Mia Goth

Mia Goth – Life, Career, and Memorable Roles

: Discover the life and career of Mia Goth, the English actress known for her bold roles in X, Pearl, High Life, and more. Dive into her background, style, and influence in modern horror cinema.

Introduction

Mia Gypsy Mello da Silva Goth (born 25 October 1993) is an English actress whose work spans independent cinema, horror, and genre films. She first emerged from modeling to acting, and over time has carved a reputation for immersive, often unsettling performances—especially in auteur-driven horror and psychologically intense narratives.

She is especially known for her roles in the X film series (X, Pearl, MaXXXine), and for roles in films such as A Cure for Wellness, High Life, Suspiria, and Emma.

Early Life and Family

Mia Goth was born in Southwark, London in October 1993. Maria Gladys and her maternal grandfather is the American artist Lee Jaffe.

When she was about two weeks old, her family moved to Brazil (to be closer to maternal family support). Sydenham School.

Because of her peripatetic childhood, Goth describes periods of instability, shifting identity, and adaptation—experiences which seem to inform her later work in characters who dwell in liminality or psychological intensity.

From Modeling to Acting

At age 14, Goth was discovered at the Underage Festival in London by photographer Gemma Booth, who signed her to Storm Model Management. Vogue and Miu Miu, and featured in various fashion publications.

By age 16, she began auditioning for film roles. Her first credited acting role was in Lars von Trier’s Nymphomaniac (2013), in the segment “The Gun.”

She also appeared in television early on, e.g. she played Sophie Campbell in The Tunnel (2013).

Career & Breakthroughs

Film Roles & Early Work

After Nymphomaniac, Goth took on supporting roles in a variety of films:

• The Survivalist (2015) — she played Milja in a post-apocalyptic thriller.

• Everest (2015) — she portrayed Meg Weathers.

• A Cure for Wellness (2016) — Goth played Hannah von Reichmerl, in a psychological horror / thriller directed by Gore Verbinski.

• Suspiria (2018) — in the remake, she played Sara Simms.

• High Life (2018) — she had a supporting role as Boyse.

• Emma (2020) — she played Harriet Smith in the adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel.

These roles helped her build credibility in both arthouse and genre cinema, showing her range from psychological drama to horror to period pieces.

Horror & the X Film Series

Goth’s critical and public breakthrough is often linked to her performance in Ti West’s X (2022). In X, she played dual roles: Maxine Minx (a young adult seeking fame) and Pearl Douglas (an elderly troubled farm inhabitant).

She then co-wrote and starred in the prequel Pearl (2022), reprising the younger Pearl as the lead.

In 2024, she starred again as Maxine Minx in MaXXXine, the third film in the series, continuing her exploration of fame, identity, and horror tropes.

Apart from the X trilogy, she took a prominent role in Infinity Pool (2023), a thriller/horror film opposite Alexander Skarsgård. Her character Gabi is central to the film’s unsettling, morally ambiguous narrative.

Upcoming & Recent Projects

Goth is cast in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, playing Elizabeth Lavenza / Claire Frankenstein (2025). Star Wars: Starfighter (2026), where she will play the main antagonist.

Her trajectory suggests a continued mix of genre film, auteur cinema, and blockbuster potential.

Style, Persona & Artistic Approach

Mia Goth is often praised for her transformative, intense, and emotionally committed performances. Her style leans toward characters who are psychologically complex, sometimes bordering on the uncanny or extreme.

She embraces roles that are demanding in makeup, physical transformation, or high emotional stakes (e.g. as the aged Pearl or the dual roles in X).

In interviews, she emphasizes her desire to work with directors she trusts, to dwell deeply in character, and to make bold choices rather than safe ones. (E.g. the Vanity Fair profile: she says she approaches characters “me, turned up or turned down.”)

Despite her reputation in horror, she resists being labeled simply a “scream queen,” seeing her work as anchored in dramatic weight, not just scares.

Personal Life & Public Persona

Goth’s personal life has been in the public eye to some extent:

• She met Shia LaBeouf while working on Nymphomaniac in 2012.

• In October 2016, they had a Las Vegas ceremony officiated by an Elvis impersonator. While initially reported as a wedding, local officials later stated it was not legally registered.

• They separated in 2018.

• Later, they reconciled, and in March 2022, their daughter Isabel was born.

In recent interviews, Goth has said that since becoming a mother she is more selective with roles—she needs to “justify” any time away from her child.

She also faced a legal allegation in early 2024: a background actor on MaXXXine claimed she intentionally kicked him and caused injury. The studio (A24) denied the claims.

Recognition & Awards

Goth’s work, especially in Pearl and X, has earned critical praise and award nominations:

• She won the Critics Choice Super Award for Best Actress in a Horror Movie (for Pearl) in 2023.

• She has been nominated at Independent Spirit Awards, critics awards, and genre film awards for her performances in Pearl and Infinity Pool.

Though her career is still growing, she is already considered one of the more compelling young talents in modern genre cinema.

Lessons & Takeaways from Mia Goth’s Journey

1. Embrace transformation — Goth often takes roles requiring deep change (aging, dual roles, physical extremes).

2. Trust in collaboration — She seeks directors she feels aligned with, even co-writing films like Pearl.

3. Versatility matters — She moves between horror, drama, and period films rather than being pigeonholed.

4. Life balance shifts priorities — As a mother, she now weighs projects for meaning and impact more than exposure.

5. Courage brings recognition — Her bold choices have brought breakthrough through roles that are not easy or conventional.

Conclusion

Mia Goth represents a new kind of star in contemporary cinema: one whose power lies not in broad appeal but in the intensity and singularity of her performances. From her beginnings in modeling to her breakout performances in X, Pearl, and beyond, she continues to push boundaries in genre, identity, and cinematic form. Her trajectory suggests a future that will balance auteur projects with more expansive storytelling.