Arabella Olivia Clark is proud to scare you.
The 10-year-old actress joined Variety over Zoom from her Los Angeles hotel room the morning after the premiere of “Other Mommy, wearing a jacket with her character’s name, Bela, printed on the front. Clark plays the daughter of Ursula (Jessica Chastain) and Russ (Jay Duplass), a young girl terrorized by a sinister figure who looks just like her mother, known as the titular Other Mommy.
Released on Friday, the Rob Savage-directed film debuted at No. 1, earning $12.6 million domestically on its opening day. This is Clark’s first leading role, and she’s just getting started.
For Clark, who previously played a younger version of Amanda Seyfried’s character in the 2025 film “The Housemaid,” “Other Mommy” marks her first time leading a feature film. Clark might specialize in frightening audiences, but she’s not easily frightened herself.
“I love spiders. I love snakes. I like all the creepy stuff,” she replies when asked what scares her the most. “I love the dark, so I don’t really know what I would be afraid of.”
Her mom, Rachel Clark, joins her off-camera in their L.A. hotel room, adding that nothing overtly frightening has ever held her back. “She’s always willing to try everything,” she says. “Even if she can’t do something, she’s like, ‘Yeah, I’ll try that.’”
Clark’s open mind and adventurous spirit extend well beyond the screen. When she’s not acting, Clark takes sailing and swimming lessons — the latter of which came in handy for “Other Mommy” — and spends much of her free time reading. Before even landing the role of Bela, she read the film’s source material, Josh Malerman’s 2024 novel “Incidents Around the House,” in just three days. By her second audition, she was well prepared, though the story still managed to get under her skin. “I got chills!” she shares.
But a few chills have never held her back. In fact, she’s a certified thrill-seeker at just 10 years old, even when it comes to her love for reading. Her favorite book is “Bunnicula,” a vampire rabbit set on a series of paranormal adventures, and she’s currently reading one of Jeff Kinney’s “Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories” books, which she proudly holds up to the camera. Combine that with her work on “Other Mommy” and “The Housemaid,” and she’s officially earned her status as a horror aficionado.
Though she excels in the genre, she’s not quite ready to limit herself to it just yet. She aspires to venture into science fiction, particularly a potential sequel to “E.T.,” which would give her the chance to fulfill her dream of working with Steven Spielberg. Perhaps the film will also feature an appearance from yet another dream collaborator: Rocky, the beloved alien from “Project Hail Mary.”
“Maybe Rocky and E.T. could be friends, because they’re both aliens, right?” Clark ponders.
Whether she’s facing a terrifying doppelgänger, diving into a massive water tank or imagining supernova adventures, Clark is eager to try just about anything. Below, she discusses filming “Other Mommy,” learning from Chastain and her mentor-like relationship with former child actress Mckenna Grace.
OTHER MOMMY, Arabella Olivia Clark, 2026. ph: Bernard Walsh /© Universal Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection
©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
“Other Mommy” scared me so bad! Were you scared while making it?
Well, Rob Savage was always making sure I felt safe on set, and Jessica and Jay were always showing me different things and telling me different stories and making funny faces.
What was it like getting to work with Jessica Chastain? I know you mentioned you had a lot of fun together behind the scenes.
Working with Jessica Chastain was a great experience. I spent time with her and her kids, and she’s a great mom. We were always going to the park and hiking and all that stuff. One time — well, a bunch of times — I was in her trailer, and she was also studying for Harvard. And I can’t believe it! She’s a mom, and also studying for Harvard and also filming a movie at the same time. I learned a lot from her.
What was one of your favorite memories that you have from being on set for “Other Mommy”?
One of my favorite memories is when Jessica did her witch cackle. She’s like, “OK everybody, it’s going to be loud.” And she did it, and I was so surprised. She could be a witch in a movie.
That part scared me! How did it not freak you out?
Well, once the camera’s rolling, it’s one thing. But when it’s not rolling, they’re all telling funny jokes or telling funny stories or showing me different pictures. Or taking pictures with me.
You were also in “The Housemaid,” which had me scared too. Do you love doing scary stuff?
I really do. Paul Feig was amazing. I played a young role of Amanda Seyfried, and I’m always gonna look up to her.
What is your favorite movie that Amanda’s done? I think my favorite is probably “Mamma Mia.”
That’s my favorite! And “Mean Girls.”
There’s a part in the movie where you play Other Bela, an evil version of your character. Which version was more fun to play?
Other Bela!
You should play a bad guy in your next horror movie.
Okay! I also want to do sci-fi. Like sharks and stuff. I like experiencing the stuff that’s not actually real. I want to go to space and then have aliens and octopuses and sharks in the movie. Like a whole sci-fi movie combined!
What’s your favorite sci-fi movie?
I love “The Meg.” And “Project Hail Mary,” the new one that just came out. I love Rocky! I want my own Rocky. I love science and doing all different projects and space. I would love to be in space. And I love reading spooky stories in the dark with a flashlight at night.
You’re only 10, and I still get scared at 23. You’re braver than I am!
Thank you! I love doing all the stunts. I got to do different flips and spins, and I love doing acrobatics. And I love the water scenes too, because I got to swim a lot, and that’s one of my hobbies. Swimming and sailing.
How did you film that scene in the water?
Arabella: It was a big, big pool. It was massive. It was a big tank that was, like, 20 feet down?
Rachel: It was 20 feet down. Watching her film in the water was one of the scariest moments as a mom, because the tank was pitch black. There were balls. She had that Sherpa hoodie on, pulling her down, and they had the pyrotechnic people where there was an explosion in the water. And they had to yank her underwater. The timing and everything was so well orchestrated. But of course, as a mom, it was very anxiety-producing.
Arabella: It was fun. I love swimming, and I love being in deep pools. I can dive down all the way to 10 feet!
Do you know who Mckenna Grace is?
Yes!
Well, you remind me so much of her. I was just talking about how I think you’re going to have the same career as her!
Rachel: Do you want to know something? Mckenna Grace is so sweet. She reached out to Arabella and offered to mentor her and be there for her to talk about things like growing up in the industry.
Arabella: We only talked online. But I’m hoping to meet her in person!
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