Maika Monroe

Maika Monroe was born in Santa Barbara on May 29th 1993.

Maika Monroe initially wanted to pursue a career in professional freestyle kiteboarding. Following in her father’s footsteps, she started the sport at the age of 13. She moved to the Dominican Republic’s north coast of Cabarete in her senior year of high school to train full-time while she completed her studies online. Maika received second place in the International Red Bull Air Competition.

Her first experience of the film industry came when she was plucked from her dance class at the age of 13 to appear in the horror film Bad Blood as an extra. Maika said the experience of being on set was so excititng, she knew it was something she wanted to do. Then in 2011, she sent in an audition tape from her bedroom and got her first major film role as Zac Efron’s girlfriend in the father-son drama At Any Price. Maika remembers that film as providing a real highlight in her career so far. ‘I was 18 and at the Venice Film Festival; it’s so glamourous and the most beautiful place. It was such a magical moment to realise all the work was paying off.’

Growing up she wanted to be a paramedic, she also looked into going to college for graphic design. She was involved in her school plays, she played Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean in fifth grade, and “I loved it”. Maika auditioned for a lead role in Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring, but did not get the part. However she was offered a day on set as an extra for the experience – she of course jumped at the change to be involved.

In April 2012, Maika signed up for the drama film Labor Day, an adaptation of the novel of the same name. She played Mandy, the wife of Josh Brolin’s character who appears in flashbacks throughout the movie. In June 2013, she joined the cast of the psychological thriller film The Guest opposite Downton Abbey star Dan Stevens. The film has become one of the modern cult classics and did a superb portrayal of the “80’s Horror” throwback genre.

In August 2014, she signed on to play Ringer in the alien invasion thriller film The Fifth Wave, based on the novel of the same name. Ringer is the “bad ass girl” in the cast, and stars alongside Chloe Moretz. The film is expected to be the first in a trilogy and hopefully reach the similar success of The Hunger Games and Divergent.

In 2015 she played Jay in the psycho thriller film It Follows. Fans named her the new “Scream Queen” and the film was very well received, with reviewers saying “tender, ingenious and scalp-prickingly scary” and “a first-rate horror movie”.

Next up for Maika, she stars with Jennifer Garner and Tye Sheridan in The Tribes of Palos Verdes. The plot follows Maikas character, Medina, cope with tragedy by surfing her way to happiness and is based in Palos Verdes. The film is set for 2016 release.

Maika was recently named one of Variety Magazine's 10 Actors to Watch for 2015.