnight to star in Pacific Rim Uprising. She has no experience yet, not even a small TV job, but the filmmaker offers her the leading female role alongside John Boyega and Scott Eastwood, in this very big budget sequel, produced by Guillermo del Toro. Unfortunately, Pacific Rim Uprising will flop and not launch her career as she had hoped.

She was the victim of Mare of Easttown

Cailee Spaeny then went on to play less prestigious, supporting roles. This is how she found herself playing the victim opposite Kate Winslet, in the acclaimed 2020 thriller, Mare of Easttown. She plays poor Erin, murdered at the end of the first episode and around whom the whole story and the whole investigation will revolve. At the same time, she also appears in Devsthe Alex Garland series.

Of Devs has Civil War

It is thanks to this supporting role in Devsthat she finds herself on the set of the very exciting Civil Warfrom the director of‘Ex Machina. “Alex likes to work with the same people from project to project. And that’s not just limited to the actors. Take Rob Hardy: he’s the cinematographer on almost all of his films. On his shoots, there’s a theatre troupe aspect that’s quite reassuring. So Alex had my name in mind when he wrote the role of Jessie for Civil War“, the actress told us this year.

She owes a lot to Kirsten Dunst

While Virgin Suicides has turned the life of Cailee Spaenythe young woman will literally meet her idol on the set of Civil War. During filming Kirsten Dunst learns that Sofia Coppola is going to make a movie about Priscilla Presley and calls her to tell her she has to see Cailee.”One day, I get a phone call telling me that Sofia wants to meet me in New York. I don’t know what it’s about at this point…” Spaeny tells Première. She will be able to convince the director during this simple exchange. And a few weeks later, still on the set of Civil Warshe learns that she has been chosen to be his Priscilla : “We were on the penultimate day of filming with Kirsten. I fell into her arms. I couldn’t believe I was going to live my dream. She told me, “You’re going to have some extraordinary moments!” She told me how enriching working with Sofia had been for her (…) Kirsten was 23 when she filmed Marie Antoinette. I was 24 when we filmed Priscilla. There is something similar in our destiny.”

His family are fans of Elvis Priestley

The role is deeply meaningful for the young girl, who grew up with Sofia Coppola on her TV, but also with the King in the background. Her mother, an absolute Elvis fan, even often took her to Graceland!

She hates seeing herself on screen

A wink of fate, his performance in Priscilla will earn him an acting prize in Venice. However, Calee Spaeny did not arrive on conquered territory at the premiere at the Mostra. Anxious and unsure of herself, she feared “to be responsible for what would have been Sofia’s first bad film!” she told us recently. “Even there, in Venice, I didn’t want to stay in the room. It was Sofia who encouraged me to do so… before discovering that I was going to discover the film next to Priscilla Presley! I spent half the screening with my eyes closed. I wanted to run away.”

She was inspired by Sigourney Weaver for Alien: Romulus

Like the plot, which Fede Alvarez thought of as a “back to the first movie“, Cailee Spaeny does not hide the fact that she has re-immersed herself in the films carried by Sigourney Weaver to build her character, Rain Carradine, a sort of alter-ego of Ellen Ripley: “I watched his performance on repeat for monthsshe confides to TotalFilm. I was hoping that something would kind of seep through (…) I never felt intimidated by the role. Because the role wasn’t written for a woman, so there was a real freedom. And because Sigourney put so much of herself into the role, it allows all the other women who come into this franchise to never feel that weird weight or pressure of playing a female lead.”

She will face Daniel Craig in 2025 on Netflix

After Priscilla, Civil War And Alien: Romulusthe young Cailee Spaeny continues to climb the Hollywood ladder at high speed. His meteoric career will continue in the saga Knives Out : she will be next year in Knives Out 3which will be called Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mysteryon Netflix. She will play one of the suspects opposite Daniel Craig, under the direction of Rian Johnson. Filming is underway.