Maika Monroe is Ringer in The 5th Wave!

By: Lynn Barker

In The 5th Wave, young, blonde actress Maika Monroe who wowed and scared audiences in the horror film It Follows about a teen who, after hooking up with her boyfriend for the first time, learns she is cursed and followed by death in many forms, is totally unrecognizable as Ringer, a Goth-esque, dark-haired and tough girl fighting alien invaders. Ringer has lost her family in the invasion “waves” and covers her soft, damaged center with bravado.

We asked Maika who will also play the U.S. President’s daughter and love interest of Liam Hemsworth’s character in the big summer sci-fi thriller sequel Independence Day: Resurgence, about having fun looking and acting tough as Ringer in The 5^th Wave.

Kidzworld: Were you attracted to playing Ringer because she is just so different from you personally or from anyone you have played before? She’s a bad ass with a soft center. 

• Maika: Yes! I had never done anything like Ringer! I was attracted to her for her hard shell. I really appreciate tough, independent women.

Kidzworld: Me too! I was among the journalists in Albuquerque for the press conference last summer for Independence Day: Resurgence and you looked sooo different then than as Ringer. Did you try to fool any friends or freak them out with your Ringer look?

• Maika: I couldn’t fool any of my close friends, but my neighbors didn’t recognize me at all!

Kidzworld: Funny! I know you are very athletic. How much of your own stunts or fight action did you actually do and was there a boot camp for the actors in the squad?

• Maika: I did all the stunts I was allowed to do, myself. All the actors in the squad participated in a two-week long boot camp that really got us into shape.

Kidzworld: Was anyone injured while filming?

• Maika: Nobody was ‘injured’ but we were always very sore.

Kidzworld: Who was the jokester or prankster on set?

• Maika: The whole squad (Squad 53..young people vs. the alien invaders) was a bunch of pranksters! We would be in our army costumes playing laser tag with our flashlights that were connected to our suits. I scared a lot of people! It was so much fun.

Kidzworld: Sounds like a blast! Ringer is pretty brave. What is something kind of brave that you have done?

• Maika: I finished my last semester of high school online so I could move to the Dominican Republic to train as a professional kite boarder. I lived there for seven months.

Kidzworld: Cool but kind of scary too! What do you especially love about kiteboarding?

• Maika: When I’m out on the water it’s sort of an escape. It’s all I’m thinking about. I’m not concerned about anything else in the world. It’s so liberating.

Kidzworld: I think, like all the young people in the movie, Ringer doesn’t really trust anyone. Do you find that, as a young actress in Hollywood, that it is also hard to really trust people?

• Maika: I have a really close group of friends that I’ve had for years. They are really great, I trust them tremendously.

Kidzworld: What was your favorite scene to shoot and why?

• Maika: I actually drove and picked up my costars in the Humvee and that was pretty fun.

Kidzworld: What did cast members do in Atlanta when not shooting? Any dinners?

• Maika: We would make food for each other on days we didn't go out to eat. We also played a lot of board games.

Kidzworld: Anything else coming up for you besides Independence Day that we should watch for?

• Maika: I’ve got a few indies to look out for so keep your eyes peeled!

Kidzworld: Why do you think tweens and teens would especially enjoy this film?

• Maika: The romantic connections between the characters are really unique.

Check out The 5^th Wave in theaters this Friday, January 22^nd!

 

 

Have Your Say

Did you read “The 5^th Wave” novel? Do you think you could toughen up and fight invading aliens? Do you like films with lots of action? Leave a comment!