Kaitlyn Rochelle Dever (; born December 21, 1996)
is an American actress. She gained recognition for her roles in the
FX crime drama television series ''
Justified'' (2011–2015), the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
/
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
sitcom ''
Last Man Standing'' (2011–2021), the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
drama miniseries ''
Unbelievable'' (2019), and the
Hulu
Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
drama ''
Dopesick'' (2021). She earned
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
nominations for ''Unbelievable'' and ''Dopesick'' as well as a
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
nomination for ''Dopesick''.
Dever has also played supporting roles in the films ''
Bad Teacher
''Bad Teacher'' is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Jake Kasdan from a screenplay by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky. Starring Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Lucy Punch, John Michael Higgins and Jason Segel, the film tells the ...
'' (2011), ''
The Spectacular Now
''The Spectacular Now'' is a 2013 American coming-of-age Romance film, romantic Drama (film and television), drama film directed by James Ponsoldt, from a screenplay written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, based on the 2008 novel of th ...
'' (2013), ''
Short Term 12
''Short Term 12'' is a 2013 American Independent film, independent drama film written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. It is adapted from Cretton's short film of the same name, produced in 2009. The film stars Brie Larson as Grace Howard, a ...
'' (2013), ''
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
'' (2017), ''
Beautiful Boy'' (2018), ''
Dear Evan Hansen
''Dear Evan Hansen'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Steven Levenson. The musical follows Evan Hansen, a high school senior with social anxiety, "who invents an important role for himself in a t ...
'' (2021), and ''
Ticket to Paradise'' (2022). She had leading roles in ''
Them That Follow
''Them That Follow'' is a 2019 American thriller film, written and directed by Britt Poulton and Dan Madison Savage. It stars Olivia Colman, Kaitlyn Dever, Alice Englert, Jim Gaffigan, Walton Goggins, Thomas Mann and Lewis Pullman.
It had its wo ...
'' (2019), ''
Booksmart
''Booksmart'' is a 2019 American comedy film directed by Olivia Wilde (in her feature directorial debut) and written by Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman. It stars Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever as two gradua ...
'' (2019), and ''
Rosaline
Rosaline () is a fictional character mentioned in William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. She is the niece of Lord Capulet. Although an unseen character, her role is important: Romeo's unrequited love for Rosaline leads him to try t ...
'' (2022).
Early life
Dever was born in
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
, to Tim and Kathy Dever. She has two younger sisters, Mady and Jane Dever.
At the age of five, she developed an interest in the performing arts with her parents sending her to an acting school. She also participated in
gymnastics
Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, shou ...
,
ballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
and
ice skating
Ice skating is the self-propulsion and gliding of a person across an ice surface, using metal-bladed ice skates. People skate for various reasons, including recreation (fun), exercise, competitive sports, and commuting. Ice skating may be per ...
, until she focused on acting. Her family then moved to
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
when her father was given the role of the voice of
Barney the Purple Dinosaur, and where she enrolled at the Dallas Young Actors Studio in a month-long acting program. Honing her acting skills at the studio, she booked a number of commercials, before moving to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.
Career
2009–2012: Career beginnings and work on TV
![Kaitlyn Dever 2012 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Kaitlyn_Dever_2012_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Dever's first notable acting role was as Gwen Thompson in the 2009 film ''
An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong''. In 2011, she garnered an early breakout role as Loretta McCready in the
FX series ''
Justified''. In the same year, she was cast as a series regular in the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
(and later
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
) sitcom ''
Last Man Standing'', starring with
Tim Allen
Timothy Alan Dick (born June 13, 1953), known professionally as Tim Allen, is an American actor and comedian. He is known for playing Tim "The Toolman" Taylor on the ABC sitcom ''Home Improvement'' (1991–1999) and Mike Baxter on the ABC/Fo ...
. Starting with the seventh season of the series, Dever began appearing in a recurring role to focus on other film and television projects.
Dever's other television credits include ''
Make It or Break It
''Make It or Break It'' ( ''MIOBI)'' is an American teen/family drama television series that focused on the lives of teen gymnasts who strived to make it to the Olympic Games in 2012. The series was inspired by Touchstone's 2006 teen comedy-dr ...
'', ''
Modern Family
''Modern Family'' is an American family sitcom television series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan for the American Broadcasting Company. It ran for 11 seasons, from September 23, 2009, to April 8, 2020. It follows the lives of thr ...
'', ''
Private Practice Private practice may refer to:
*Private sector practice
**Practice of law
In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiati ...
'', ''
Party Down
''Party Down'' is an American sitcom created and primarily written by John Enbom, Rob Thomas (writer), Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge and Paul Rudd that aired on the Starz network in the United States in 2009 and 2010. The series follows a group of c ...
'', ''
The Mentalist
''The Mentalist'' is an American drama television series that ran from September 23, 2008, until February 18, 2015, broadcasting 151 episodes over seven seasons, on CBS. Created by Bruno Heller, who was also its executive producer, the show fol ...
'', and ''
Curb Your Enthusiasm
''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' is an American television sitcom produced and broadcast by HBO since October 15, 2000, and created by Larry David, who stars as a semi-fictionalized version of himself. It follows David's life as a semi-retired televisio ...
''. Her 2011 film credits include ''
Cinema Verite
''Cinema Verite'' is a 2011 HBO drama film directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini. The film's main ensemble cast starred Diane Lane, Tim Robbins, James Gandolfini and Patrick Fugit. The film follows a fictionalized account of the ...
'', ''
Bad Teacher
''Bad Teacher'' is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Jake Kasdan from a screenplay by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky. Starring Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Lucy Punch, John Michael Higgins and Jason Segel, the film tells the ...
'', and the
Clint Eastwood
Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...
–directed film ''
J. Edgar
''J. Edgar'' is a 2011 American biographical drama film based on the career of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, directed, produced and scored by Clint Eastwood. Written by Dustin Lance Black, the film focuses on Hoover's life from the 1919 Palmer ...
''. In 2012, Dever was nominated three times at the
33rd Young Artist Awards
The 33rd Young Artist Awards ceremony, presented by the Young Artist Association, honored excellence of young performers between the ages of 5 to 21 in the fields of film, television, theater and music for the year 2011. Nominees were announced ...
: for her supporting roles in ''Bad Teacher'' and ''Last Man Standing'', and for her recurring role in ''Justified''.
2013–2019: Independent film
In 2013, she appeared in supporting roles in the critically acclaimed films ''
The Spectacular Now
''The Spectacular Now'' is a 2013 American coming-of-age Romance film, romantic Drama (film and television), drama film directed by James Ponsoldt, from a screenplay written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, based on the 2008 novel of th ...
'' and ''
Short Term 12
''Short Term 12'' is a 2013 American Independent film, independent drama film written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. It is adapted from Cretton's short film of the same name, produced in 2009. The film stars Brie Larson as Grace Howard, a ...
''. Her role in the latter garnered widespread acclaim from critics.
Dever appeared in the 2014 dark comedy film ''
Laggies
''Laggies'' (released in the United Kingdom as ''Say When'') is a 2014 American romantic comedy film directed by Lynn Shelton and written by Andrea Seigel. It stars Keira Knightley, Chloë Grace Moretz, Sam Rockwell, Kaitlyn Dever, Jeff Garlin, ...
'', directed by
Lynn Shelton
Lynn Shelton (August 27, 1965 – May 16, 2020) was an American filmmaker, known for writing, directing, and producing such films as ''Humpday'' and ''Your Sister's Sister''. She was associated with the mumblecore genre.
Early life
Shelton was b ...
, alongside
Chloë Grace Moretz
Chloë Grace Moretz (; born February 10, 1997) is an American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including four MTV Movie & TV Awards, two People's Choice Awards, two Saturn Awards, and two Young Artist Awards.
She began actin ...
and
Keira Knightley
Keira Christina Righton (; née Knightley, born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in both independent films and blockbusters, particularly period dramas, she has received several accolades, including nominations for ...
. In the same year, she co-starred in the film ''
Men, Women & Children'', directed by
Jason Reitman
Jason R. Reitman (; born October 19, 1977) is a Canadian-American actor and filmmaker, best known for directing the films ''Thank You for Smoking'' (2005), ''Juno'' (2007), '' Up in the Air'' (2009), ''Young Adult'' (2011), and '' Ghostbusters: ...
.
In 2017 she reunited with Shelton for her drama film
''Outside In'', as a supporting cast member. 2017 also saw the release of the films
''We Don't Belong Here'', ''
All Summers End
''All Summers End'' is a 2017 American drama film directed and written by Kyle Wilamowski. The film stars Tye Sheridan, Kaitlyn Dever, Austin Abrams, Beau Mirchoff, Paula Malcomson and Annabeth Gish.
Plot
Conrad (Sheridan), Hunter (Abrams) and ...
'' and
''Detroit'', where Dever appeared in supporting roles as well.
In 2018, she performed in minor roles for the political drama
''The Front Runner'' and the biographical drama
''Beautiful Boy'', the latter alongside
Timothée Chalamet
Timothée Hal Chalamet (; ; born December 27, 1995) is an American actor. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Timothée Chalamet, various accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, a ...
. In early 2019, Dever appeared in the drama-thriller film ''
Them That Follow
''Them That Follow'' is a 2019 American thriller film, written and directed by Britt Poulton and Dan Madison Savage. It stars Olivia Colman, Kaitlyn Dever, Alice Englert, Jim Gaffigan, Walton Goggins, Thomas Mann and Lewis Pullman.
It had its wo ...
'' directed by Britt Poulton and Dan Madison Savage. The film had its world premiere at the
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
on January 27, 2019, and was released on August 2, 2019, by
1091 Media.
2019–present: leading roles and breakthrough
![Kaitlyn Dever in 2019 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Kaitlyn_Dever_in_2019_%28cropped%29.jpg)
In mid 2019, Dever starred in the critically acclaimed teen comedy ''
Booksmart
''Booksmart'' is a 2019 American comedy film directed by Olivia Wilde (in her feature directorial debut) and written by Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman. It stars Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever as two gradua ...
'' directed by
Olivia Wilde
Olivia Jane Cockburn ( ; born March 10, 1984), known professionally as Olivia Wilde, is an American actress and filmmaker. She played Thirteen (House), Remy "Thirteen" Hadley on the medical-drama television series ''House (TV series), House'' ( ...
, opposite
Beanie Feldstein
Elizabeth Greer "Beanie" Feldstein (born June 29, 1993) is an American actress. She first gained recognition for her starring roles in the comedy film '' Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising'' (2016), the comedy-drama film '' Lady Bird'' (2017), and the ...
. The film had its world premiere at
South by Southwest
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in m ...
on March 11, 2019, and was released on May 24, 2019, by
Annapurna Pictures
Annapurna Pictures is an independent American media company founded by Megan Ellison in 2011, that specializes in film production, live theatre production, television through its Annapurna Television division, and video game publishing through i ...
. She also starred in ''
Unbelievable'', a Netflix miniseries which premiered in September 2019. Dever's performance was praised by critics, receiving a
Golden Globe
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
nomination for
Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film.
She also received nominations for the
Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries,
the
BAFTA Rising Star Award
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Rising Star Award, currently styled as the EE Rising Star Award for commercial reasons and previously known as the Orange Rising Star Award, is an award that acknowledges new talents in the ...
,
and the
TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama
The TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama is an award given by the Television Critics Association.
Winners and nominees
Multiple wins
;3 wins
* James Gandolfini (consecutive)
;2 wins
* Andre Braugher (consecutive)
* Jon Hamm
* Hugh Lau ...
.
In 2020, Dever appeared in the
Quibi
Quibi ( ) was a short-lived American short-form streaming platform that generated content for viewing on mobile devices. It was founded in Los Angeles in August 2018 as NewTV by Jeffrey Katzenberg and was led by Meg Whitman, its CEO. The servic ...
comedy series ''
Home Movie: The Princess Bride'', directed by
Jason Reitman
Jason R. Reitman (; born October 19, 1977) is a Canadian-American actor and filmmaker, best known for directing the films ''Thank You for Smoking'' (2005), ''Juno'' (2007), '' Up in the Air'' (2009), ''Young Adult'' (2011), and '' Ghostbusters: ...
, to raise money for
World Central Kitchen
World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a not-for-profit non-governmental organization devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters. Founded in 2010 by chef José Andrés, the organization prepared food in Haiti following its devastati ...
. Later that year, she co-starred in the
Audible
Audible may refer to:
* Audible (service), an online audiobook store
* Audible (American football), a tactic used by quarterbacks
* ''Audible'' (film), a short documentary film featuring a deaf high school football player
* Audible finish or rush ...
audio drama ''When You Finish Saving the World'', written and directed by
Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Adam Eisenberg (; born October 5, 1983) is an American actor, writer, and director. He has received various accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awar ...
. The story is told from the perspective of three family members, at different stages of their lives. Dever voices Rachel, an 18 year old girl recording tapes for her boyfriend stationed in Afghanistan.
In 2020, she starred in the television special ''
Coastal Elites'', directed by
Jay Roach
Mathew Jay Roach (born June 14, 1957) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the ''Austin Powers'' film series, '' Meet the Parents'', ''Dinner for Schmucks'', '' The Campaign'', '' Trumbo'', and '' Bombshell''.
Roach also ea ...
for
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
. On August 17, 2020, she was cast as Zoe Murphy in
Stephen Chbosky
Stephen Chbosky (; born January 25, 1970) is an American screenwriter, film producer, film director, novelist, television writer, and television producer. He is best-known for writing the bestselling coming-of-age novel ''The Perks of Being a Wal ...
's film adaptation of Broadway musical ''
Dear Evan Hansen
''Dear Evan Hansen'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Steven Levenson. The musical follows Evan Hansen, a high school senior with social anxiety, "who invents an important role for himself in a t ...
''.
Dever and her sister Mady make up the musical duo group Beulahbelle. In February 2020, they released their first single, "Raleigh".
Dever appeared in an episode of the anthology series ''
Monsterland'' for
Hulu
Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
. In 2021, she starred as Abbi Miller in episode 3 of B.J. Novak's FX anthology series ''
The Premise
''The Premise'' is an American anthology series created by B. J. Novak. It premiered on FX on Hulu on September 16, 2021.
Synopsis
Each episode tells a single character driven story about a current world situated issue.
Episodes
Product ...
''. Dever has also starred in the title role of the film ''
Rosaline
Rosaline () is a fictional character mentioned in William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. She is the niece of Lord Capulet. Although an unseen character, her role is important: Romeo's unrequited love for Rosaline leads him to try t ...
''.
20th Century Acquires Revisionist 'Romeo & Juliet' Pic 'Rosaline' With Kaitlyn Dever Attached To Star; 21 Laps Producing
/ref> She also played Betsy Mallum in the 2021 Hulu miniseries '' Dopesick'', for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
nomination.
Filmography
Film
Television
Video games
Music videos
Audiobooks
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dever, Kaitlyn
1996 births
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Dallas
Actresses from Los Angeles
Actresses from Phoenix, Arizona
American child actresses
American film actresses
American television actresses
American video game actresses
Living people