The 10-year-old actress joined Variety over Zoom from her Los Angeles hotel room the morning after the premiere of “Other Mommy, wearing a jacket with her character’s name, Bela, printed on the front. Clark plays the daughter of Ursula (Jessica Chastain) and Russ (Jay Duplass), a young girl terrorized by a sinister figure who looks just like her mother, known as the titular Other Mommy. Released on Friday, the Rob Savage-directed film debuted at No. 1, earning $12.6 million domestically on its opening day.
This is Clark’s first leading role, and she’s just getting started. For Clark, who previously played a younger version of Amanda Seyfried’s character in the 2025 film “The Housemaid,” “Other Mommy” marks her first time leading a feature film. Clark might specialize in frightening audiences, but she’s not easily frightened herself.
I like all the creepy stuff,” she replies when asked what scares her the most. When she’s not acting, Clark takes sailing and swimming lessons — the latter of which came in handy for “Other Mommy” — and spends much of her free time reading. Before even landing the role of Bela, she read the film’s source material, Josh Malerman’s 2024 novel “Incidents Around the House,” in just three days.
By her second audition, she was well prepared, though the story still managed to get under her skin. But a few chills have never held her back. In fact, she’s a certified thrill-seeker at just 10 years old, even when it comes to her love for reading.
Her favorite book is “Bunnicula,” a vampire rabbit set on a series of paranormal adventures, and she’s currently reading one of Jeff Kinney’s “Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories” books, which she proudly holds up to the camera. Combine that with her work on “Other Mommy” and “The Housemaid,” and she’s officially earned her status as a horror aficionado. Though she excels in the genre, she’s not quite ready to limit herself to it just yet.
She aspires to venture into science fiction, particularly a potential sequel to “E.T.,” which would give her the chance to fulfill her dream of working with Steven Spielberg. Perhaps the film will also feature an appearance from yet another dream collaborator: Rocky, the beloved alien from “Project Hail Mary.” “Maybe Rocky and E.T. could be friends, because they’re both aliens, right?” Clark ponders. Whether she’s facing a terrifying doppelgänger, diving into a massive water tank or imagining supernova adventures, Clark is eager to try just about anything.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
