Samara Weaving Steals the Show in 'Nine Perfect Strangers' (2024)

The highly-anticipated Hulu seriesNine Perfect Strangersjust premiered, and itsstar-studded casthas already won us over. The newest collaboration betweenBig Little Lies' David E Kelley and Nicole Kidman, the show depicts an ultra-exclusive wellness resort run by Russian guru Masha (Kidman). When nine strangers arrive at the resort with inner struggles they're hoping to heal, Masha's unorthodox methods leave the guests wondering what it truly means to be well.

In addition to Hollywood stars including Kidman, Melissa McCarthy, Bobby Cannavale, and Luke Evans, the cast ofNine Perfect Strangersalso includes some up-and-coming actors in breakout roles. One outstanding performance comes from Samara Weaving, who plays Jessica, an aspiring social media influencer who hopes to strengthen her marriage with her husband, Ben. Though horror fans may be familiar with Weaving, everyone's going to be raving about the Australian actress soon. Here's everything we know about the up-and-coming star.

She was born in Adelaide, Australia.

Weaving, 29, was born in Adelaide, a town in southern Australia. Her childhood was spent living several countries in Asia, including Singapore, Fiji, and Indonesia. She also has some fellow actors in the family. Her uncle isLord of the RingsandTransformersactor Hugo Weaving.

She decided to pursue acting at age 12 after seeingPirates of the Caribbean.

Weaving started acting at a young age, after her parents put her in classes to help her get over her shyness. She toldHarper's BAZAARthat she decided to fully pursue acting after watchingThe Pirates of the Caribbeanwhen she was 12. "I was exported out of this world. I was just so filled with curiosity, and I knew I wanted to be a part of whatever just happened to me. I wanted to know how to get an invitation to that party,” she said.

Her big break was in the soap operaHome and Away.

Following a long line of Australian who make it in America, Weaving got her big break on the soap operaHome and Away. She was cast when she was 17, and played teen Indi Walker from 2009-2013. Other famousHome and Awayalums include Chris Hemsworth, Naomi Watts, and Heath Ledger.

She's best known for acting in cult horror films.

After leavingHome and Away, Weaving began pursuing roles in the U.S. Besides landingNine Perfect Strangers, she's best known for leading several cult-favorite horror films. She played the titular role in the Netflix filmThe Babysitterin 2017, and later played a bride who is hunted by her spouse's family for a demonic ritual in 2019'sReady or Not(a must-watch film).Weaving also has a Screen Actors Guild award as part of the cast of 2018'sThree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

She has a lot of respect for influencers after playing Jessica.

For herNine Perfect Strangersrole, Weaving researched Instagram influencers, and even spied on influencers IRL at coffee shops in Australia. She toldW Magazinethat playing the aspiring influencer made her rethink society's at-times misogynistic judgment of influencers. "It’sreallyhard to be an influencer. The marketplace is swamped with people, all trying to do the same thing. You have to be a real business woman to get ahead in the influencer space. That was what drew me to the character: smashing those patriarchal, very stale resentments that are in our culture," she said.

Weaving also toldWWDthat she hopes Jessica's story, which includes struggling with body dysmorphia, will inspire viewers to try not to make snap judgments. "I even hear it now. I’ll just be in the car with friends, and someone will go, ‘Oh, she got too much filler.’ I’m just like, ‘Who cares, though?’ I remember, when tabloids would be like, ‘They’ve ruined their face.’ Jesus, this is someone’s life. If it makes them feel better, what’s it to you?"

She's close friends with look-alike Margot Robbie.

Weaving is also part of a meme highlighting a group of women who look remarkably similar, including Margot Robbie, Jamie Pressly, and Sex Education's Emma Mackey. Weaving told theThe Sydney Morning Heraldin 2019 that she's been mistaken for Robbie on the street before, with strangers saying that they loved her inThe Wolf of Wall Street. Turns out the Aussie actresses are close! “Margs and I hang out a lot,” she toldSMH. “My fiancé [American writer and producer Jimmy Warden] and her husband [British director Tom Ackerley] are really close. She’s a wonderful, inspiring woman.”

She's a huge fan ofLove Island.

Like most of the world, Weaving's a fan of the international reality-show franchiseLove Island. She toldW Magazinethat she, Robbie, and a group of their friends all watch the show, and Robbie even hosted aLove Island-themed party this summer. "Our whole group of Aussies, Americans, and Brits over here in L.A., we’re all obsessed withLove Island. I just think it’s a fascinating human study—and a fun dress-up theme," she said. She also described the dress code for the party as "skimpy bikinis and lots of fake tan."

She's scored roles in several highly anticipated films.

Nine Perfect Strangersis the first in a run of huge roles for Weaving. She's also to star alongside Brad Pitt in Damien Chazelle's new filmBabylon, and she'll play former Playboy bunny Holly Madison in the miniseriesDown the Rabbit Hole, based on Madison's memoir. “It’s going to blow the socks off of what people think ofPlayboyand Hugh Hefner," Weaving said toHarper's BAZAARabout the role.