Actress Kaitlyn Dever has had an impressive career in movies and TV shows. Dever had always been interested in the performing arts from an early age. Her parents, an icing coach and voice actor, put her in an acting school at age 5. Although she participated in ice skating, gymnastics, and ballet, Kaitlyn Dever chose to pursue her interest in acting.
With a screen debut in 2009, Kaitlyn Dever began her professional career at 12. Over the years, the multi-talented actress has also found success as a musician and voice actress. With anticipation for her debut in HBO’s The Last of Us, here are Kaitlyn Dever’s top roles in movies and TV shows.
Last Man Standing
The ABC/Fox sitcom Last Man Standing was arguably Kaitlyn Dever’s breakthrough role. She played Eve Baxter, Mike (Tim Allen), and Vanessa Baxter’s (Nancy Travis) youngest daughter. She’s smart and clearly her father’s favorite. As part of the main cast, Kaitlyn Dever appeared in all nine seasons, although she was reduced to a recurring role from season 7. Last Man Standing aired originally from October 11, 2011, to May 20, 2021.
Justified
Kaitlyn Dever joined the cast of FX’s neo-Western crime drama Justified in season 2. Dever was cast as Loretta McCready, a young girl entangled in the town’s criminal world. After being told her father traveled for work, Loretta begins living with the Bennett family.
She’s taken under the wings of its matriarch, Mags Bennett. However, she later discovered that the Bennetts murdered her father. As the series progresses, Loretta forms a bond with the series’ protagonist, Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant). Justified was Kaitlyn Dever’s first major project on television.
Short Term 12
The 2013 Short Term 12 is one of those great indie movies that is often underrated and flies under the radar. It is a must-watch for indie movie audiences. Kaitlyn Dever joined the cast in a supporting role as Jayden Cole, a troubled teenager who comes to a group home for troubled teenagers.
Jayden has a difficult past, and her character’s story is central to the film’s emotional core. She forms a bond with the movie’s lead character, Grace Howard (Brie Larson). Grace is a supervisor at the facility, and she sees parts of her own past in Jayden. Short Term 12 was Brie Larson’s first lead role of her career. The movie also starred notable actors such as Rami Malek, LaKeith Stanfield, and John Gallagher, Jr.
Unbelievable
Co-starring alongside Australian actress Toni Collette was a dream come true for Kaitlyn Dever. Collette’s performance in The Sixth Sense influenced Dever’s decision to pursue a career as an actor. In the 2019 Netflix crime drama miniseries Unbelievable, Dever played Marie Adler, a young woman who is the central figure in the story. Marie Adler is a teenager who reports being sexually assaulted but faces skepticism from the police and those around her.
Unbelievable follows the emotional and psychological toll on Marie. It also depicts the efforts of the two female detectives, Toni Collette’s Det. Grace Rasmussen and Merritt Wever’s Det. Karen Duvall. The detective later investigates similar cases and is able to uncover the truth. Kaitlyn Dever’s portrayal of Marie Adler was widely praised for its sensitivity and depth.
Booksmart
Actress Olivia Wilde’s 2019 feature directorial debut, Booksmart, has been one of Kaitlyn Dever’s most popular roles on the big screen. Dever co-leads the cast as Amy Antsler, alongside Beanie Feldstein, who played Molly Davidson. Dever’s Amy is portrayed as a shy, intelligent, and socially awkward high school senior.
Amy and Molly realize that they have spent too much time focused on academics and missed out on all the fun, high school experiences. Booksmart follows their wild, comedic adventure on the night before their high school graduation. They set out to cram years of missed teenage antics into one night. Kaitlyn Dever’s character is also openly gay, and her arc also focuses on the character navigating her sexual identity.
Dopesick
The Dopesick miniseries presented another opportunity for Kaitlyn Dever to showcase her immense talent and character portrayal. Dopesick centered around Purdue Pharma’s OxyContin addiction in America. Dever was cast as Betsy Mallum, a young coal miner who becomes addicted to OxyContin after being prescribed the drug for a work-related injury. As the miniseries progressed, Dever’s Betsy character’s struggles with addiction are central to Dopesick’s depiction of America’s opioid crisis. The 8-episyDopesick aired originally from October 13, 2021, to November 17, 2021.
Ticket to Paradise
Kaitlyn Dever co-starred alongside two Hollywood legends, George Clooney and Julia Roberts, in the 2022 rom-com Ticket to Paradise. In the movie, Dever played Lily Cotton, the daughter of Clooney and Roberts characters. The plot revolves around Lily’s parents teaming up to stop her from marrying a man she recently met while vacationing in Bali.
Before her shocking wedding revelation, Lily’s parents divorced for 20 years. With Lily’s wedding bringing them together, Kaitlyn Dever’s character is central to the story. Her impending marriage drives the comedic and emotional dynamics between her parents. Despite being a cheesy 2000s rom-com style plot, Ticket to Paradise was a commercial success. It grossed $168.7 million against a $60 million budget.
Rosaline
Kaitlyn Dever led the cast of the 2022 rom-com Rosaline, where she played its title character. The movie is a comedic retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet from the perspective of Rosaline, Romeo’s ex-girlfriend, and Juliet’s cousin. Rosaline follows Dever’s Rosaline schemes to win back Romeo after he falls in love with Juliet. Kaitlyn Dever portrayed the character as witty, determined, and heartbroken. Dever’s performance helped give a drag, humorous take on one of literature’s classic tales.
No One Will Save You
The 2023 science fiction horror No One Will Save You was another testament to Kaitlyn Dever’s career growth. With only five words spoken in No One Will Save You, most of the action and story rested on Dever’s brilliant performance. Kaitlyn Dever played Brynn, a young woman choosing to live in isolation because of her social anxiety and personal trauma. The movie’s plot follows Brynn as her town and home are invaded by aliens. She’s forced to confront these extraterrestrials as well as her own inner demons. Besides a cameo appearance in Good Grief, No One Will Save You has been Kaitlyn Dever’s last project on the big screen. If you recognize these Kaitlyn Dever movies and TV shows, check out Corey Feldman’s best roles.
Follow Us
