The most recent season of Stranger Things has been a smashing success for Netflix, as it’s managed to destroy viewership records for an English language show – the premiere garnered a whopping 287 million hours of viewership and still holds the record, and it is second only to Squid Game for any Netflix program!
While the fourth season of Stranger Things held a lot of highlights, the new additions to the cast perhaps attracted the most fanfare.
Actors like Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna/Henry/001), Joseph Quinn (Eddie Munson), Tom Wlaschiha (Dmitri “Enzo” Antonov), and of course, Grace Van Dien (Chrissy Cunningham) have quickly become fan-favorite characters despite their fates within the events of the latest season.
Grace Van Dien as Chrissy Cunningham in the fourth season of Stranger Things (Credit: Netflix)
But how did Grace Van Dien, specifically, land the role of Chrissy Cunningham?
How Did Grace Van Dien Get Her Start in Hollywood?
Grace Van Dien was born in Los Angeles, California, the epicenter of the American film industry. She is the daughter of Hollywood actor Casper Van Dien, who is perhaps most famous for his roles in several 90s films, particularly the cult classic Starship Troopers (1997).
Her mother, Carrie Mitchum, also comes from a film background as the granddaughter of famous Golden Age Hollywood actor Robert Mitchum.
Casper Van Dien with daughter Grace at the Roost premiere during the 47th Toronto International Film Festival on September 15, 2022 (Credit: Julien Reynaud / ABACA / INSTARimage / Cover Images)
Because of her Hollywood parentage, many accusations of nepotism have been levied against the young Van Dien.
She herself responded to these accusations in an interview with The Washington Post, stating: “I love my dad. I love that I have someone to guide me through this rollercoaster of an industry… Does that single-handedly book me the job? No. And I wouldn’t want it to. But I find it so awesome.”
In fact, Van Dien initially did not want to pursue a career as an actress, telling People magazine: “I wanted to go to college and become a writer, and I didn’t want to be a part of this world at all.”
The cast of the tween drama television series Greenhouse Academy (Credit: Netflix)
Van Dien’s first major role was with Netflix as Brooke Osmond in the series Greenhouse Academy. She was 21 years old when she was cast, and she played the part in the first two seasons of the show, from 2017 to 2019.
In 2019, Van Dien departed the role of Brooke Osmond to take on the main role of Katie Campbell in the NBC series The Village, which unfortunately was canceled after only one season.
Grace Van Dien as Katie Campbell in the short-lived drama television series The Village (Credit: NBC)
She followed it up with smaller parts in a variety of films and episodic roles in television productions before finally landing the role of Chrissy Cunningham in the fourth season of Stranger Things, which premiered in May of 2022.
How Was Grace Van Dien Cast in Stranger Things?
Grace Van Dien’s familiarity with the Netflix studio undoubtedly helped contribute to her landing the role of Chrissy Cunningham in Stranger Things.
Chrissy is a popular high school cheerleader, and Van Dien’s cutesy blonde look felt natural for the role during the casting process.
Grace Van Dien as Chrissy Cunningham in the fourth season of Stranger Things (Credit: Netflix)
Her initial casting and character were announced via the official Stranger Things social media accounts on June 9, 2021, with many people speculating on just how her character would fit into the already established and beloved cast.
Do Chrissy Cunningham and Eddie Munson Love Each Other?
This is a question that gets brought up time and time again by fans of Stranger Things, and it’s clear to see why. Grace Van Dien and Joseph Quinn had chemistry in every scene that they were able to share in the most recent season.
In interviews on the subject, both actors confirmed that they believe that their characters did, indeed, have crushes on one another, although Chrissy was dating Jason Carver at the time.
Grace Van Dien as Chrissy Cunningham and Joseph Quinn as Eddie Munson in the fourth season of Stranger Things (Credit: Netflix)
Quinn described Chrissy and Eddie as “having been on the outskirts of falling in love” in an interview with TVLine. Van Dien also expressed that Chrissy would have probably left Jason for Eddie if she was able to appear in the second episode of the latest season.
Unfortunately, as we know, Chrissy Cunningham met her gruesome fate at the end of the first episode, so her and Eddie’s romance was never able to reach fruition.
Grace Van Dien as Chrissy Cunningham in the fourth season of Stranger Things (Credit: Netflix)
Is Grace Van Dien Related to Scarlett Johansson?
Grace Van Dien’s appearance has also been widely compared to a young Scarlett Johansson, with many people on popular social media platforms making posts comparing the two side by side.
The comparison makes sense considering both Van Dien and Johansson have facial features common to their ancestral roots, with Van Dien having Scandinavian heritage from her father and Johansson having Danish heritage from her father, as well.
Grace Van Dien (R) looks like a young Scarlett Johansson (L), but they’re not related (Credit: S_bukley / Shutterstock / Kathy Hutchins)
Van Dien has become instantly recognizable for these features, which include her bright blue eyes, high cheekbones, and her toothy smile – all features that Johansson also shares.
We think she’s in pretty good company if she’s already drawing comparisons to Scarlett Johansson!
Grace Van Dien at German Comic Con held at Westfalenhallen in Dortmund, Germany on July 15, 2022 (Credit: CI / DDP / INSTARimages / Cover Images)
How Tall Is Grace Van Dien?
Grace Van Dien is 5ft 2 ½ tall or 158.8 cm.
How Old Is Grace Van Dien?
Grace Van Dien was born on October 15, 1996. She is currently 26 years old.
Is Grace Van Dien a Twitch Streamer?
Yes! Grace Van Dien recently launched her very own Twitch channel under her moniker “BlueFille” and began streaming.
She describes herself as an avid gamer, and she streams herself playing multiple different games such as Fortnite, Valorant, The Forest, and Overwatch.
Grace Van Dien at the world premiere of Charlie Says during the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival on May 2, 2019 (Credit: JOHN NACION / Startraksphoto)
Apparently, avid Twitch fans have been impressed with the quality of her gameplay, as she has shown excellent gaming skills.
This is exemplified by how quickly she has managed to amass followers on the platform, as well. In seemingly no time at all, Van Dien boasts of a follower count of 285,000 avid fans.
As you can see, there is certainly more than meets the eye when it comes to this young talented star. Her career has definitely managed to skyrocket due to her (relatively short-lived) role as Chrissy Cunningham in Stranger Things, and we’re excited to see whatever roles she manages to land in the future!
Grace Van Dien at the Roost premiere during the 47th Toronto International Film Festival on September 15, 2022 (Credit: Julien Reynaud / ABACA / INSTARimage / Cover Images)