Quick Links

Stranger Things helped launch the career of its young protagonists, but the story went a little differently for Madelyn Cline.

The actress — who next stars in a little movie you might've heard of, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery — played a small role in the second season of the sci-fi show created by the Duffer brothers.

Yet, appearing on an already well-established series didn't give Cline the chance to shine. The actress played a small role, appearing in two episodes as Tina, a Hawkins High student who throws an epic Halloween bash.

Madelyn Cline Played Tina In Stranger Things

We don't know much about Tina, except that she (much like other girls at school) lusts over the new kid in town, Billy (Dacre Montgomery), Max's (Sadie Sink) older stepbrother.

The character can be seen in 'Chapter One: MADMAX' and 'Chapter Two: Trick or Treat, Freak' of season two. While in the first episode she is with her friends as Billy makes his grand entrance at school, in the second, Tina has a more prominent role as she is responsible for throwing the party of the year.

She hosts a legendary Halloween bash at her house (and on a school night, no less), also attended by Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Steve (Joe Keery), dressed up as Rebecca De Mornay and Tom Cruise in the 1983 dramedy Risky Business.

Playing Tina Made Madelyn Cline Realize A Crucial Thing About Her Career

Despite featuring on a popular show, Tina isn't obviously Cline's breakout role. She appeared in very few scenes, sporting darker hair which made her look a little different from how she looks now. To make things worse, the character she portrays isn't really involved in any major mystery.

However, playing Tina on Stranger Things made Cline realize she wanted to pursue a career in acting full-time and prompted her to move to Los Angeles.

At the time she filmed the show, Cline was still in college, splitting her time between classes and the sets of Stranger Things and The Originals, in which she starred in a three-episode arc.

"I think one of the most defining moments for me was when I was in college driving back and forth from Myrtle Beach to Atlanta to work on The Originals and Stranger Things, and I realized that something had to give," Cline said in an interview with Schön! 2020.

"I had run out of excused absences at school and I wanted to carry through with my studies, but in my heart, I knew I didn't want to continue splitting my time – I wanted to at least try to pursue it full-time. So, I ended up dropping out, packing my car up, and leaving for LA. It was one of those moments where it felt like there was absolutely no going back. It was terrifying and also the most exciting."

Madelyn Cline Had Her Big Break With Another Netflix Show

Cline's breakout role came with another Netflix production, the mystery teen drama Outer Banks, in which she plays co-lead Sarah Cameron.

"When I first read the pilot, I was hooked. It was like a good book in that when I finished it, I had to know what happened next," Cline shared with Schön!.

She also recalled the audition process is unusually fast.

"It just happened so fast. I had maybe one or two auditions, and usually, for a series regular role on a show, you would imagine that you have to jump through hoops," she told BuzzFeed last year.

Related: Fans Think Outer Banks Stars Madelyn Cline And Chase Stokes Quietly Reconciled

"Like, you'd have multiple first auditions, and then director sessions, and then producer sessions — usually you have to go through this entire process, but it was just two auditions and then they offered the job. At first, I was just like, 'Are you sure? Like, are you positive? I just don't think you guys thought about this enough.' But they were sure, and I was so excited that they were so passionate about me playing Sarah."

What Would Madelyn Cline Like To Happen In Season Three Of Outer Banks?

As a third season of Outer Banks is on the way, fans will soon get to know more about Sarah following the tragic events of season two.

Before the show was officially renewed, Cline shared her hopes for her character in an upcoming season, saying she would love to see Sarah doing her own thing.

"I want to see her step into some independence and I want to see her happy. Season two was just so heavy for her, and for everybody, it was just an adrenaline-fueled season," she said, adding that she would like for Sarah to have a "Rachel Green moment" where she'd have to find a job to deal with a tough situation in a normal way.

Madelyn Cline Plays Whiskey In Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

But before Outer Banks season three premieres next year, Cline stars in the hotly-anticipated follow-up to Knives Out, Glass Onion.

This second chapter sees Daniel Craig's detective Benoit Blanc try and solve a mystery during a weekend getaway organized by a tech mogul on his private island in Greece. Needless to say, the film boasts a star-studded cast, with Craig and Cline joined by Kate Hudson, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Dave Bautista, and Jessica Henwick. Cline plays Whiskey, Bautista's Duke girlfriend and YouTube partner.

"At the very end of [filming], we had a dinner and everybody went around and poured their heart out," Cline shared with BuzzFeed.

"I was like, 'Can I say one thing?' I meant it so much when I said it, but I told them all, 'I've grown up watching you guys. I've grown up admiring your work, and obviously this whole time we've been trying so hard not to fangirl, but it's been like the most amazing experience: To see you guys work, and to see you guys be so human, and so vulnerable, and also so welcoming, and so sweet, and so giving, and so fun.'

Related: What Fans Can Expect From Outer Banks Season 3

"It was honestly just such a cool experience. And I miss it so much."

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will have a limited theatrical release on November 23 before streaming on Netflix from December 23.