Cailee Spaeny is making waves in Hollywood, recently earning a Golden Globe nomination for her leading role in the biographical film Priscilla.
Latest Update: Cailee Spaeny on Her Role in Alien: Romulus
In the upcoming film Alien: Romulus, Cailee Spaeny takes on the role of Rain Carradine, a space traveler. Although the 25-year-old actress didn’t face any actual aliens on set, the fear she felt was all too real. She shared a chilling experience from one of the movie’s most intense scenes, where the director, Fede Álvarez, kept the cameras rolling for what felt like an eternity, amplifying the terror of confronting the infamous Xenomorph.
Who Is Cailee Spaeny?
Cailee Spaeny has quickly emerged as one of Hollywood‘s top young talents. Her standout performance as Priscilla Presley in the 2023 biopic Priscilla earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Spaeny’s rise to fame also includes her role in the 2024 action-thriller Civil War. Born in Missouri, Spaeny left school at 13 to pursue acting, starting with local theater and eventually making her big-screen debut in 2018’s Pacific Rim: Uprising. She is set to star in Alien: Romulus.
Early Life
Born on July 24, 1998, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Cailee Spaeny grew up in Springfield, Missouri, as one of nine siblings. Her deeply religious family had a clear path laid out for her—school, job, marriage—but Spaeny knew she wanted something different. Struggling with academics, she found solace in the arts, learning guitar and piano at 11, and forming a rock cover band, NRG. Her passion for performing grew as she took dance and vocal lessons, and by 13, she was acting at the local theater and Silver Dollar City theme park. Spaeny soon abandoned homeschooling to fully commit to her dream of becoming an actor.
Breakthrough in Hollywood
Like many aspiring actors, Spaeny aimed for Hollywood, making frequent trips to California for auditions. After four years of rejection, her perseverance paid off when she landed a role in the 2018 action movie Pacific Rim: Uprising. Despite the film’s mixed reviews, it was a commercial success, grossing over $290 million and giving Spaeny significant exposure. She quickly followed up with roles in Bad Times at the El Royale, On the Basis of Sex, and Vice in the same year.
In 2020, Spaeny starred in The Craft: Legacy, taking on her first leading role. This experience honed her skills and prepared her for her next major project.
Golden Globe Nomination for Priscilla
Cailee Spaeny’s career reached new heights with her portrayal of Priscilla Presley in the 2023 film Priscilla. The role, secured through a recommendation from actress Kirsten Dunst, required Spaeny to depict Priscilla from her teenage years through to her late 20s. The film, based on the book Elvis and Me, explored Priscilla’s relationship with Elvis Presley. Spaeny met with Priscilla herself to gain insights into the role, ensuring an authentic portrayal. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where Spaeny won the prestigious Volpi Cup for Best Actress. Her performance also earned her a Golden Globe nomination.
Recent and Upcoming Projects
Following the success of Priscilla, Spaeny starred in the 2024 thriller Civil War, playing an aspiring war photographer alongside Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons. She will next be seen in Alien: Romulus, set to release in August 2024. Spaeny has also joined the cast of the 2025 sequel Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, where she will work alongside Daniel Craig.
Television Appearances
Spaeny’s television work, though not as extensive as her film roles, includes notable performances. She played Lyndon in the 2020 FX miniseries Devs and appeared as Erin McMenamin in HBO’s crime drama Mare of Easttown in 2021. Her portrayal in Mare of Easttown even caught the attention of Taylor Swift, who praised Spaeny when they met at the 2024 Golden Globes. In 2022, Spaeny took on the role of a young Eleanor Roosevelt in the Showtime miniseries The First Lady.
Personal Life and Interests
In addition to her acting career, Spaeny has recently ventured into modeling, making her debut at Milan Fashion Week in 2023. She has been linked romantically to actor Raymond Cham Jr., although the current status of their relationship is private. Inspired by her co-star Jeff Bridges, Spaeny volunteers with No Kid Hungry, a campaign focused on ending child hunger.
Quotes from Cailee Spaeny
- “I actually feel a sense of relief when I play a character that’s so far from who I am because I think once it starts bleeding into Cailee, it gets a little muddy for me.”
- “No one gave me the easy way out in Springfield, even though people think of it as a smaller town. It was very tough at the Little Theater. You had to be really good and work really hard.”
- “At 14, I was not someone to mess around with. I was very intense. I knew exactly what I wanted, and I was going to do anything to get it.”
- “I never took an acting class growing up, so being on set is like taking an acting class. Except it’s filmed and immortalized forever on screen, and you can’t take it away.”
- “I got really lucky because I started at 18 and I got to just be a fly on the wall watching these greats act, and I got to take all that in. So, I think that now I get to apply that to doing roles like Priscilla, and hopefully that will carry with me.”