All About Alisha Weir, the Actress Playing Dracula's Daughter in Horror FilmAbigail

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty

Alisha Weir is showing off her horror chops as she stars in the title role ofAbigail.

In the movie, Weir plays a wealthy man’s daughter who is kidnapped and held for ransom, only for the criminals involved to discover that she’s not a typical 12-year-old girl.

Since she’s best known for playing Matilda in Netflix’sRoald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, her latest role allows audiences to see a new side of her. And according toAbigailproducer William Sherak, casting her in the movie was an easy choice after seeing her audition on Zoom alongside costar Melissa Barrera.

“She’s remarkable. She’s talented and professional and engaged and excited, but still a kid. She just delivered," Sherak told Philippines news outletPageOne.

So, who is Alisha Weir? Keep reading to learn more about this talented teen and her role in the new horror flick.

She grew up in Ireland

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She’s the youngest of three

Dan Smith/Netflix

The young actress has two older sisters, Katie and Emma Jane, who are also interested in the performing arts.

“Her eldest sister Katie has just graduated from musical theatre in college,” Weir’s mom Jenny told theIrish Examinerin November 2022. “And the middle child, Emma Jane, just started UCD doing film, music, and drama as well. The three of them have a passion for it.”

TheMatildaactress also seems to be quite close with her older sisters, and she often appears in Katie’sTikTok videos.

She cried the moment she landed the role of Matilda

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Weir was sitting with her family when she received a surprising Zoom call fromMatilda the Musicaldirector Matthew Warchus.

“He told me I got the part, and my whole family was there,” Weir told theIrish Examiner.“My two sisters, my mom and dad, and I just burst into tears because I don’t think you can expect what kind of reaction you’re going to get in that situation. I burst into tears because I just couldn’t believe it.”

Her sister Katie caught the moment on camera andposted it on TikTok. The sweet clip has received over 1.8 million likes since then.

She starred alongside Emma Thompson

In 2021, Netflix revealed that the film version of the Tony Award-winningMatilda the MusicalcastEmma Thompsonas Miss Agatha Trunchbull, the evil school principal.

In an interview withSunday World, Weir recalled meeting and working with Thompson.

“The first time I met Emma, she wasn’t in costume, and she was so lovely,” Weir said. “Then I saw her as Trunchbull, and she was terrifying. I’m tiny compared to her in these huge boots. It was really scary because she is so good at the part and makes it feel so realistic, but after the scene, she is lovely again.”

Weir’s affection for Thompson appears to have extended past filming, with the teensharing snaps of the two togetherat the New York City premiere ofMatilda. “I love these pictures so so much ❤️❤️,” Weir wrote in the caption.

Along with Thompson,Matilda the Musicalalso starsLashana Lynchas Miss Honey andStephen Grahamas Matilda’s father.

She’s a talented singer

Weir isn’t onlyan actress; she’s a singer too. Before becoming Matilda, Weir appeared onThe Late Late Toy Showand performed a rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors” in 2017.

She also sings on the tracks “Miracle,” “Naughty,” “When I Grow Up” and “Quiet” from theMatilda the Musicalsoundtrack.

Her mother Jenny told theIrish Examinerof Weir’s musical talents, “She was always natural to it. She used to follow the girls around, singing. She used to go into the singing classes with the two girls, and she would know all the words of all the songs, as if she was doing the class herself.”

She starred in a film with Olivia Colman

While Matilda may be her biggest role to date, Weir is set to star in more motion pictures. She also appears in the comedyWicked Little Letters,which was released in theaters on March 29, 2024. The film features Oscar nominee Jessie Buckley and Oscar winnerOlivia Colman.

“I play Jessie Buckley’s daughter, and it was so amazing,” Weir told theIrish Examiner.“It was completely different to Matilda. I love seeing how different it can be working on different sets with different people.”

She plays the titular character in the 2024 horror movieAbigail

Bernard Walsh/Universal Pictures

InAbigail, which hits theaters on April 19, 2024, Weir joins a cast that includes Barrera and Giancarlo Esposito. The movie also stars the late Angus Cloud in one of his final roles before his July 2023 death.

During an appearance onGood Day Atlanta, Weir admitted that she was curious if filming a horror movie would be “really scary” like it can be while watching one, but she discovered that the opposite was true.

“It’s fun, and it’s crazy, and it’s bloody. But it’s exciting, and it’s the complete opposite of scary, honestly,” she said.

She attendedWicked’s European premiere

Alisha Weir attends the European premiere of “Wicked” at The Royal Festival Hall on November 18, 2024 in London, England.Kate Green/Getty

Kate Green/Getty

Ahead of the highly anticipated release of the movie musicalWicked, Weir walked the green carpet at the film’s European premiere in November 2024.

Sharing photos from the event onInstagram, Weir wrote in her caption, “So unbelievably grateful for last night! This movie is EVERYTHING and more!”

source: people.com