Where You've Seen Cailee Spaeny Before

Where You’ve Seen Cailee Spaeny Before

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re discussing where you’ve seen actress Cailee Spaeny before.

Spaeny Uprising

Cailee Spaeny is no stranger to large ensembles. Born in 1998, she was the seventh in a family that’s since grown to nine children. Brought up in Springfield, Missouri, Spaeny performed at the Silver Dollar City amusement park, joined a cover band called NRG, and acted in a local youth theater. During the theatre’s 2014-15 season, she played Dorothy Gale in “The Wizard of Oz,” a role she rotated with Rachel Haik. Spaeny has cited “The Wizard of Oz” as one of her favorite movies, dressing as Dorothy three times for Halloween. Her grandparents were also from Kansas. Spaeny identified with Dorothy’s desire to leave her simple home and pursue greater heights over the rainbow. Rather than wait for a tornado, she took the initiative, asking her mother to drive her to Los Angeles.

Dropping out of school, it wasn’t long until Spaeny found an agent and manager, but work didn’t immediately come. Over the next few years, she traveled back and forth between Missouri and L.A., going on auditions. She made her screen debut in “Counting to 1000,” a 2016 student short from Missouri State University. Waiting for her big break could feel like counting to 1000 (and then some). When Spaeny was 17, she booked her first major role as Amara Namani in “Pacific Rim Uprising.” Suddenly, Spaeny went from the humblest of roots to starring alongside John Boyega in a multi-million dollar production. While “Pacific Rim Uprising” wasn’t the biggest critical or financial hit, the cast was generally praised with Spaeny being singled out.

After “Pacific Rim Uprising,” Spaeny landed four more gigs in a week. By the end of 2018, she appeared in three additional films, playing Dakota Johnson’s rebellious sister in “Bad Times at the El Royale,” Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s daughter Jane in “On the Basis of Sex,” and a young Lynne Cheney in “Vice.” She went on to appear in other films like “The Craft: Legacy” and “How It Ends.” Spaeny dominated the small screen as well, popping up as Erin McMenamin in “Mare of Easttown” and Anna Eleanor Roosevelt in “The First Lady.” The miniseries “Devs” was an especially significant turning point for Spaeny, marking her first collaboration with creator Alex Garland. Garland kept Spaeny in mind while casting his dystopian thriller, “Civil War.”

She starred as Jessie Cullen, an ambitious young photojournalist who, like Spaeny, is originally from Missouri. Jessie becomes the protege of a senior photojournalist named Lee Grant, played by Kirsten Dunst. Mirroring their characters, Spaeny had always looked up to Dunst, seeing “Spider-Man” in theaters, wearing out the “Jumanji” VHS as a kid, and deciding to become an actress after seeing “The Virgin Suicides.” Sofia Coppola directed Dunst in the latter film, forming a long working relationship. Around the same time “Civil War” began production, Coppola was developing an adaptation of Priscilla Presley’s memoir.

Funnily, Spaeny previously auditioned for Coppola’s unproduced “Little Mermaid” movie and her 2017 film, “The Beguiled.” She also read for Francis Ford Coppola’s longtime passion project, “Megalopolis.” Although Spaeny didn’t get any of these roles, she left an impression on Coppola. So much so that Spaeny didn’t have to audition for Coppola’s “Priscilla” biopic. Dunst vouched for Spaeny, who met up with Coppola for coffee in New York. At the time, Spaeny didn’t realize what the meeting was about. She got an idea of where things were headed when Coppola pulled out her iPad, showing her a photo of Priscilla. On the last day of shooting “Civil War,” Spaeny was officially cast as Priscilla Presley. The news brought tears of joy to Dunst’s eyes.

Becoming Priscilla

In addition to Dunst, Spaeny shares a fair deal in common with Priscilla Presley. Granted, Spaeny didn’t marry an older rock star as a teenager. Like Priscilla Presley, though, it was clear from a young age that Spaeny was destined for a life beyond her hometown. Priscilla moved from West Germany to live with Elvis in Memphis when she was 17, the same age Spaeny was when she got cast in “Pacific Rim Uprising.” All eyes were now on Spaeny, just as Priscilla became an overnight celebrity. Priscilla left Elvis when she was 26, forging her own path. Likewise, Spaeny was now in her mid-twenties and coming into her own as an actress. After several supporting performances, Spaeny took center stage in “Priscilla.”

Despite these similarities, “Priscilla” would be a transformative experience for Spaeny. Outside of the hair, makeup, and wardrobe, Spaeny strived to embody Priscilla. Spaeny did so by looking at photos, watching home movies, and soaking up any interviews she came across. An old audio recording was particularly helpful, listening to it on repeat. While “Priscilla” would be tonally different from the “Naked Gun” movies, Presley’s performance as Jane Spencer was also essential viewing. It didn’t hurt that the real Priscilla Presley was an executive producer on the biopic, giving Spaeny advice. Perhaps the biggest challenge was portraying Priscilla from age 14 to her late 20s. This is what drew Coppola to Spaeny, believing she could convincingly evolve before the audience’s eyes.

Although “Priscilla” was filmed out of order throughout an intense 30-day shoot, Spaeny never missed a beat in the titular role. “Priscilla” premiered at the 2023 Venice International Film Festival where Spaeny was awarded the Volpi Cup for Best Actress. Spaeny’s performance earned several other notices throughout awards season, most notably a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. Some critics felt Spaeny deserved an Oscar nomination as well, but “Priscilla” had put her on the map with more opportunities coming.

From “Over the Rainbow” to Rain Carradine

Only a few months after “Priscilla,” “Civil War” hit theaters, becoming a surprise sleeper hit. Spaeny’s most high-profile project yet came later that year when she played Rain Carradine in “Alien: Romulus.” Spaeny once said she’d like to play the first victim in a horror movie. “Romulus” returned to the “Alien” franchise’s horror roots, but Rain is more of a survivor in the spirit of Ellen Ripley. While Spaeny studied Sigourney Weaver’s performance for inspiration, she was careful not to turn Rain into an Ellen Ripley clone, creating an action heroine for another generation. Spaeny took a year off after finishing “Romulus,” although she’d get back to work soon enough.

From biopics to blockbusters, Spaeny has exemplified a vast range before even turning 30. She’ll continue to branch out in upcoming projects like “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” and the second season of Netflix’s “Beef.” While a follow-up to “Romulus” hasn’t been announced, director Fede Álvarez has some ideas. Given her theater background, we’re eager for Hollywood to finally cast Spaeny in a movie musical. Wherever the Yellow Brick Road takes her going forward, we can tell that Spaeny has only scratched the surface of the rainbow.

What role introduced you to Cailee Spaeny? Let us know in the comments.