Siena Agudong has been announced to play Sue Snell in Amazon’s upcoming series adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie, and last summer, she filmed for the upcoming film adaptation of Becky Albertalli’s 2017 YA novel The Upside of Unrequited as Mina Choi. In the Tubi original feature film Sidelined: The QB and Me last year, Siena played Dallas Bryan opposite Noah Beck as Drayton Lahey, and has returned for the upcoming sequel Sidelined 2: Intercepted. Amongst Siena’s extensive screen roles, she has played Melody Barnegat in Kevin Smith’s semi-autobiographical comedy film The 4:30 Movie, Young Billie Wesker in the live-action TV series Resident Evil (based on the video games), and in 2023, she filmed for the independent horror film What She Doesn’t Know, which is directed by Juan Pablo Arias Muñoz for an upcoming release. As well as working in live-action projects, Siena has voiceover experience, having voiced Izzy in Transformers: EarthSpark for Nickelodeon/Paramount. Speaking with us, Siena told us about being announced to play Sue Snell in the Amazon adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie, the upcoming film adaptation of The Upside of Unrequited and starring as Dallas Bryan in Sidelined: The QB and Me, and returning for the sequel.

It has been announced that you will be playing Sue Snell in Amazon’s upcoming series adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie; how familiar are you with the Carrie story, and what do you think the character will be like to play?

I never had the guts to read Carrie… until now. It is so surreal getting to play Sue in Mike Flanagan’s series adaptation. It’s extremely humbling and I am pinching myself that I get to join his team and honour King’s first novel.

Last summer, you filmed for the upcoming film adaptation of Becky Albertalli’s 2017 YA novel, The Upside of Unrequited, as Mina Choi, what can you tell us about this?

I play Mina Choi: a no BS, no social filter, rock band badass bassist who befriends one of the Peskin-Suso twins and falls in love with the other. It’s a story about the awkward and real realities of first loves and teenage kisses – a classic and beautiful Albertalli love letter to youth, relationships, and identity.

How would you describe your character, Dallas Bryan, in last year’s Tubi original feature film Sidelined: The QB and Me, and was there anything that drew you to the project?

It was Dallas’s confidence that drew me to the project. Tay Marley created this strong-willed female lead in her book, The QB Bad Boy and Me, and it inspired me. I wanted to watch a movie with a lead like Dallas when I was growing up, and learn from her lessons and self-assuredness. I was excited to bring Tay’s writing and story to life for those reasons, hoping someone watching would feel the same. As much as Sidelined is a cozy rom-com, it is also a coming-of-age movie that addresses what it means to be vulnerable.

What is it like getting into character as Dallas, and how is it filming opposite Noah Beck as Drayton Lahey and with the rest of the cast?

I enjoyed the preparation for this project. I trained and rehearsed with choreographer Jeffery Mortenson, whom I love and adore. The intensive dance rehearsals immersed me in Dallas’s world at the start, which made everything feel more authentic. I was so aware of my body and sensitive to my movement that it bled into my scenes. In terms of filming with Noah, I loved every bit. You always feel so lucky when you get to work with someone who loves showing up on set. This goes to the whole cast and crew, we have a star team.

How was it returning to set to film the upcoming sequel, Sidelined 2: Intercepted, and who do you think will enjoy watching Sidelined?

I have never experienced returning to a project for a sequel or another season. This time around, we could jump back in as a family, already knowing the rhythm of things. From the producers’ side, I was more involved in the creative process, having more connection to Dallas since the first movie. We had the chance to infuse our personal growth as individuals into the maturity of our characters as they began college.

How was your time working on Kevin Smith’s semi-autobiographical comedy film The 4:30 Movie as Melody Barnegat, and did you have any favourite scenes to film?

Working on Kevin’s The 4:30 Movie was so special. Because his team is full of his best friends, I remembered leaving the set hurting from laughter. It was a humbling experience when we found out we were based on real people. I have nothing but great things to say about Kevin, his team, and that film.

How did you prepare for playing Young Billie Wesker in Resident Evil (which was based on the video games) and how was it being part of the live-action TV series?

Besides becoming familiar with the games, a lot of the preparation that went into playing Billie had to do with the exploration of Billie’s past. I remember part of the breakdown described Billie as a young Hulk, constantly on the edge of blowing up. I am so proud of my time on set, it was a major step in my growth as an actor. I met many of my mentors on that project and learned a lot about what it meant to ‘let go’ in a scene. It was emotionally and physically demanding, but it only left me inspired and even more in love with the work. And also, I was geeking over the stunts and the entire stunt team.

As a voiceover actor, you voice Izzy in Transformers: EarthSpark for Nickelodeon/Paramount, how different do you find this to screen acting?

I loved voicing Izzy in Transformers: EarthSpark. It’s always been a dream of mine to do voiceovers, and I’m eager for the next opportunity to dive deeper into animation. I am still new to this world, but I approach voiceovers the same way as I do screen acting; if anything, I am even more active off-camera.

How did you originally get into acting and was it always something you wanted to do professionally?

Susie Mains, who is still my manager today, held a workshop on Kauai, where my sister and I met her for the first time. We later flew to LA, and with the incredible and impulsive support from my parents, we signed with her and our agents at AEFH. Auditions started flooding, and I was so blessed to book one early on. Jobs have not always been consistent, but the support always has been, and I can’t thank my family, coaches, and team enough for that. It’s not a job, but it is something I love that I am fortunate to make a career out of.

How do you like to spend your time away from your career, and what are some of your favourite films and TV shows to watch?

I love school. Although I am going an unconventional route, it might take me some additional years to complete college. School keeps me wide-eyed. I am also very active. Any free time I have, I’ll probably run for the water, trees, or friends and family. As an actor, you spend a lot of time in another’s reality, so I make an extra effort to stay present and fall in love with my own.

What advice would you give a young actor starting out in the industry?

The best lesson I have learned is to protect your passion and respect for what you love and who you work with. You can translate passion into hard work. And having respect for everyone is how you learn and connect. This industry requires patience, and it is important that you continue to grow as an individual; that way, you can find yourself in every role. Learn from everyone and everything on and off set.

Apart from Carrie, The Upside of Unrequited, and Sidelined 2: Intercepted, do you have any projects coming up that you can talk about, and what are you hoping the next few months bring for you?

In 2023, I filmed an independent horror film titled What She Doesn’t Know, directed by Juan Pablo Arias Muñoz, which I am so excited for. I can’t wait until it finds a home for viewers to watch it. Besides this, I want to emphasise how grateful I am for the support over the years. Thank you to everyone who is walking this journey with me. Onward and upward. Mahalo 🙂

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