Maika Monroe Bio
Maika Monroe (born Dillon Monroe Buckley; May 29, 1993) is an American actress who has built a reputation for compelling performances in horror and thriller films. She first gained widespread recognition for her starring roles in The Guest and It Follows, both released in 2014. These dual breakthrough performances established Monroe as a modern scream queen in contemporary American cinema. Her career has continued to flourish with notable roles in films such as Greta (2018), Watcher (2022), and Longlegs (2024), while also expanding into action and dramatic genres.
Early Life and Background
Maika Monroe was born Dillon Monroe Buckley on May 29, 1993, in Santa Barbara, California. Her mother worked as a sign language interpreter, and her father was employed in construction. From an early age, Monroe developed a passion for athletics, particularly kiteboarding, which would later become an important part of her identity outside of acting.
At age 17, Monroe made a significant life decision to leave Santa Barbara and relocate to Cabarete, Dominican Republic. Her move was driven by her dedication to kiteboarding, as she had spent the previous summer training there and wanted to continue developing her skills in the sport. During this time, she completed her senior year of high school through online coursework, allowing her to balance her athletic pursuits with her education.
Path to Actress
Before embarking on her acting career, Maika Monroe established herself as a professional kiteboarder. As of 2015, she held credentials as a competitive kiteboarder, showcasing her athletic abilities in a demanding water sport. This background in athletics would later serve her well in action-oriented film roles that required physical intensity and stunts.
Monroe made her acting debut with a small role on the television drama series Eleventh Hour. This initial exposure to screen acting sparked her interest in pursuing performance as a career. Three years after her television debut, she made her transition to film with a role in the 2012 drama At Any Price, playing the character Cadence Farrow. This opportunity required her to relocate to Los Angeles, and she has cited this role as the catalyst that encouraged her to continue pursuing acting professionally.
Maika Monroe Career
Early Career (2012–2013)
In 2013, Maika Monroe expanded her filmography with supporting roles in two notable productions. She appeared in Sofia Coppola’s crime film The Bling Ring, portraying a minor character in the dramatization of the real-life group that burgled celebrity homes. She also starred as Mandy in the drama film Labor Day, playing a farm girl who enters into a romance with a young man and eventually becomes his wife and the mother of his child. Labor Day was an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates.
Breakthrough (2014)
2014 proved to be the pivotal year that transformed Maika Monroe’s career. She delivered two standout performances that would define her early success. In the psychological thriller The Guest, she played Anna Peterson, contributing to a film that garnered a dedicated cult following. Simultaneously, she headlined the horror film It Follows as Jamie “Jay” Height, a role that would become her most iconic to date.
It Follows premiered at the 67th Cannes Film Festival and quickly established Monroe as a scream queen in the horror genre. The film received critical acclaim for its innovative approach to supernatural horror. Entertainment Weekly critic Chris Nashawaty specifically praised Monroe’s performance, noting her “moody teenage authenticity” as a key strength of the film. Both The Guest and It Follows developed cult followings, with It Follows consistently ranking among the best horror films of the 2010s.
Notable Works and Milestones
Following her breakthrough, Maika Monroe demonstrated range by appearing across multiple genres. In 2015, she appeared in the Western film Echoes of War. In 2016, she starred in The 5th Wave, an adaptation of the bestselling novel of the same name, and also appeared in the science fiction sequel Independence Day: Resurgence, playing former First Daughter Patricia Whitmore. This role marked her entry into big-budget studio productions.
The year 2017 saw Monroe starring alongside Timothée Chalamet in the neo-noir coming-of-age film Hot Summer Nights, where she portrayed the character McKayla. She continued to take on diverse roles, including appearances in Honey Boy (2019) as Sandra and the Canadian mystery thriller Flashback (2020) as Cindy Williams. In 2018, she starred in the thriller Greta, further solidifying her reputation in the genre.
Monroe returned to the horror genre in 2022 with Watcher, playing Julia in the psychological thriller that served as the directorial debut of Chloe Okuno. In 2023, she portrayed Case in God Is a Bullet, an adaptation of the 1999 novel of the same name. Her most significant role came in 2024 when she was cast as Lee Harker in the horror film Longlegs alongside Nicolas Cage. Monroe described the role as “incredibly impactful” and unlike anything she had previously undertaken, noting that Lee was “so incredibly different from who I am and how I move through life.” She praised Cage as “the best” and “such a genuine human.” Longlegs became the highest-grossing independent feature of 2024.
Upcoming Projects
Maika Monroe continues to have an active career with several projects in various stages of development. She has been confirmed to star in the sequel to It Follows, titled They Follow, which will be distributed by Neon. In 2025, she starred in the historical fantasy romance film 100 Nights of Hero, directed by Julia Jackman and distributed by A24. That same year, she played Ava Bly in In Cold Light (2025). In February 2026, Monroe starred in Evil Has Always Had a Name, a live-action trailer and short film directed by Rich Lee and Franciska Friede to promote the video game Resident Evil Requiem. Additionally, in March 2026, she starred in the film adaptation of Coleen Hoover’s novel Reminders of Him.
Personal Life
Maika Monroe was in a relationship with actor Joe Keery from 2017 to 2022. Since 2023, she has been dating real-estate agent Dalton Gomez. Monroe maintains a presence in the entertainment industry while also preserving aspects of her personal life away from the public spotlight.