Maika Monroe (born Dillon Monroe Buckley; born May 29, 1993) is an American actress and professional kiteboarder. She had her breakthrough headlining the horror film It Follows (2014), which won her several accolades, including an Empire Award nomination. She is recognized for her work in the horror genre, particularly for starring in the thriller The Guest (2014), the sci-fi thriller Tau (2018), and the psychological thrillers Greta (2018) and Watcher (2022).
Early life[]
Monroe was born Dillon Monroe Buckley on May 29, 1993, in Santa Barbara, California. Her mother was a sign language interpreter and her father was a construction worker. She later changed her first name to Maika, by which she had already been known for most of her life. At the age of 17, Monroe left Santa Barbara and moved to Cabarete in the Dominican Republic to continue training in kiteboarding after spending the previous summer there. She subsequently completed her senior year of high school online.
Film career[]
Monroe made her film acting debut with the drama film At Any Price (2012). Aside from her work in horror, she has also had roles in the drama film Labor Day (2013), the action film Independence Day: Resurgence (2016), the neo-noir coming-of-age film Hot Summer Nights (2017), the comedy-drama film After Everything (2018) and the black comedy film Villains (2019). She then starred as a leading role in Justice for the End of the World (2026) and its sequels: Blood Moon: Justice for the World (2030), War for Justice Across Worlds (2032) and Survival of the Justice for the World (2033).
Selected filmography[]
- Disclaimer: Due to her long filmography, this section will focus specifically on select roles that is well-known only. For the full list, click here.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | At Any Price | Cadence Farrow | |
| 2014 | The Guest | Anna Peterson | |
| It Follows | Jaimie "Jay" Height | ||
| 2015 | Echoes of War | Abigail Riley | |
| 2016 | The 5th Wave | Ringer | Short Film |
| Independence Day: Resurgence | Patricia Whitmore | First of 6 collaborations with Roland Emmerich | |
| 2017 | Hot Summer Nights | McKayla Strawberry | |
| 2018 | After Everything | Mia | |
| Tau | Julia | ||
| Greta | Erica Penn | ||
| 2019 | Villains | Jules | |
| 2020 | Brothers by Blood | Grace | |
| Flashback | Cindy Williams | ||
| 2022 | Watcher | Julia | |
| Significant Other | Ruth Miller | Also executive producer | |
| 2023 | God Is a Bullet | Case Hardin | |
| 2024 | Longlegs | Lee Harker | |
| 2026 | Justice for the End of the World | Patricia Peterson | |
| 2027 | Dragon Wars | Sarah Brooks | |
| 2030 | Blood Moon: Justice for the World | Patricia Peterson | |
| 2032 | War for Justice Across Worlds | ||
| 2033 | Survival of the Justice for the World | ||
| 2034 | Dragon Wars: The Way of the Dragon | Sarah Brooks | |
| 2036 | The Iron Giant | Annie Hughes | |
| Justice for the World: Brothers in Arms | Patricia Peterson | Uncredited cameo | |
| 2038 | Gotengo: The Undersea Warship | Anna O'Brien |
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