Stardom is following her! It Follows star Maika Monroe is quickly making a name for herself, spooking audiences worldwide with her leading role in the talked-about horror flick.
Us Weekly caught up with Monroe exclusively as more and more fans prepare to be frightened by the terrifying supernatural story. The gorgeous actress, 21, dished to Us about her newly minted title of “Scream Queen” and just why she dismisses it. Below, five things you need to know about the rising star!
1. She Is Not A Scream Queen
Following in the great tradition of Jamie Lee Curtis and Neve Campbell, Monroe has booked parts in multiple horror movies, giving her the classic title of “Scream Queen,” but it’s not one she identifies with.
“I mean, I do like the genre but that was not planned at all,” explained Monroe, who booked her part in It Follows after previously starring in the 2014 thriller The Guest. “I joined The Guest because I loved the script and I love who was involved with it… I’m not really thinking, ‘Oh, it’s two horror movies. I can’t do that.’ There are two characters I really want to play. And people I really want to work with.”
“I think that people will realize in the coming years I’m probably not going to be that,” she added to Us of the Scream Queen label. “These are probably the two horror movies I’ll do, but then again I can’t say never — because I could get another amazing genre movie tomorrow and I’m like, ‘I’m in!’ So the projects I have coming up have nothing to do with horror. They’re really quite different.”
2. There Are Movies That Are Even Too Scary For Her
Monroe may have scared the pants off of It Follows viewers, but she’s been on other side of the scare as well.
“I’d be better with it now, but Nightmare on Elm Street scared the crap out of me,” the newcomer revealed to Us of the 1984 Freddy Krueger original, adding that she saw the movie as a kid and struggled with it. “At the time, probably, I couldn’t sleep! Because I knew in my dreams, I was going to be killed!”
3. She Is Working With Hollywood Heavyweights
With only five completed films to her name, Monroe has already worked with the likes of Zac Efron, Dennis Quaid, Heather Graham, Emma Watson, Kate Winslet, and Josh Brolin.
“I was super nervous,” she told Us of working with Efron on 2012’s At Any Price. “Walking in, you’re thinking Zac is a massive star and you know he’s probably going to be even kind of cocky and just because he’s done this a million times. And I’m totally brand new and I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. But both Dennis [Quaid] and Zac are the coolest and chilliest people… I don’t think it could have been a better first experience.”
4. She’s A Badass Kiteboarder
A talented kiteboarder, Monroe is putting her skills to good use with the upcoming filming of The Tribes of Palos Verdes. She is working with Jennifer Garner and Tye Sheridan on the 2016 drama about a California beach community.
“I’m so excited,” Monroe told Us of the film, which will utilize her water sports background as she plays a young woman who uses surfing to get away from the drama of her life. “I grew up kiteboarding. My dad taught me. I was living in the Dominican Republic for seven months training to be a professional kite boarder until I booked at an audition tape in my Dominican hotel room. I was on a completely different path.”
“But with this movie, Tribes, it’s about a kid in a dysfunctional family and she turns to surfing and starts teaching herself how to surf and escape,” Monroe continued. “And so kite boarding, for me, was an escape, a place to get away from everything. You’re not thinking about anything else when you’re in the water. The project’s very close to me so I’m just so excited.”
5. She Made Her Debut Just Three Years Ago
While she’s booking talked-about roles and seeing her name in lights, Monroe first appeared on the big screen just three years ago. Her first feature film credit was for At Any Price, and she went on to nab a small part in 2013’s The Bling Ring opposite Watson and other established stars. Her filmography also includes 2013’s Labor Day (starring Winslet and Brolin) and an upcoming part in the 2016 movie The 5th Wave.
“[It’s] amazing,” Monroe told Us of her next projects. “I can’t wait.”
