Casting Carrie White In Mike Flanagan's Remake: 10 Actors Who Would Be Perfect

Carrie is an iconic character from the incredible mind of Stephen King, who has already had multiple live-action adaptations, but with Mike Flanagan now taking the reins for a new adapted TV series, the casting of Carrie needs to be perfect. Fortunately, Mike Flanagan has been honing his talents as a director for the last 25 years, and his success has led him to work with a variety of talented actresses who could tackle the role. However, there is a lot to consider in order to get the perfect Carrie.




In the novel by Stephen King, Carrie is described as being a “frog among swans.” Obviously, this can be interpreted in various ways, but the book goes on to describe the character as a young white girl who often has many pimples and spots. She is also written to have blonde hair which verges on being completely white, and deep dark brown eyes. Obviously, the show does not need to stick to all of these criteria, but the key statement, a “frog among swans,” tells the audience a lot about the character.


10 Sadie Sink


First up, one of the most popular young actresses tied to the horror space right now is Sadie Sink. Obviously, Sadie is not a perfect picture fit for the book’s version of Carrie, however, the color of the eyes and hair is significantly less important than the qualities the actor can embody. When looking back at the actress who first brought Carrie White to life, Sissy Spacek had piercing green eyes and strawberry blonde hair. Sink’s eyes are blue, and her hair is red, but this shouldn’t disqualify her from being considered.

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Amazon MGM Studios has announced that they are currently developing a Carrieย adaptation with Mike Flanagan. Flanagan has adapted the works of Stephen King before, but he is known for taking the main themes and meanings of a piece and radically altering it, producing a strange and new point of view.ย Carrieย is such a classic, and I’m intrigued to see which direction Flanagan takes it in.

While the plain description may not be a perfect match, the sentiment about a frog among swans could be interpreted to mean someone who stands out because they don’t look just like everyone else. Sink has a distinctive look which sets her apart, and makes her unique. She also has the talent to tackle the role of Carrie, and make it interesting. In Stranger Things, Sink played Max, a girl who suffered from an unstable home life, much like Carrie White, and while Max displayed bravery where Carrie shows fear, their destination could be similar across both stories.


9 Annarah Cymone

Annarah Cymone's Sandra stands screaming in a room full of hooded figures from The Midnight Club

Annarah Cymone is another talented young actor who has appeared in a handful of horror shows, with the advantage of having worked with Mike Flanagan on a number of occasions. She also has dark brown eyes. In Midnight Mass, Cymone plays Leeza Scarborough, the daughter of the mayor who is initially wheelchair bound after an incident with a drunk hunter on the island. Leeza is a sweet girl, dedicated to her faith, and willing to follow her parents in full faith.


However, Leeza also sees horrors on the island that force her to make a choice independent of her parents. This is very similar to the outline of Carrie’s story, though Leeza’s parents were considerably more caring and compassionate than Margaret White, Carrie’s mother. Cymone also appeared in The Midnight Club, where she played a variety of characters, which means she has plenty of experience working under the direction of Flanagan, which could help her in the leading role.

8 Freya Allan

Kail (Freya Allan) standing in a clearing in The Third Day.

Freya Allen’s talents for acting have served her well, as she has had leading roles in shows like The Witcher, where she played Ciri, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, where she plays Nova. Her ability to communicate and convey emotion through expressions, as seen in Kingdom, would make her an excellent choice for the silent and struggling young Carrie. In the 1976 film, some of the most powerful scenes in the film came with little or no dialogue, as Spacek expressed emotion as Carrie.


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Allan also has a unique and distinctive look that would make her stand out in the role. With experience as a lead already under her belt, and roles where she has relied largely on physical performances and expressive emotion, Allan could be a top pick, although she has had limited experience with straight horror roles, or TV shows in general.

7 Kyliegh Curran

Kyliegh Curran as Lenore in The Fall Of The House Of Usher


Kyliegh Curran is one of the youngest actresses on the list, having been born in 2005. In the novel, Carrie is set as 16 years old when the story takes place, but due to the intense and scary nature of the story, having a slightly older actress who has a younger appearance is important. Spacek was 25 years old when she tackled the role, so Curran is already several years younger. However, despite her young age, she has boundless talent and experience within the horror genre.

Curran’s first major role was as the character of Abra Stone in Doctor Sleep. This film saw Curran star opposite Ewan McGregor, where she held her own, and became a highlight of the film. Flanagan also directed Doctor Sleep, which remains his most successful theatrical release to date. And it’s clear that he was impressed with Curran, as he went on to cast her again to play Lenore in The Fall of the House of Usher.


6 Bailee Madison

Imogen (Bailee Madison) fake crying in Pretty Little Liars Summer School season 2 episode 7
Image via Max

Bailee Madison’s acting career began when she was just five years old, and the impression she made in her early films resulted in her landing a lot more work in a short span of time. Since then, Madison has appeared in nearly 60 different projects. While her early career was more focused on drama and comedy, as she has matured, the roles have transitioned to see her tackle more horror and darker themes.

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Madison has an incredibly distinctive appearance, and her ability to play a variety of characters makes her an incredible asset despite her young age. Madison’s career has also seen her break type and transform into characters with a wide range of attitudes, emotions, and characteristics. Thanks to this extensive experience, she would have no problem exploring a character like Carrie.

5 Adia

A Black girl with short, curly hair smiles at a group of teenagers gathered around a table.

Adia is a fresher talent, whose career has only just begun in the last few years. In fact, her first acting gig came when she played Cheri in Flanagan’s The Midnight Club. However, despite her apparent lack of experience, Adia is already making waves in the industry. When The Midnight Club concluded, she was cast in the Max Original series, Full Circle, alongside seasoned and talented actors, including Timothy Olyphant, Zazie Beets, Jim Gaffigan, and Dennis Quaid.


In both roles, Adia delivered a standout performance, and proved that she is capable of playing interesting and unique characters. With this talent, and her prior experience working alongside Flanagan, she could be a great option to cast as Carrie in the upcoming TV series. However, it would be a transition to move from a lead role in an ensemble cast, to the primary lead, but with coaching and direction from Flanagan, Adia could be ideal.

4 Joey King

Tally (Joey King) in nature searching for the Smoke in Uglies
Image via Netflix

Joey King is one of only two actors on this list who actually has more experience and credits to her name than Bailee Madison, coming in at 75 unique acting credits. King began acting at the age of four, though her breakout roles came a few years later. King’s acting career has seen her grow from a mischievous young child on the Disney Channel, to a leading lady who has worked in a number of different genres.


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From The Act, to Uglies, and The Kissing Booth movies in between, King continues to grow and expand her talents. However, King has had very few forays into horror. Despite this, her unique appearance, her talents, and her versatility would make her a great fit for the role of Carrie. Given the opportunity, she could give the character and film a level of depth and drama that would elevate it beyond earlier versions.

3 Lulu Wilson

Lulu Wilson as Younger Madeline in The Fall of the House of Usher


Lulu Wilson is another of the youngest actors listed here, born in 2005, and due to that fact, she has been cast in a number of roles as the younger version of a leading character. However, within the Mike Flanagan TV show, The Haunting of Hill House, playing the younger version of Shirley was still a pivotal role that required Wilson to appear in all 10 episodes. And once again, due to her incredible work, Flanagan cast her again when he made The Fall of the House of Usher, to play the younger version of Madeline.

However, Lulu’s career only began in 2012, when she was just 7 years old, and since that time, she has appeared in almost 30 projects with several more currently in production. Clearly, Wilson is becoming an established actor with a bright future, and a role as the lead in Carrie could help on that path. Her talent for delivering articulate and dramatic performances, despite her youth, makes her a strong contender for the role.


2 Emily Alyn Lind

Emily Alyn Lind as Melody in Ghostbusters Frozen Empire

Emily Alyn Lind is a hardworking young actress who has had incredible success in her short, but significant career to date. With her first acting credits in 2008, Lind has gone on to appear in over 40 projects, primarily movies, and she has had significant starring roles. When she was younger, she worked alongside Mike Flanagan for Doctor Sleep, where she played an antagonist, Snakebite Andi. She also plays an antagonist in The Babysitter: Killer Queen, and a mysterious ghost named Melody in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

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It’s clear that she has a talent for playing dark, mysterious, and antagonistic characters, which may not be in perfect step with the character of Carrie White. However, her talents for appearing in horror can’t be overlooked, and her strength as an actress. Lind could work at playing a more submissive and quiet character, evoking the same quiet mystery that she did in Ghostbusters, in order to play Carrie.

1 Elle Fanning

Elle Fanning as Sylvia Russo looking behind her seat in A Complete Unknown


Elle Fanning is the younger sister of actor Dakota Fanning, but over the years, she has proven herself to be a passionate young actor with almost as many credits as her older sister. With nearly 70 credits to her name, she has the second most credits on this list, and her hair is typically a very light blonde, bordering on white. This means she does have similarities in terms of looks to the novel’s description of Carrie, but even more than that, her career is a great example of why she would be a great fit for the character.

Fanning is often cast in roles where she plays a quiet, unassuming, girl-next-door. She has starred opposite some incredibly talented actors, including Timothรฉe Chalamet in A Complete Unknown, Angelina Jolie in Maleficent, and Nicole Kidman in The Beguiled, just to name a few. Her distinctive look, her ability to play timid and quiet characters while still captivating the audience, and her extensive experience all add up to Elle Fanning being another great choice to play the lead in the upcoming Carrie TV show.


Carrie

Carrie by Stephen King is an incredible supernatural horror book that is both scary and sad. Published in 1974 by Doubleday, this 304-page book was Kingโ€™s first published novel.

Carrie follows 16-year-old Carrie White, who is relentlessly tormented by her peers for her abnormal religious background and lack of fashion sense. Carrieโ€™s mother Margaret is cold and critical of her daughter, constantly accusing her of going against God. After Carrie is bullied for getting her first period in the shower of the girlsโ€™ locker room, the school gym teacher disciplines the mean girls, headed by Chris, and threatens that they will not be able to go to prom if they keep up their bad behavior. Sue, a different popular girl, feels bad for Carrie and instructs her boyfriend Tommy to ask Carrie to prom. Though wary, Carrie agrees, unaware of what Chris has planned for her. At the same time, Carrie begins to realize that she has developed telekinetic powers, much to her motherโ€™s dismay.

Carrie by Stephen King is iconic for its portrayal of teen life and for one of the most horrific and sad scenes in book history. Carrie not only features a unique premise but also a suspenseful plot that keeps you on the edge of your edge and even rooting for Carrie as she exacts her revenge. While adapted into two films, a musical, and a future miniseries, this horror book is the most iconic form of Carrieโ€™s story.