Brief
10‑Year‑Old Arabella Olivia Clark Leads Horror Film ‘Other Mommy’
The young actress discusses her role, fears and future ambitions in a Variety interview.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Arabella Olivia Clark, a 10‑year‑old actress, joined Variety via Zoom from her Los Angeles hotel room the morning after the premiere of the horror film Other Mommy. She appears in a jacket printed with her character’s name, Bela, and talks about the movie’s release, her performance and personal interests.
What happened
Other Mommy, directed by Rob Savage, opened on Friday and topped the domestic box office, earning $12.6 million on its opening day. Clark plays the daughter of Ursula (Jessica Chastain) and Russ (Jay Duplass), a girl haunted by a doppelgänger that looks like her mother. The film is Clark’s first leading role after a supporting turn as a younger version of Amanda Seyfried’s character in the 2025 film The Housemaid.
What the report adds
Clark says she loves spiders, snakes and “all the creepy stuff,” adding that she also loves the dark and cannot think of anything that truly frightens her. She notes that her mother, Rachel Clark, is present off‑camera in the hotel room and describes her as always willing to try new things. Clark mentions that she took sailing and swimming lessons, the latter of which proved useful for a water‑tank scene in the movie.
What was said
When asked about her biggest fear, Clark replied, “I love spiders. I love snakes. I like all the creepy stuff,” as reported by Variety. Her mother added, “She’s always willing to try everything. Even if she can’t do something, she’s like, ‘Yeah, I’ll try that.’” Clark also shared that she read the source novel, Josh Malerman’s 2024 book Incidents Around the House, in three days to prepare for the role, and that she got “chills” during her second audition.
How it came about
Clark’s early career includes a supporting part in The Housemaid. For Other Mommy, she read the novel quickly, auditioned twice and was cast as the lead. She describes herself as a “certified thrill‑seeker” and mentions a love for horror literature such as Bunnicula and Jeff Kinney’s spooky stories. Looking ahead, Clark hopes to work in science‑fiction, citing a desire to appear in a sequel to E.T. and to collaborate with director Steven Spielberg.
Key facts
- Arabella Olivia Clark is 10 years old and stars as Bela in "Other Mommy". (variety.com)
- "Other Mommy" opened at No. 1 domestically, earning $12.6 million on its opening day. (variety.com)
- Clark says she loves spiders, snakes and the dark, and cannot think of anything that truly scares her. (variety.com)
- She read Josh Malerman’s novel "Incidents Around the House" in three days to prepare for the role. (variety.com)
- Clark hopes to work in science‑fiction and eventually with Steven Spielberg. (variety.com)
Sources
- [1] variety.com — originally reported as “‘Other Mommy’ Star Arabella Olivia Clark On Working With Jessica Chastain And Being Mentored By Mckenna Grace”
