Lauren LaVera
LaVera in 2022
Born (1994-06-14) June 14, 1994
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active2016–present
Websitelaurenlavera.com

Lauren LaVera (born June 14, 1994[1]) is an American actress, stunt performer and a martial artist. She is primarily known for being the leading actress in several horror films, which has led to her being called a "scream queen" by both critics and audiences. LaVera has received accolades for her performances, such as a Fangoria Chainsaw Award.

One of LaVera's first film projects was being Anya Taylor-Joy's stunt double in the psychological thriller Split (2016). She followed this with small acting parts in television shows including Netflix's Iron Fist (2017) and various short films before her breakthrough role as the resourceful heroine Sienna Shaw in Damien Leone's slasher films Terrifier 2 (2022) and the upcoming Terrifier 3 (2024)—both installments in the Terrifier franchise.

In 2023, LaVera appeared as a guest judge on the fifth season of Shudder's reality competition series The Boulet Brothers' Dragula (2023). Additionally, LaVera will have leading roles in the horror films The Well and The Fetus (both 2024). In addition to acting, LaVera is a stunt performer, dancer, singer, and a martial artist, having been trained in Taekwondo, Kun Khmer, and Wushu, among others. LaVera has received training both in ballet and ballroom dance.

Early life

LaVera was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At some point, she studied in Italy and became fluent in Italian.[2]

Career

LaVera started her career as an actress and stuntwoman as a double or in bit parts with appearances in Split (2016), Wetlands (2017), and Iron Fist (2017).

LaVera's first leading role was as Sienna Shaw, a teenage girl that battles the supernatural serial killer Art the Clown in the 2022 slasher film Terrifier 2, alongside David Howard Thornton, Elliott Fullnam, Sarah Voight, Kailey Hyman, Casey Hartnett, and Samantha Scaffidi.[3] The film was well-received by critics, with praise directed at LaVera's performance. IGN's review said that LaVera "rules as Sienna in her angel-winged fantasy armor as a final girl fighting for family, facing her demons, and screaming bloody war cries in Art's mocking face,"[4] while Matthew Jackson of Paste wrote that "LaVera, tasked with injecting humanity into the sequel, lives up to this task with pure star power."[5] LaVera will reprise her role as Sienna in Terrifier 3.[6][7][8]

LaVera appeared in the mob film Not for Nothing, released in October 2022.[9] In December 2022, LaVera was cast as Alessa, a pregnant woman whose antagonizing father disapproves of her relationship with her husband, in Joe Lam's 2023 horror film The Fetus, opposite Julian Curtis and Bill Moseley.[10][11] In February 2023, Bloody Disgusting reported that LaVera would star as Lisa Gray in the supernatural thriller film The Well, directed by Federico Zampaglione.[12]

Personal life

LaVera is proficient in Taekwondo, Kun Khmer and Wushu.[13]

Filmography

Film roles
Year Title Role Notes
2016 Split Casey Cooke Anya Taylor-Joy stunt double[14]
2017 Wetlands "Buttercup" / Pusher
2019 Clinton Road Kayla
2022 Terrifier 2 Sienna Shaw
Not For Nothing Kelly
2023 The Fetus Alessa
2024 The Well Lisa Gray [12]
Terrifier 3 Sienna Shaw [15]
Television roles
Year Title Role Notes
2017 Iron Fist Ciara Episode: "Black Tiger Steals Heart"
2020 MacGyver Player Episode: "Soccer + Desi + Merchant + Titan"
Dispatches from Elsewhere Barista Episodes: "Peter", "The Boy"
A Taste of Christmas Ariella Cancio Television film

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResultReference
2023Fangoria Chainsaw AwardsThe Editor's Eyeball AwardTerrifier 2Won[16]

References

  1. ↑ "Lauren LaVera". Twitter. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Home". Lauren LaVera. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  3. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (June 30, 2022). "Genre Streamer Screambox & Bloody Disgusting Acquire "Ultra Gory" Slasher Movie 'Terrifier 2'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  4. ↑ Donato, Matt (September 23, 2022). "Terrifier 2". IGN. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  5. ↑ Jackson, Matthew (October 4, 2022). "Terrifier 2 Review". Paste. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  6. ↑ Jacobs, Eammon (February 2, 2023). "'Terrifier' director Damien Leone teases 'Terrifier 3' and a potential 4th film, and says he's met with 'Evil Dead' director Sam Raimi about a new project". Insider. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  7. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (May 31, 2023). "'Terrifier 3': Details Revealed For Bigger Budget Threequel After Second Film's Box Office Breakout". Deadline. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  8. ↑ Miska, Brad (May 31, 2023). "'Terrifier 3' Is Officially Happening and Will Continue to Push Boundaries!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  9. ↑ Bolton, Cameron (October 24, 2022). "Not for Nothing Tells a South Philly Story With Authentic Characters and Locations". MovieWeb. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  10. ↑ Smith, Dan (October 25, 2022). "Jeremy Rudd Joins Horror Film The Fetus as Associate Producer and Cast Member". E!. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Lauren LaVera, Bill Moseley, Julian Curtis and Jeremy Rudd in New Horror movie 'The Fetus'". The Hollywood Reporter. December 1, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  12. 1 2 Miska, Brad (February 16, 2023). "'Terrifier 2' Star Lauren LaVera Paints 'The Well' [Exclusive]". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  13. ↑ Spelling, Ian (November 3, 2022). "Terrifier 2 is the unrated horror hit that's shocking audiences". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  14. ↑ Lauren LaVera [@_LaurenLaVera_] (February 16, 2023). "Posted this TBT back on Feb 16th 2017 of when I doubled Anya Taylor-Joy in Split. This was before I even started acting but was my first onset experience & to get this reminder today after announcing my 2nd leading role in a feature film… idk ya'll I'm so grateful I could cry 🥹" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. ↑ Squires, John (November 2, 2023). "'Terrifier 3' Will Slay Christmas in Theaters on October 25, 2024!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  16. ↑ Gilchrist, Todd (January 27, 2023). "Jordan Peele's 'Nope,' Ti West's 'Pearl' Lead Fangoria's Chainsaw Award Nominations". Variety. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
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