Grace Van Dien is horror’s new darling

“Even before Stranger Things, people cast me as this person who cries and screams a lot,” Grace Van Dien laughs. “Which is not too far off from me, I guess.” Despite this lighthearted bout of self-deprecation, Van Dien is soothingly soft-spoken — especially for an actor skilled at an on-command, ear- splitting shriek. The film and television star delivers her convictions in delicate cadence, her way of speaking humbly disarming the cutting truth in her words. A “typical Libra”, becoming the poster child of onscreen hysterics could not have been easy. Her roles in the upcoming horror, The Swallow, and other titles like The Fix mark a clear distinction from her star sign’s natural pull towards diplomacy and balance. “When I initially got into acting, I was a big romantic,” she sighs. “But I fell into horror and I found my place here.”

It wasn’t only the genre Van Dien chanced upon, though — acting was never actually in the plan. “I wanted to be a writer or a psychologist growing up,” the 29-year-old recalls. “Acting really fell into my lap.” Her formative years did, however, weigh in on the type of roles Van Dien would later be drawn to. “I had a very troubled upbringing,” she admits. “I find that the roles I take on reflect that a lot of the time.” Ultimately, the actor has found her work to be a form of catharsis. “When I say that acting is like therapy for me,” she says, “I get to act out many emotions that have built inside of me over the course of my life.” And with decades of these pent-up feelings inside her, it appears the actor will be using her craft to mine them for the foreseeable future. “Until those feelings are completely bled out of me, I’ll continue to do darker roles,” she confirms. “Maybe I can do romcoms after that.” For now, though, Van Dien is “exorcising my demons”.

Van Dien’s tumultuous upbringing did, however, come with the privilege of industry exposure. Her father, Casper van Dien, was an on-screen heartthrob throughout his career, starring in numerous fantastical films like Sleepy Hollow and Starship Troopers. In a Hollywood take on ‘bring your kid to work’ day, he invited his daughter to peek behind the curtain. “When I was growing up, I’d always visit him on set,” Van Dien recalls “Growing up around Hollywood, the idea of ‘set’ was always really fascinating to me. I loved dipping into different worlds and seeing how people could create entirely new universes.” Despite her invitation into the supernatural realms her father inhabited, Van Dien had “no interest in following in his footsteps”. The actor is — proudly and firmly — a self-proclaimed homebody, preferring a good read to a red carpet, and viewing fame as a necessary, but undesired, byproduct of her craft. “I get nervous when people approach me,” Van Dien admits. “So fame never interested me. The actual job I’m very connected to, so I have to contend with that attention.”

“ Acting shows different colours of who I am.”

Of course, attention has not always been an issue. When breaking out, Van Dien took to filming commercials to pay the bills after leaving her family home aged 18. But, as she ascended the industry ladder onto increasingly prolific sets, she secured one her most recognised and beloved — albeit short-lived — roles. As Chrissy Cunningham in the record-breaking Netflix series, Stranger Things, Van Dien was given her first opportunity to battle her “demons” in a more literal and visceral way than she’d ever expected. In the show, Van Dien’s perky, popular Cunningham — the typical cheerleading type — is instead rendered empathetic through Van Dien’s lens, as she expertly masks the deep-seated struggles beneath Cunningham’s megawatt grin. It wasn’t just the character that left an impression on Van Dien, though. “Obviously, my time was short,” the actor says, “but it was a surreal, warm experience. I think [the cast are] all brilliant, kind people. I’m excited to see what they go on to do.”

I ask Van Dien how she maintains this optimism amid all the dark portrayals demanded of her. In almost theatrical timing, Van Dien’s dog begins to whimper for her attention, just out of view. The actor turns to the Shetland Sheepdog, softening her already mellifluous lilt as she switches to her ‘dog mum’ voice. Support from fur-coated family members is certainly a good place to begin to ground oneself, I think. “I definitely lose my mind in this profession,” Van Dien huffs when she faces back towards the camera. “They call it a ‘midlife crisis’, but I think you can have many, many crises throughout your life.” In a bid to avoid them — off the clock, anyway — Van Dien refuses to wallow in anything she deems soul-sucking. Rather, she stays true to her introverted nature and indulges in the simple things. “I have a good group of friends,” she smiles. “I love reading. [And] I’m the type of person to get lost in art a lot, so I’ll indulge in that to escape.” Not included in Van Dien’s ideal day off? A doomscroll. “I’ve been off social media quite a bit lately,” she asserts. “I don’t like being perceived.” The actor laughs. “Growing up writing and acting, you have the things you create being perceived, which is fine. But now, with social media, people will try to perceive you as a person rather than your art. I don’t like it.” The actor points out that this is a particular issue when you’re known for playing a villain. “I know actors who are afraid to take negative roles now because people tie you into your character so much,” she laments.

“I’m exorcising my demons.”

If she wanted, Van Dien could counteract these vilifying assumptions by documenting her real life on social media. But she doesn’t see the point. Instead of plastering her personal affairs on an Explore Page, the actor lets her resume speak for itself. “I feel acting shows different colours of who I am,” she says. The rest? That remains private. “No one truly understands who someone is until you know them personally,” she insists. “It’s so interesting because, growing up, I had Tumblr. People found that as a way to connect and learn about you. It didn’t matter what you looked like or where you were from, you could bond with someone based on similar interests and aesthetics.” Where the internet once served as a refuge for Van Dien and her contemporaries, recent years have seen it become a hazard zone for anyone in the public eye. “Now, it’s completely changed,” she says. “People want to find new ways to tear you down instead of lift you up. They do it with everything — career, personal life…”

As horror’s new lead of choice — perhaps due to her doe-eyed gaze being the perfect vessel to convey raw terror — Van Dien doesn’t concern herself with negative comments. She has planes to catch. “I leave in two days to film in Mumbai for a new horror movie,” she discloses. “I have several horror movies upcoming. I’ve really committed to this genre — save for Spring Breakers.” Here, Van Dien refers to the iconic role she’s scored as a star of the upcoming Spring Breakers sequel. The first, premiering in 2012, presented an ensemble of notable millennials — Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens to name a couple — who metamorphosed from former child stars into an era of adult themes through the film. The franchise’s refresh is no different. Van Dien joins a group of Gen-Z royalty, taking a debauched joyride alongside True Whitaker, Bella Thorne and Ariel Martin. While the film, though technicolour in its grit, marks a departure from Van Dien’s darkest roles, she confirms: “I stay in theme with my characters that have secrets.”

When I ask if there is a role she is proudest to have played, Van Dien’s answer is quick and ecstatic. “I did a movie called Silver Star, coming to theaters in March!” she effuses. “I play this obnoxious, talkative pregnant woman on the run. I’ve never felt more free or given more grace to be loud and say whatever I wanted.” Now an expert at limboing between horror storylines, Van Dien is used to discord between screen and reality. It’s that very tension that renders the actor so compelling. She chameleons onscreen, camouflaging in her character, but remaining tethered to her own soul. In Silver Star, this skill manifests as a polarising performance certain to make you feel something. “It was a unique experience filming that,” she says. “People walk away from that movie either loving or hating me, but no one feels neutral. I think that’s amazing.”

“There’s a light at the end of the dark, scary tunnel full of monsters.”

And when invoking emotional catharsis can’t be achieved through her acting alone? Van Dien is called back to the pen. “If something happens in my life, oftentimes it will trigger a story,” she begins. “I’ll sit for days on end writing. I have two fully finished scripts and three more on the way.” Perhaps the truest expression of her inner demons, Van Dien admits that her own writing harbours something darker than even she would be willing to act in. “One [script] is certainly character-driven and incredibly dark,” she blushes. “I do not want to act in it at all. It’s too much emotional work for me. I’ll let someone else do that one.”

Finally, preparing to say our goodbyes, Van Dien reflects back on our conversation. “I may have erred too far on the sad side regarding our parasocial world,” she says regretfully. “That’s a common discourse and feeling today. But, I have been feeling more hope lately, for society.” Despite the moments of cynicism throughout our conversation, Van Dien rounds things off with a decidedly buoyant tone. “Everyone is collectively tiring of the narrative we as a species have created,” she affirms. “It’s changing. I would like to end on a hopeful note.” She giggles in concluding: “There’s a light at the end of the dark, scary tunnel full of monsters.”