Eliza Scanlen
{{Short description|Australian actress (born 1999)}}
{{pp-protected|small=yes}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Eliza Scanlen
| image = Eliza Scanlen.jpg
| caption = Scanlen in 2019
| birth_name = Eliza Jane Scanlen
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1999|1|6}}
| birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| occupation = Actress
| years_active = 2015–present
}}
Eliza Jane Scanlen (born 6 January 1999) is an Australian actress. She rose to prominence portraying Tabitha Ford in the Australian soap opera Home and Away (2016), before receiving critical acclaim for playing a troubled teenager in the HBO miniseries Sharp Objects (2018) and the BBC series Dope Girls (2025).
Scanlen expanded to films in 2019 with her roles in the drama Babyteeth and Greta Gerwig's period drama Little Women. She has since portrayed a young Eleanor Roosevelt in the Showtime series The First Lady (2022) and starred in the mystery film Caddo Lake (2024).
Early life
Scanlen was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and has a fraternal twin sister named Annabel.{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Krista |title=Sharp Objects Star Eliza Scanlen Holds Her Own Opposite Her Childhood Idol |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/07/sharp-objects-star-eliza-scanlen-holds-her-own-opposite-amy-adams |access-date=30 August 2018 |work=Vanity Fair |date=August 2018 |archive-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929182621/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/07/sharp-objects-star-eliza-scanlen-holds-her-own-opposite-amy-adams/ |url-status=live }} She learned the piano when she was about seven years old, but stopped playing when she was 13 years old. In preparation for her role as Beth March in the 2019 film adaptation of Little Women, she started practicing the piano again.{{cite magazine |last1=Robinson |first1=Joanna |title=Sharp Objects Star Eliza Scanlen on Working with Greta Gerwig for Little Women |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/08/sharp-objects-finale-who-plays-amma-eliza-scanlen-little-women |access-date=30 August 2018 |magazine=Vanity Fair |date=26 August 2018}}
Career
While in high school, Scanlen was cast in the recurring role of Tabitha Ford on television soap opera Home and Away.{{cite news |url=https://thewest.com.au/entertainment/tv/from-home-and-away-to-hollywood-eliza-scanlen-sharpens-her-talent-ng-b88883940z |title=From Home and Away to Hollywood, Eliza Scanlen sharpens her talent |last=Clayton |first=Cy |date=4 July 2018 |work=The West Australian |access-date=19 March 2019 |archive-date=20 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720214131/https://thewest.com.au/entertainment/tv/from-home-and-away-to-hollywood-eliza-scanlen-sharpens-her-talent-ng-b88883940z |url-status=live }} Scanlen starred as the titular character in the 2018 short film Grace. She then achieved recognition for her portrayal of Amma Crellin in the HBO psychological thriller miniseries Sharp Objects, in which she stars alongside Amy Adams.
Scanlen made her professional theatre debut in Sydney Theatre Company's 2019 production of Lord of the Flies, directed by Kip Williams. She played the role of Eric for the play's run.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/jul/23/reinventing-lord-of-the-flies-chaos-cruelty-and-not-an-alpha-male-in-sight |website=The Guardian |date=23 July 2019 |title=Reinventing Lord of the Flies: chaos, cruelty and not an alpha male in sight |last=Dow |first=Steve |access-date=6 January 2020 |archive-date=2 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200602095502/https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/jul/23/reinventing-lord-of-the-flies-chaos-cruelty-and-not-an-alpha-male-in-sight |url-status=live }} She made her feature film debut as Milla Finlay in Shannon Murphy's Babyteeth, which premiered in competition at Venice Film Festival.{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/babyteeth-eliza-scanlen-ifc-north-america-1203371280/ |title=Eliza Scanlen Drama 'Babyteeth' Lands at IFC for North America (EXCLUSIVE) |date=15 October 2019 |website=Variety |last=McNary |first=Dave}} In 2019, she portrayed Beth March in Greta Gerwig's adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel Little Women, co-starring alongside Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, and Meryl Streep.{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/eliza-scanlen-little-women-movie-sharp-objects-interview-a9258176.html |title=Eliza Scanlen: 'I'm tired of making excuses for young male actors – everyone should know what it means to be professional' |website=The Independent |date=29 December 2019 |last=Harrison |first=Ellie |access-date=6 January 2020 |archive-date=12 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212170716/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/eliza-scanlen-little-women-movie-sharp-objects-interview-a9258176.html |url-status=live }} The film received six Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture), and grossed $218 million at the box office.{{Cite web |last=Grady |first=Constance |date=13 January 2020 |title=In 2020, Little Women has a men problem. But it used to be seen as a story for everyone. |url=https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/culture/2020/1/13/21059063/oscars-2020-little-women-best-picture-best-director-men-problem-greta-gerwig |access-date=30 January 2023 |website=Vox |language=en |archive-date=31 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131002149/https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/culture/2020/1/13/21059063/oscars-2020-little-women-best-picture-best-director-men-problem-greta-gerwig |url-status=live }}{{Cite The Numbers |id=Little-Women-(2019) |title=Little Women (2019)|access-date = 30 January 2023|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200103160326/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Little-Women-(2019)|archive-date = 3 January 2020|url-status = live}}
In 2020, Scanlen portrayed Lenora in Antonio Campos' thriller The Devil All the Time, based on Donald Ray Pollock's book. In the same year she made her directional debut with the Australian short film Mukbang which received much controversy, she also wrote the screen play.{{Cite web |last=Quinn |first=Karl |date=2020-07-08 |title=Mukbang film controversy: 'Thin line between appropriation and homage' |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/mukbang-film-controversy-thin-line-between-appropriation-and-homage-20200708-p55a85.html |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}} In 2021, Scanlen co-starred in M. Night Shyamalan's thriller Old, which was released on 23 July.{{Cite web |last=Hipes |first=Patrick |date=23 June 2020 |title=M. Night Shyamalan Thriller Gets 2021 Release Date |url=https://deadline.com/2020/06/m-night-shyamalan-movie-release-date-2021-1202967664/ |access-date=24 June 2020 |website=Deadline |language=en |archive-date=10 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910114834/https://deadline.com/2020/06/m-night-shyamalan-movie-release-date-2021-1202967664/ |url-status=live }}
In 2023, Scanlen had the lead role of Jem Starling in Laurel Parmet's directorial debut The Starling Girl. She received critical acclaim for her performance, with Ben Travers of IndieWire writing: "It helps that Scanlen's performance refuses to let this movie feel trite."{{Cite web |last=Travers |first=Ben |date=21 January 2023 |title='The Starling Girl' Review: Eliza Scanlen Shines as a Christian Teen Who Sins with Her Sexy Pastor |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2023/01/the-starling-girl-review-1234802276/ |access-date=30 January 2023 |website=IndieWire |language=en |archive-date=30 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130075312/https://www.indiewire.com/2023/01/the-starling-girl-review-1234802276/ |url-status=live }} Jason Bailey for The Playlist wrote: "Scanlen's work here is just as good, just as steeped in the feeling of a real-life being lived right in front of you."{{Cite web |last=Bailey |first=Jason |date=21 January 2023 |title='The Starling Girl' Review: Eliza Scanlen Shines in This Deeply Felt Coming-Of-Age Drama [Sundance] |url=https://theplaylist.net/the-starling-girl-review-eliza-scanlen-shines-in-this-deeply-felt-coming-of-age-drama-sundance-20230121/ |access-date=30 January 2023 |website=The Playlist |language=en |archive-date=31 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131002204/https://theplaylist.net/the-starling-girl-review-eliza-scanlen-shines-in-this-deeply-felt-coming-of-age-drama-sundance-20230121/ |url-status=live }}
In 2024, Scanlen played Cecily Cardew in the National Theatre's acclaimed revival of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, starring alongside Ncuti Gatwa, Hugh Skinner, Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo, and Sharon D. Clarke.
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| rowspan=2 |2019
| Milla Finlay | |
| Little Women
| Elizabeth "Beth" March | |
| 2020
| Lenora Laferty | |
| 2021
|Old |Kara (15 years old) | |
| 2023
| Jem Starling | |
| 2024
|Ellie |{{cite web|first=Matt|last=Grobar|title=Max Unveils Premiere Date, Teaser For Thriller 'Caddo Lake' Produced By M. Night Shyamalan |website=Deadline Hollywood|date=September 5, 2024|access-date=October 13, 2024|url=https://deadline.com/2024/09/caddo-lake-m-night-shyamalan-thriller-sets-premiere-date-max-1236079353/}} |
{{pending films key}}
= Short =
| class="wikitable"
|+ |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" | Director ! scope="col" | Writer ! scope="col" | {{Abbr|Ref|Reference(s)}} |
|---|
| 2018
|Grace |Grace |{{n}} |{{n}} |
| 2020
|Mukbang | - |{{y}} |{{y}} |{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}} |
| 2022
|How Can I Help You | - |{{y}} |{{y}} |{{cite web| url=https://www.sff.org.au/program/browse/how-can-i-help-you| title=How Can I Help You| access-date=May 29, 2023| website=Sydney Film Festival| archive-date=29 May 2023| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529234157/https://www.sff.org.au/program/browse/how-can-i-help-you| url-status=live}} |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2016
|Recurring role |
| 2018
|Amma Crellin |Main cast, miniseries |
| 2021
|Tash |Main cast, miniseries |
| 2022
| Eleanor Roosevelt (young) |
| 2025
|Violet Davies |9 episodes |
=Theatre=
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| rowspan=2 |2019
|William Golding's Lord of the Flies | Eric |
| To Kill a Mockingbird
| Mayella Ewell |
| 2024
|The Importance of Being Earnest |Cecily Cardew |Royal National Theatre{{cite web |url=https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/the-importance-of-being-earnest/ |title=The Importance of Being Earnest |website=National Theater |access-date=October 13, 2024}} |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|7340546}}
{{AACTA Award Best Actress in a Leading Role}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scanlen, Eliza}}
Category:21st-century Australian actresses
Category:Best Actress AACTA Award winners
Category:Australian expatriate actresses in the United States
Category:Actresses from Sydney
Category:Australian film actresses
Category:Australian television actresses