Fans of the Twilight book series had spent years eagerly awaiting the movie adaptations.
Even besides getting to see the consummation of Bella and Edward's love on the big screen,
fans were just as excited to see the half-vampire child that resulted from that love.
In The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, a young actress by the name of Mackenzie Foy proved
to be a perfect fit for the part of Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson's fictional offspring,
Renesmee.
Only 11 at the time of her Twilight debut, Foy caught the attention of Hollywood and
more roles followed.
From playing an innocent half-vampire to starring in a highly-anticipated live-action retelling
of a classic ballet, Foy has evolved into a stunning actress whose star is officially
on the rise.
Typical tot
Prior to being discovered by Hollywood, baby Foy was just like any other toddler.
The actress shared a sweet glimpse into her life pre-fame on Instagram, joking,
"#TBT to when I was three!!!
Yah black eye and big belly that's how I rolled."
Given that Foy kicked off her career at that same age, it wouldn't be long before she was
spotted by talent scouts.
Early success
Before Renesmee ever came into being onscreen, Foy caught her first career break by chance.
According to USA Today, a talent scout spotted the then-three year old at a dance recital,
kicking off Foy's career as a child model.
Foy alluded to her modeling roots on Instagram in 2017, sharing a nostalgic portfolio pic
of herself standing in a field of flowers.
"#tbt to little me at a photoshoot for @garnethillpics," the now-actress captioned the shot.
Foy followed up those modeling gigs with commercial work - the young actress got her start making
commercials for Barbie, Pantene, Blackberry, and even Disney.
In 2009, though, Foy landed her first episodic part in the TV series 'Til Death.
"I can't think of anything."
"Huh.
Well, you know what's always good?
Cash.
How much you want?"
"Um, I don't know.
Ten dollars?"
Roles on the shows Flashforward and Hawaii Five-O followed in 2010 before Foy snagged
the role of a lifetime in the Twilight franchise.
From supernatural to super-scary
If you're the type who likes to have the wits scared out of you, 2013's horror film The
Conjuring should be on your watch-list.
Not only is it a stellar example of the possession genre, but it also features Foy in her first
big role following the Twilight films.
She plays Cindy, one of the several daughters in a rural farmhouse with a decidedly unwanted
supernatural guest.
Making the film even more interesting is the fact that Foy and the rest of the cast and
crew endured strange experiences on and around the set in North Carolina.
Director James Wan told Collider,
"I don't want to make up fake stuff, but it has been really weird some of the stuff that
I have been hearing.
[...] Even Vera [Farmiga] has said from the moment she came to do this movie, she'd always
wake up between the period from 3 to 4 in the morning."
Spoiler: that specific hour has a lot of significance in the film.
Co-star friendships
Fortunately for Foy, she made it out of The Conjuring without falling prey to any personal
hauntings.
And, apparently, filming such an intense movie makes for a great bonding experience between
co-stars - Foy became fast friends with actress Joey King, who played one of her sisters in
the movie.
The two kept in touch, and King frequently pops up on Foy's Instagram feed.
Given how much the girls have in common, their friendship is a natural fit.
Both hail from Los Angeles and are close in age.
They both appeared in commercials before finding fame.
On film, they both appeared on R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour and lent their voices to
the animated movie The Boxcar Children.
Twinsies!
Real best friend
Joey King may come and go on Foy's social media, but there's one presence who remains
constant: Foy's dog, Firefly.
The pooch could not be cuter - or a better friend to the young star.
It's obvious they spend every spare moment together that Foy's burgeoning career allows.
They take selfies.
They go on road trips.
They channel the luck of the Irish with matching green apparel on St. Patrick's Day.
Foy even coordinated her Halloween outfit to Firefly's, with the precious pair dressing
up as an angel and devil, respectively.
TaeKwonDo-n't mess with her
Don't let Foy's delicate beauty fool you - this girl is fierce.
She's been practicing martial arts since she was a child and has even earned her black
belt.
During a 2014 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Foy chatted with the
host about her favorite hobby.
"When I'm not working or doing school, I'm at TaeKwon-Do."
"Oh that's right, and you actually just got your black belt, am I wrong?"
"Yes."
After this revelation, she demonstrated her considerable talent by hilariously taking
Fallon down using a self-defense move from the sport.
Out of this world
In 2014, another huge role came along for Foy as the brainy daughter of Matthew McConaughey's
character in the space adventure Interstellar.
Along with McConaughey, the young star appeared in the film alongside two other Hollywood
heavy-hitters: Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway, both of whom Foy clearly holds in high regard.
Of Hathaway, Foy told Vanity Fair,
"Anne told me not to judge myself so hard when I see movies, and to see it as myself
progressing.
Which is incredible advice, and she's such an amazing person.
I just love her so much."
Chastain and Foy got to know each other on set while creating their shared character.
Foy explained their creative process, saying,
"Just little things that we do with our hands, facial expressions, with like the pencil [behind
the ear], always having a messy bun."
Gilmore girl?
In July 2016, Foy posted a photo to Instagram that sent fans into a frenzy.
The pic featured Foy, alongside Gilmore Girls' Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel which was
captioned "Soooo this happened!!!"
Given the fact that Foy looks eerily similar to the two women, rumors she could soon become
a Stars Hollow resident started circulating.
Alas, fans will have to put a pin in that idea.
International Business Times' Megan Schaefer did a bit of internet sleuthing when the speculation
started, and discovered a perfectly logical reason for the run-in.
The women were all working on Netflix productions at the time - Graham and Bledel on the Gilmore
Girls miniseries, and Foy on The Little Prince.
So, long story short, the women likely won't turn up as family onscreen - but they're all
part of the Netflix family.
Twilight reunion
Because Hollywood is such a small world, Kristen Stewart and her former onscreen offspring,
Foy, enjoyed a mini-reunion in March 2018.
The backdrop for this blast from the past was the limited-edition Chanel Beauty House
pop-up in L.A., which the stars attended separately.
And so, six years after the release of the final Twilight film, Stewart and Foy came
together once more for a nostalgic photo opp.
It's not surprising the two would be happy to see each other.
Foy has spoken frequently over the years about the fondness she carries for her older costar.
In 2012, Foy told MTV of Stewart and Robert Pattinson:
"They're really, really sweet.
They weren't so much as like brother/sister, they're more as super sweet friends."
Foy went on to say that both stars were always very kind to her during filming, even if they
weren't exactly as parental as their fictional counterparts.
The Nutcracker
The future holds big things for Foy, starting with the role of a lifetime - the lead in
Walt Disney Pictures live-action retelling of The Nutcracker.
Foy stars as Clara, a little girl tasked with taking care of a very special Nutcracker Christmas
doll.
The movie adaptation is based on the Alexandre Dumas version of The Nutcracker.
As she did in Interstellar with Matthew McConaughey and in Twilight with Kristen Stewart, Foy
shares the Nutcracker screen with veteran stars of Hollywood.
Keira Knightley brings the Sugar Plum Fairy to life, Morgan Freeman stars as Drosselmeyer,
and Helen Mirren plays Mother Ginger.
Suffice it to say that Foy is pretty pumped about landing her part.
When the news of the casting broke in July 2016, the starlet took to Instagram to express
her joy, saying, "I'm so excited and honored to be a part of this amazing film.
A new adventure begins."
She seems to be taking her research seriously, too.
In December 2016, she shared a photo on Instagram of the Royal Opera House in London.
The production?
The Nutcracker ballet, of course!
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