Erin Kellyman Is Discovering Who She Is—On the Big Screen, as an Actress, and Across All Genres.

      Don't misunderstand Erin Kellyman; she is genuinely excited to be here. However, the 26-year-old actress isn't particularly fond of being in the limelight, and now she finds herself under a glaring spotlight. “This industry feels very contradictory to who I am,” the soft-spoken actress shares with me during a video call. Kellyman, with her freckled face and vibrant, curly hair, is in a significant growth phase both personally and professionally—but beneath the glamour, she is a family-oriented person who enjoys her dog, writing scripts, and watching crime shows with her co-stars. (More on that later.) It’s 2 p.m. in her time zone and 9 a.m. in mine. She has traded her recent Loewe outfits (she stars in the brand's latest campaign) for a relaxed tee; the Birmingham, England-born starlet’s freckles glimmering just as they did during an early viewing of Eleanor the Great—Scarlett Johansson's directorial debut and Kellyman’s most pivotal role to date.

      Earlier this spring, Kellyman expressed to The Upcoming that she was “honestly horrified” about the imminent release of Eleanor. “The idea of so much footage of me being out there… it's unprecedented,” she explains. “I feel like this is the first time there’s a bit [of me] to look at.” You see, most of Kellyman's experience in the film industry has consisted of smaller roles in notable projects—such as the BBC’s Les Misérables and Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. However, this film by Johansson represents numerous new experiences for Kellyman, including acting alongside leading lady June Squibb and collaborating with a first-time director. Although Eleanor received a lengthy standing ovation at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Kellyman has had to mentally prepare herself for the amount of screen time. “I feel incredibly blessed every day to be pursuing this career because it’s been a dream since I was about 13,” the emerging actress jokes. “But sometimes my younger self creeps up, and I think, ‘Oh gosh, what have I done?’”

      I can see that youthful Erin's smile shining in Kellyman's eyes as I mention that, firstly, I would have never guessed her British background based on her impeccable American accent (she attributes this to her childhood of mimicking Disney Channel shows like Hannah Montana and That’s So Raven), and secondly, that I arrived at the office with black tear tracks after witnessing her moving performance as Nina—a college sophomore seeking recognition from her famous father (that she exists, that her mother once did, that she would achieve something). “Oh my god, I'm so sorry!” she cheerfully replies. Although her character's storyline greatly contrasts with her own, Kellyman resonated emotionally with Nina’s journey in this blend of comedy and drama. “You meet her and she's incredibly insecure, struggling to express herself,” she describes. “It’s as though she’s constantly stuttering and doubting, but by the end of the film, she truly discovers herself and finds her voice.”

      As a self-described “extremely introverted and anxious child,” maneuvering through this enigmatic and glamorous industry has posed a challenge for the actress, who had to develop her confidence in front of cameras on her own. (“None of my family is involved in this industry; no one knows how it works,” she notes.) But while her character's family is fragmented, she credits her own (as well as her “family unit” made up of her co-stars) as her main support system during this thrilling experience. “First of all, my mum raised me well, so I already have a strong work ethic,” she laughs. “And then of course, June and Scarlett were involved, which made it feel like a dream just to audition.”

      That said, Johansson’s ensemble gave Kellyman confidence in the project from the very beginning. “Right from that first callback, [Johansson] was so confident—she knew exactly what she wanted,” she recalls. “There was never any doubt about the film she was creating. She exuded confidence.” Another wise decision from Johansson as a director was pairing Broadway veteran Squibb with Kellyman. “We didn’t have a chemistry test or anything; it just worked out, thank goodness,” she tells me. According to Kellyman, Johansson doesn’t quite believe in the practice—if you’re a good actor, the chemistry should naturally exist. “Fortunately, it was there long before we started shooting,” she adds. When they weren’t on set, they found themselves at Squibb’s apartment watching crime shows, just like old friends. “You know how some friendships exist in comfortable silence? It was like that,” she remembers.

      However, Eleanor is not the only project Kellyman has been working on lately. The rising star landed a role in the apocalyptic horror film 28 Years Later, the third installment of the