‘Other Mommy’ Star Arabella Olivia Clark on Working With Jessica Chastain and Being Mentored by Mckenna Grace — SkimNews
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- Arabella Olivia Clark, 10, stars as Bela in the Jessica Chastain and Jay Duplass horror film "Other Mommy," directed by Rob Savage — her first leading role in a feature film following a supporting turn as a young Amanda Seyfried in 2025's "The Housemaid."
- "Other Mommy" debuted at No. 1 with $12.6 million domestically on opening day, according to the Variety report, making Clark the centerpiece of one of the weekend's top horror launches.
- Clark read Josh Malerman's source novel "Incidents Around the House" in three days before her second audition, crediting director Rob Savage and costars Chastain and Duplass with keeping her comfortable on set.
- Mckenna Grace personally reached out to Clark to offer mentorship and guidance on growing up in the industry, though the two have so far only connected online, according to Clark's mother, Rachel.
- Clark swam in a 20-foot-deep tank during filming, where pyrotechnic explosions went off underwater and crew members yanked her beneath the surface; her mother called it "one of the scariest moments as a mom."
- Jessica Chastain was simultaneously filming, parenting, and studying for Harvard during production, Clark said, recalling that Chastain's on-set witch cackle was so convincing she joked Chastain "could be a witch in a movie."
- Clark dreams of a sci-fi career and working with Steven Spielberg on an "E.T." sequel, ideally featuring Rocky from "Project Hail Mary" — "maybe Rocky and E.T. could be friends, because they're both aliens, right?"
Why it matters: A $12.6 million No. 1 opening has turned a 10-year-old newcomer into a potential horror franchise face overnight, and the Mckenna Grace mentorship gives Clark a seasoned child-actor guide as she navigates stardom. Her sci-fi ambitions and Spielberg dream signal she is already angling beyond the genre that launched her, while her willingness to handle a 20-foot underwater pyrotechnic scene underscores why studios may keep casting her in physically demanding roles.
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