Blonde eye catcher and Stranger Things standout Grace Van Dien isn’t just a talented actress—she’s also Hollywood royalty.
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Van Dien rose to fame after playing Chrissy Cunningham in the premiere of Stranger Things Season 4.
Chrissy was a cheerleader who seemed to have it all. However, she struggled with depression and low self-esteem due to emotional abuse from her mom. This made her a target for the season’s big bad, Vecna.
That said, Van Dien didn’t just come out of nowhere.
The 28-year-old star is a certified nepo baby, being the child of Starship Troopers hero Casper Van Dien and The Bold and the Beautiful’s Carrie Mitchum. And yes, Grace Van Dien’s mom is the grandchild of Hollywood legend Robert Mitchum.
Besides Stranger Things, Van Dien has appeared in other shows such as Greenhouse Academy and The Village, according to IMDb. As a child, she was featured on the Lifetime reality show I Married a Princess alongside her father and former stepmother, Catherine Oxenberg, a Dynasty alum.
Van Dien has also carved out a niche where her famous family doesn’t pull rank: Twitch. She’s built a loyal following of over 300,000 as an avid gamer.
Grace Van Dien Set to Star in Upcoming Horror Film
That said, Grace Van Dien has her next move lined up.
Deadline recently announced that Van Dien will headline The Swallow, a backwoods horror film by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer (directors of the recent Pet Sematary remake). The movie recently finished principal photography in Oregon, USA.
Van Dien plays Ziggy, who heads out on a camping trip with four friends to a remote forest. Things take a turn when they wander into a restricted area and unleash a terrifying force. The forest floor comes alive, swallowing everything in its path. With nowhere to run, every step could be their last—talk about a trip gone wrong…
The Swallow is written and directed by Kölsch and Widmyer and produced by James Harris (47 Meters Down), Josh Goldbloom (V/H/S), and John Finemore (Watcher). The cast includes Jack Wright (A Bloody Night), Tayler Buck (Annabelle: Creation), and Kalama Epstein (The Fabelmans).
Directors Kölsch and Widmyer haven’t helmed a film since 2019’s Pet Sematary. Their debut film, 2014’s Starry Eyes, won awards at SXSW.
The Swallow will likely drop sometime in 2026.