# Cailee Spaeny

Cailee Spaeny (/ˈkeɪli ˈspeɪni/; 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).
In 2023, she 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. Further recognition came in 2024 for starring in the dystopian drama film Civil War and the horror film Alien: Romulus.

## Early life

Spaeny was born July 24, 1998, in Knoxville, Tennessee, and raised in Springfield, Missouri with her eight siblings. Growing up, she spent a large amount of time in the Springfield Little Theatre group, with which she participated in many plays. She also took acting, voice, and dance classes six days a week at the Springfield Little Theatre group. In the 2014–2015 season, she landed the lead role of Dorothy in a stage production of The Wizard of Oz.

## Career

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; and the biographical dramas On the Basis of Sex and Vice.
She next appeared in the main cast of the FX miniseries Devs and starred in the film The Craft: Legacy, both in 2020. In 2021, she appeared in the HBO limited series Mare of Easttown, a murder mystery, starring Kate Winslet. She then portrayed Anna Roosevelt Halsted in the series The First Lady (2022).
In 2023, Spaeny starred as Priscilla Presley in Sofia Coppola's biographical drama film Priscilla alongside Jacob Elordi as Elvis Presley. 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". Her performance earned her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the 80th Venice International Film Festival.
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. 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."
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. In 2024, she joined the cast for the second season of Netflix's anthology series Beef, alongside Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, and Charles Melton.

## Filmography

Key :
| † | Denotes productions that have not yet been released |

### Film

List of Cailee Spaeny's film roles :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2018 | Pacific Rim Uprising | Amara Namani | |
| 2018 | Bad Times at the El Royale | Rose Summerspring | |
| 2018 | On the Basis of Sex | Jane Ginsburg | |
| 2018 | 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 | |
| 2024 | Alien: Romulus | Rain Carradine | |
| 2025 | Wake Up Dead Man † | TBA | Post-production |

### Television

List of Cailee Spaeny's television appearances and roles :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2020 | Devs | Lyndon | Miniseries |
| 2021 | Mare of Easttown | Erin McMenamin | Miniseries |
| 2022 | The First Lady | Anna Roosevelt Halsted | Recurring role |
| TBA | Beef † | TBA | Filming; season two |

### 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

## Awards and nominations

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