# Caylee Cowan
**Caylee Cowan** (born Catherine Caylee Cowan, 1998) is an American film actress and producer known for playing Penelope in *Frank and Penelope* (2022), appearing opposite [Nicolas Cage](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicolas-cage) in *Willy's Wonderland* (2021), and supporting roles in *Spinning Gold* (2023) and *Divinity* (2023).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9090581/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Catherine Caylee Cowan; goes by Caylee[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9090581/) • [4](https://www.naludamagazine.com/interview-with-talented-frank-and-penelope-actress-caylee-cowan/) |
| Born | 1998, Los Angeles, California; raised in Phoenix, Arizona[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9090581/) • [3](https://voyagela.com/interview/meet-caylee-cowan-triple-c-entertainment-hollywood/) |
| Film debut | Jan Hurst in *Sunrise in Heaven*, released April 9, 2019 and on Netflix April 1, 2020[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9090581/) |
| Breakout lead | Penelope in *Frank and Penelope* (2022), directed by Sean Patrick Flanery, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9090581/) |
| Producing | Producer of the refugee documentary *The Peace Between* (2019); executive producer of *Fast Charlie* (2023) and *The Beast Within* (2024)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9090581/) |
| Partner | Casey Affleck; first linked in November 2021[5](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/how-caylee-cowan-and-casey-affleck-support-each-other-excl/) |
| Upcoming | *The Possession at Gladstone Manor* (2026) with Jesse Metcalfe and Lin Shaye; *Company* (2026), directed by Casey Affleck[6](https://www.numeronetherlands.com/in-conversation-with/in-conversation-with-caylee-cowan) • [8](https://www.imdb.com/fr/name/nm9090581/news/) |
## Early life and training
Cowan was born in Los Angeles and raised in [Phoenix, Arizona](https://www.edgepedia.org/phoenix-arizona). She moved back to Los Angeles after turning 18 and, within six months, signed with a talent agency and began auditioning for feature films and television.[3](https://voyagela.com/interview/meet-caylee-cowan-triple-c-entertainment-hollywood/) She has described a difficult childhood: her mother worked three jobs while the family was on food stamps and the house was foreclosed on, and her father was not in the picture.[2](https://voyagela.com/interview/meet-caylee-cowan-of-los-angeles/)
She attended 11 different schools and was dyslexic with a speech impediment, but had overcome both by high school, when she was in advanced placement classes and ahead in math and science.[2](https://voyagela.com/interview/meet-caylee-cowan-of-los-angeles/) She began acting in community theater, with early small parts including a chorus member, an attendant to Artemis, and a tree in *A Midsummer Night's Dream*.[4](https://www.naludamagazine.com/interview-with-talented-frank-and-penelope-actress-caylee-cowan/) Before film, she performed in stage productions of *Three Sisters* by [Anton Chekhov](https://www.edgepedia.org/anton-chekhov), *The Glass Menagerie* by [Tennessee Williams](https://www.edgepedia.org/tennessee-williams), *Danny in the Deep Blue Sea* by [John Patrick Shanley](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-patrick-shanley), and *Miss Julie* by August Strindberg.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9090581/) She performed at the Valley Youth Theater in Arizona, the same theater where Emma Stone performed, and began acting classes in October 2019 with casting director Matthew Barry.[9](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9090581/trivia/)
## Acting career
**Film debut.** In June 2018 Cowan was cast as Jan Hurst in *Sunrise in Heaven*, directed by Waymon Boone and co-starring [Corbin Bernsen](https://www.edgepedia.org/corbin-bernsen) and [Dee Wallace](https://www.edgepedia.org/dee-wallace). The film was shot in 11 days, released to the public on April 9, 2019, and reached Netflix on April 1, 2020.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9090581/) • [2](https://voyagela.com/interview/meet-caylee-cowan-of-los-angeles/) In October 2019 she was cast as Holly Martins in *Bad Detectives* (2021), and she played Becca in *Incision* (2020) and Kathy in *Willy's Wonderland* (2021), starring opposite Nicolas Cage.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9090581/)
**Lead roles.** In the summer of 2021 she was cast as Penelope, the female lead of *Frank and Penelope*, an indie horror-thriller directed by [Sean Patrick Flanery](https://www.edgepedia.org/sean-patrick-flanery) alongside [Johnathon Schaech](https://www.edgepedia.org/johnathon-schaech), Lin Shaye, and [Kevin Dillon](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-dillon); the film premiered in 2022 at the Cannes Film Festival.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9090581/) A critic reviewing the film for Movie Madness Podcast wrote that Cowan "commands our attention with a confident performance that makes us want to see where she turns up next."[7](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/frank_and_penelope) She played a supporting role as Felicity in *Divinity* (2023), which was in competition at the Sundance Film Festival, and appeared in *Spinning Gold* (2023) as Farrah.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9090581/)
**Recent and upcoming work.** Her credits since 2023 include *Holiday Twist* (2023), *Double Exposure* (2024) as Sara, and *Hollywood Grit* (2025) as Vivian Blake.[10](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/caylee-cowan/) In 2026 she stars as Jamie Black in *The Possession at Gladstone Manor*, a supernatural thriller with [Jesse Metcalfe](https://www.edgepedia.org/jesse-metcalfe) and [Lin Shaye](https://www.edgepedia.org/lin-shaye), and appears in *Mother and Me* as Casey Spencer.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9090581/) • [6](https://www.numeronetherlands.com/in-conversation-with/in-conversation-with-caylee-cowan) She also appears in *Company* (2026), an anthology mystery film directed by [Casey Affleck](https://www.edgepedia.org/casey-affleck) that is competing for the Golden Lion at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.[8](https://www.imdb.com/fr/name/nm9090581/news/)
## Producing
Cowan has worked behind the camera alongside her acting. In 2019 she produced *The Peace Between*, a short documentary on refugees.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9090581/) Her producing credits include co-executive producer on [Robert Rodriguez](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-rodriguez)'s *Hypnotic* (2023), executive producer on *Fast Charlie* (2023) starring [Pierce Brosnan](https://www.edgepedia.org/pierce-brosnan) and James Caan, and executive producer on *The Beast Within* (2024).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9090581/) She is also credited as a producer on *Company* and *Mother and Me* (both 2026).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9090581/)
## Personal life
Cowan has been in a relationship with actor Casey Affleck since November 2021, when the two were first seen together in Los Angeles. She told *Us Weekly* in 2024 that the pair support each other by reading each other's scripts and exchanging thoughts on storylines and characters when choosing projects.[5](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/how-caylee-cowan-and-casey-affleck-support-each-other-excl/) In August 2024 she launched a sustainable capsule collection with House of Tolaní, designed from outfits in her own wardrobe.[11](https://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/news/caylee-cowan-talks-her-collab-with-tolani-inspired-by-her-own-closet/) She has trained in mixed martial arts from a young age, including Karate, Taekwondo, Shotokan, and Krav Maga.[9](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9090581/trivia/)
## References
1. [Caylee Cowan, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9090581/)
2. [Meet Caylee Cowan, Voyage LA Magazine (November 4, 2022)](https://voyagela.com/interview/meet-caylee-cowan-of-los-angeles/)
3. [Meet Caylee Cowan of Triple C Entertainment in Hollywood, Voyage LA Magazine (August 13, 2019)](https://voyagela.com/interview/meet-caylee-cowan-triple-c-entertainment-hollywood/)
4. [Interview with "Frank and Penelope" Actress Caylee Cowan, Naluda Magazine (July 15, 2022)](https://www.naludamagazine.com/interview-with-talented-frank-and-penelope-actress-caylee-cowan/)
5. [How Caylee Cowan and Casey Affleck 'Support Each Other', Us Weekly (November 2, 2024)](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/how-caylee-cowan-and-casey-affleck-support-each-other-excl/)
6. [In Conversation with Caylee Cowan, Numéro Netherlands](https://www.numeronetherlands.com/in-conversation-with/in-conversation-with-caylee-cowan)
7. [Frank & Penelope, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/frank_and_penelope)
8. [Caylee Cowan – Actualités, IMDb News](https://www.imdb.com/fr/name/nm9090581/news/)
9. [Caylee Cowan – Trivia, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9090581/trivia/)
10. [Caylee Cowan, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/caylee-cowan/)
11. [Caylee Cowan Talks Her Collab With Tolani, Us Weekly (September 18, 2024)](https://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/news/caylee-cowan-talks-her-collab-with-tolani-inspired-by-her-own-closet/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Co to C*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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