Dafne Keen Reflects on Child Stardom and Industry Challenges

Dafne Keen, known for her role as Laura/X-23 in the 2017 X-Men movie Logan, shared some unsettling experiences from her early Hollywood days during an appearance on Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast, Inside of You. Keen recounted being offered cocaine at industry wrap parties when she was as young as 11. She expressed her disinterest in drugs, stating, “I witnessed so much of that as a child that I just had no interest.”

Despite these experiences, Keen described herself as a ‘control freak’ regarding alcohol. “I don’t think I’ve ever been drunk enough to even have a hangover,” she said, emphasizing her cautious approach to such situations. She maintained her stance on avoiding drugs, recalling her reactions at parties: “I was saying no, fortunately.”

“I was like, ‘I don’t really have any interest in that,’” Keen explained.

Rising to fame with her performance in Logan alongside Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen reprised her character in the 2024 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Deadpool & Wolverine. Her career includes roles in His Dark Materials, a series jointly by BBC and HBO, and Disney+’s Star Wars: The Acolyte. Recently, she starred in the horror film Whistle.

Keen also addressed frightening encounters with fans, mentioning “creepy pedophile men” who sent her letters, Bibles, and music boxes, and even followed her to school. This experience, particularly common for young actresses in male-dominated franchises like Marvel and Star Wars, highlighted her resilience. She shared advice from her grandmother, stating, “A bad person is like someone with a drum in a waiting room. They’re just really loud. But there’s another 30 people who are being perfectly quiet and respectful.”

Next, Keen will portray the Greek goddess Athena in the season 3 premiere of Disney+’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians, set to release on November 20.