Cailee Spaeny
Cailee Spaeny | |
---|---|
Born | 1997 or 1998 (age 25–26) Springfield, Missouri, U.S. |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 2014–present |
Cailee Spaeny (/ˈkeɪli ˈspeɪni/; born c. 1997/1998) is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Priscilla Presley in the biopic Priscilla (2023), which earned her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress in addition to a nomination for a Golden Globe Award.
Spaeny's first major role was in the science fiction film Pacific Rim Uprising (2018), which was followed by appearances in Bad Times at the El Royale, On the Basis of Sex, and Vice in the same year. She had supporting roles in the miniseries Devs (2020) and Mare of Easttown (2021), and a starring role in the fantasy film The Craft: Legacy (2020).
Early life and education
Spaeny was born in Tennessee, but raised in Springfield, Missouri. Growing up, she spent a large amount of time in the Springfield Little Theatre group, with which she participated in many plays. In the 2014–2015 season, she landed the lead role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.
Career
Her debut film role was as Erica in the 2016 short film Counting to 1000. In 2018, she 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.
Spaeny will next star in the science fiction film Alien: Romulus and the action film Civil War.
Filmography
Film
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 | Lily Schechner | |
2021 | How It Ends | Little Liza | |
2022 | Unlimited World | Lars | Short film |
2023 | Priscilla | Priscilla Presley | |
2024 | Civil War | TBA | Post-production |
Alien: Romulus | TBA | Post-production |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | Devs | Lyndon | Miniseries |
2021 | Mare of Easttown | Erin McMenamin | Miniseries |
2022 | The First Lady | Anna Roosevelt Halsted | Recurring role |
Music videos
Year | Band | Song | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2019 | The All-American Rejects | "Send Her to Heaven" |
Awards and nominations
Award | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Golden Globe Awards | 2024 | Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | Priscilla | Nominated | |
Gotham Awards | 2023 | Outstanding Lead Performance | Nominated | ||
London Critics Circle Film Awards | 2024 | Breakthrough Performer of the Year | Nominated | ||
Satellite Awards | 2024 | Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical | Nominated | ||
Venice International Film Festival | 2023 | Volpi Cup for Best Actress | Won |