I Knew I Recognized Chrissy From Stranger Things — Where You've Seen Actress Grace Van Dien Before

Chrissy Cunningham may have only been in one episode of Stranger Things, but actress Grace Van Dien did such an excellent job with her that the character's memory has lingered with audiences ever after. Van Dien appears as Chrissy Cunningham in the Stranger Things season 4 premiere. She's a popular cheerleader who dated the most popular boy in school, Jason Carver (Mason Dye), and seemed to have everything going for her. However, Chrissy had depression and self-esteem issues which developed due to emotional abuse from her mom. Her trauma led to Vecna targeting her, resulting in Chrissy's gruesome death.

As would be expected from Stranger Things, Chrissy is not a one-note stock character. At first, it seems like she's just the classic head cheerleader who dates the captain of the basketball team, but it's quickly revealed she has a lot of inner turmoil, and perhaps more closely identifies with a character like Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn). Chrissy's death isn't just tragic for the brutality, but because of what more she could have offered the series. It would have been great to see more Grace Van Dien as well. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities to see her act.

The Fix (2024)

Ella McPhee

The Fix, a science fiction thriller movie from Kelsey Egan, takes place in the near future when Earth's air has become toxic. A South African corporation called Aethera develops a medicine to protect people but does not reveal they only have a limited supply. Ella McPhee (Grace Van Dien) is a model for Aethera and inadvertently ingests the experimental miracle cure. Along with being safe from the toxins, she also begins developing strange powers and mutations.

blended image of Eric Kofi-Abrefa in BMF, Supacell, The Book of Clarence

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Aspects of The Fix mirror superhero origin stories and other parts are closer to The Fly and other body horror films. It makes for a unique, though sometimes cluttered, affair. Van Dien is excellent in the starring role, able to handle the fatalistic thoughts of her character at the beginning of the film, and making her decision to become someone willing to fight for the downtrodden feel honest.

What Comes Around (2023)

Anna

What Comes Around is a thrilling mystery movie starring Grace Van Dien as Anna, a 17-year-old, and Summer Phoenix as Beth, Anna's mother. Anna has been chatting with a man online, and on her birthday, "Eric" (Kyle Gallner) suddenly arrives at her house, revealing he is 28. While Anna seems unconcerned about the age difference, her mother is increasingly worried, and when it turns out Beth recognizes him from somewhere, What Comes Around becomes even more surprising.

There are several twists and turns in What Comes Around, with each one even more shocking, or absurd, depending on your viewpoint, from the last.

There are several twists and turns in What Comes Around, with each one even more shocking, or absurd, depending on your viewpoint, from the last. It's hard to guess in what direction the film is going until the very end and even the characters seem surprised at the result. Van Dien is great as Anna. She's smart enough so that we're not completely concerned for her but naive enough that it makes sense she could be being groomed by this older man.

The Binge (2020)

Lena

The Binge is a parody comedy based on The Purge franchise of movies. In The Binge, all alcohol and drugs are restricted in the United States except for one 12-hour period every year. During this period, people can drink, inhale, and take whatever they want to be on for that time. Vince Vaughn leads a cast of mostly lesser-known, but still plenty talented, stars. Grace Van Dien appears in the main cast as Lena, Principal Carleson's (Vaughn) daughter.

Grace Van Dien reunites with another Stranger Things season 4 newcomer, Eduardo Franco, who plays Argyle.

The love interest in the film, Van Dien also gets to show off her comedic chops, and it turns out she's just as good with the quick comedy as she has with the darker, more dramatic roles she's known for. While the film flew mostly under the radar, it's a throwback to classic teen comedies of the 2000s, and its sequel, It's a Wonderful Binge, is a pretty funny sequel, though Van Dien is not a part of it.

The Village (2019)

Katie Campbell (10 Episodes, 2019)

Grace Van Dien appears in the main cast of The Village as Katie Campbell, the teen daughter of Nick Porter (Warren Christie) and Sarah Campbell (Michaela McManus). The drama series only lasted for one season and follows the residents of an apartment building in Brooklyn who have grown to become their own family, a "village", as it were. In the pilot, Katie is revealed to be pregnant and struggles to share the news with her mother.

Katie is also unaware that Nick is her father, giving her two major life events to deal with. While the setup and characters of The Village are fun, its desire to be more of a drama than a light comedy sometimes veers into melodrama and the intense setups and situations can feel overly saccharine. It's a strong performance from Van Dien, however, who has some heavy plotlines to get through and manages to work through them as well as any of the adult actors.

Charlie Says (2018)

Sharon Tate

Charlie Says is a biographical drama starring Matt Smith as the eponymous Charles Manson, with the story told through the eyes of Leslie "Lulu" Van Houten (Hannah Murray), one of his most devout followers. The film traces Lulu's introduction to Charles "Charlie" at Spahn Ranch and goes through the Tate murders and the LaBianca murders, and officially ends years later with most of the Manson family behind bars and Lulu coming to realize she had been misled by Manson.

Van Dien certainly looks the part, which goes a long way to setting us in the horrific scene.

Grace Van Dien has a small, but crucial, role as Sharon Tate. Van Dien certainly looks the part, which goes a long way to setting us in the horrific scene. During the murders, she desperately pleads for her unborn child to no avail, and it is a harrowing scene, in part thanks to her acting. Van Dien also plays Tate in movie scenes, doing an impressive job of recreating the late actress's screen presence.

Greenhouse Academy (2017-2020)

Brooke Osmond (24 Episodes, 2017-2018)

Grace Van Dien plays Brooke Osmond for the first two seasons of Greenhouse Academy but booked The Village when it appeared that the show would not continue. It was quietly renewed, however, and Danika Yarosh was cast in the role. The Netflix drama is based on an Israeli series called Greenhouse, and is set in a boarding school meant for gifted and intelligent students who the school believes will someday be important leaders.

Grace Van Dien's Notable Roles
Movie/TV Show	Role
The Fix (2024)	Ella McPhee
What Comes Around (2023)	Anna
The Binge (2020)	Lena
The Village (2019)	Katie Campbell
Charlie Says (2018)	Sharon Tate
Greenhouse Academy (2017-2018)	Brooke Osmond

Brooke is the daughter of the school's dean, and a member of the Eagles, one of two competing houses that students at Greenhouse Academy are separated into. An intriguing mystery with a lot of clichés and tropes associated with the teen mystery genre, Greenhouse Academy is a solid enough series and feels heavily informed by Stranger Things, making it a perfect fit for Van Dien.

Grace Van Dien's Other Roles

Van Dien Has Had One-Episode Performances In Notable Series

Grace Van Dien's other notable television roles, beyond Chrissy in Stranger Things, include several one-episode appearances. She played Tori in What Just Happened??! with Fred Savage, Olivia in The Rookie, and Tally in Immoral Compass. She also notably debuted on screen in the reality series, I Married a Princess, which starred her father, Casper Van Dien, and his second wife, Catherine Oxenberg. As for movie roles, Van Dien's only other major film is Patient Seven, a horror anthology where she plays "Patient 5" in one of the segments.

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