Masey Renee Stanley (née McLain; born January 6, 1994) is an American actress who starred in ''
I'm Not Ashamed'', a 2016 film.
She played the part of
Rachel Scott
Rachel Joy Scott (August 5, 1981 – April 20, 1999) was an American student who was the first fatality of the Columbine High School massacre, in which 11 other students and a teacher were also murdered by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who th ...
, who was killed in the
Columbine High School massacre. As well as her movie roles, McLain is also a published author and appeared in the music video
''God Only Knows''. The song, popularized by
For King & Country, won the 2020
.
Early life
Born on January 6, 1994, in
Vidalia, Georgia
Vidalia ( ''vye-DAYL-yə'' , ) is a city located primarily in Toombs County, Georgia, United States. The city also extends very slightly into Montgomery County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,473.
Vidalia is the principal ...
, McLain's parents are Stephanie and Marty McLain. Her father is a
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...
minister at a Georgia church. At the age of seven, she became a
born-again Christian,
later becoming interested in acting as a 15-year old in high school. In an interview, she credited her mother's background as an accomplished singer and dancer for her own interest in the stage.
After graduation from high school, she attended
Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw State University (KSU) is a public research university located in the state of Georgia with two different campuses in the Atlanta metropolitan area, one in Kennesaw and the other in Marietta on a combined of land. The school was fou ...
. McLain married Caleb Stanley, a writer and co-founder of a movement called "The Alternative", in 2018.
Professional career
Films
In 2016, McLain was cast in the starring role of
Rachel Scott
Rachel Joy Scott (August 5, 1981 – April 20, 1999) was an American student who was the first fatality of the Columbine High School massacre, in which 11 other students and a teacher were also murdered by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who th ...
in the feature-length film, ''
I'm Not Ashamed''.
Scott was a student killed in the
Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999. At the time of the film's production, McLain was in her senior year at Kennesaw State University. In preparing for her role in ''I'm Not Ashamed'', McLain read Scott's journals and talked to the slain girl's mother.
In an interview, McLain said that she could relate to her character's Christian faith and found the shooting scene to be a spiritual experience.
After the film's release, McLain said, "I love acting in films, but to be a part of a film that is having an impact in people’s hearts around the world is above and beyond anything I could have ever expected".
The film has since been released on DVD, including German and French versions.
The next year, McLain appeared in the teen movie, ''Because of Grácia''. The 2017 film deals with the trials and tribulations of various teens navigating relationships in high school. In 2018, she had the female lead in the film, ''If You're Gone'', about a high school senior whose boyfriend mysteriously disappears.
The disappearance results in her character's spiraling into deep depression and even questioning her faith in God. The film was based on the popular
Christy Award
The Christy Awards, established in 1999, are awarded each year to recognize fiction of excellence written from a Christian perspective with matters of faith at its core. Awards are given in several genres, including contemporary (stand-alone novel ...
-winning novel of that name by Brittany Goodwin. ''If You're Gone'' was released on DVD in 2019.
Author
McLain wrote the book, ''It's Worth It'', in 2017.
Based on her spiritual faith journey, it is a devotional guide geared to high school-age youth.
Television and music video
McLain has a recurring role as Ashley Baxter in the
Lightworkers Media
Lightworkers Media is an American Christian media and film production company helmed by President Roma Downey and her husband Mark Burnett and owned by MGM Holdings through MGM Television. LightWorkers Media produced the Emmy-nominated ''The Bi ...
-produced television series ''The Baxters'', based on the novels of
Karen Kingsbury and starring
Roma Downey
Roma Burnett (née Downey) is an actress, producer, and author from Derry, Northern Ireland. She produced the mini-series ''The Bible'' for the History Channel and also appeared in it as Mary, mother of Jesus. For nine seasons she played Moni ...
.
She is also featured in the music video
''God Only Knows''. The song was produced in 2019 by for
KING & COUNTRY and won the 2020
. In the music video, McLain portrays a despairing young woman driven to consider suicide, who then finds hope.
Awards and reviews
Although ''Guardian'' film critic
Jordan Hoffman generally panned ''I'm Not Ashamed'', he praised McLain's acting, saying she was the film's "saving grace" and "a terrific, warm and engaging performer", concluding that "the sky is the limit" for her future in acting.
Writing in ''The Christian Index'', editor Gerald Harris called her, "...a gifted actor, charming in every way, and certainly sincere in her faith".
She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2017 for her role in the film ''Because of Grácia'' at the Great Lakes Christian Film Festival.
Of her acting in the 2018 film, ''If You're Gone'', a reviewer said McLain, "really shines ... You feel her joy, her sadness, and her grief as she portrays this character".
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:McLain, Masey
1994 births
Living people
People from Vidalia, Georgia
Kennesaw State University alumni
Actresses from Georgia (U.S. state)
Writers from Georgia (U.S. state)
American film actresses