Kiernan Shipka

American actress (born 1999) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kiernan Brennan Shipka (born November 10, 1999)[1][2] is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Sally Draper in the AMC drama series Mad Men (2007–2015), and Sabrina Spellman in the Netflix fantasy series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018–2020) and the sixth season of The CW series Riverdale (2021–2022).[3]

Born
Kiernan Brennan Shipka

(1999-11-10) November 10, 1999 (age 26)
OccupationActress
Yearsactive2000–present
Quick facts Born, Occupation ...
Kiernan Shipka
Shipka in 2024
Born
Kiernan Brennan Shipka

(1999-11-10) November 10, 1999 (age 26)
OccupationActress
Years active2000–present
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In addition to supporting roles in films such as Longlegs, Twisters, and The Last Showgirl (all in 2024), Shipka has also had starring roles in The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015), Totally Killer (2023), and Sweethearts (2024), among others.

Early life

Kiernan Brennan Shipka was born on November 10, 1999, in Chicago, Illinois, to John Young Shipka, a real-estate developer, and Erin Ann Brennan.[4][5][6] She is of mostly Irish and Slovak descent.[7] She also has notable German, English, Scottish, and Italian heritage. Shipka started taking ballroom dancing classes at the age of five and was still attending classes as of March 2012.[8] When she was six, her family relocated to Los Angeles to help with her acting career.[5]

Career

2006–2017: Beginnings and Mad Men

Shipka at the 2010 Screen Actors Guild Awards

In April 2000, Shipka made her television debut at five months of age on the hospital drama ER.[9] She started commercial-print modeling when she was a baby.[4] After undertaking small television roles, her first major role was as Sally Draper, the daughter of main character Don Draper, on the 2007–2015 TV series Mad Men. She won the role after two auditions.[10] She was a recurring guest star for the show's first three seasons, then became a series regular in season four.[5]

As part of Mad Men's ensemble cast, she won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2008 and 2009.[11] Shipka received praise for her performance on Mad Men. In 2010, Austin American-Statesman critic Dale Roe named her as his dream nominee for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, writing, "This 10-year-old actress was so affecting as troubled Sally Draper last season that it seems odd that she's only just been upgraded to series regular. If Shipka's upcoming Mad Men work—struggling with the broken marriage of her parents and entering preteendom in the tumultuous 1960s—remains as amazing as it was in season three, this is a ballot wish that could come true next year."[12]

Beginning in 2012, Shipka voiced Jinora in the Nickelodeon animated series The Legend of Korra, the sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender.[13] In 2014, Shipka was named one of "The 25 Most Influential Teens of 2014" by Time magazine.[14] That same year, IndieWire included her in their list of "20 Actors To Watch That Are Under 20".[15] She starred in the 2014 Lifetime movie Flowers in the Attic, based on the 1979 novel of the same name by V. C. Andrews.[16] The following year she co-starred with Emma Roberts in the Osgood Perkins horror film The Blackcoat's Daughter, and with Timothée Chalamet in the fantasy thriller One & Two.[17][18] Additionally, she voiced the title character in the English dub of Studio Ghibli's When Marnie Was There.[19] In 2017, Shipka portrayed B.D. Hyman, daughter of Bette Davis, in the FX television series Feud: Bette and Joan.

2018–2021: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Shipka in 2018.

In January 2018, Shipka was announced to be starring as Sabrina Spellman in Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina series based on the comic series of the same name.[3] The first part was released by Netflix on October 26, 2018,[20] and an episode that December. The show ran for three more parts, concluding on December 31, 2020, with a total of 36 episodes.[21] Shipka reprised the role in two episodes of Riverdale, "Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Witching Hour(s)" and "Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen: The Witches of Riverdale", which aired on December 7, 2021, and July 10, 2022, respectively.[22][23]

Shipka played a deaf teenager opposite Stanley Tucci in John R. Leonetti's horror film The Silence, based on the 2015 novel of the same name by Tim Lebbon.[24] Netflix released the film on April 10, 2019.[25] Shipka learned American Sign Language for the role and Leonetti praised her performance, saying: "She's acting alongside Stanley Tucci, and believe me, she's more than holding her own. It's been spellbinding watching her."[26] That same year, Shipka co-starred in the Christmas romantic comedy film Let It Snow, based on the novel Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances.[27]

2022–present: Further work

In 2022, Shipka starred alongside Diane Kruger in the psychological drama series Swimming with Sharks, inspired by the 1994 film of the same name.[28] She also played Bea Johnson, the daughter of two intellectually disabled parents, in the drama Wildflower.[29][30] The following year she appeared in the HBO political drama limited series White House Plumbers, portraying Kevan Hunt, daughter of E. Howard Hunt.[31] In October 2023, Shipka starred alongside actress Olivia Holt in Amazon Prime Video's 1980s horror-comedy Totally Killer.[32]

In July 2024, Shipka appeared in the horror thriller Longlegs, reuniting her with The Blackcoat's Daughter director Osgood Perkins.[33] Later that year, she had supporting roles in the films Twisters, The Last Showgirl and Red One.[34][35][36] In addition, she co-starred alongside Nico Hiraga in the Max romantic comedy Sweethearts,[37] and in the thriller film Stone Cold Fox, which premiered in November 2025.[38]

In 2026, she appeared in the fourth season of the HBO/BBC drama Industry.[39] She also starred in the comedy film Idiots, which premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.[40][41]

She is set to star alongside Cole Sprouse in the romantic comedy Goodbye Girl,[42] as well as The Nowhere Game, which will reunite her with Mckenna Grace, who portrayed the younger version of her character in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.[43]

Filmography

Film

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2008 Lower Learning Sarah
2009 Land of the Lost Tar Pits Kid Uncredited
Carriers Jodie
House Broken Tammy Tawber
2010 Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore Little Girl
2013 Very Good Girls Eleanor Berger
2015 One & Two Eva
When Marnie Was There Marnie Voice role
The Blackcoat's Daughter Katherine / Kat / young Joan
2019 The Silence Ally Andrews
Let It Snow Angie
2022 Wildflower Bambi "Bea" Johnson
2023 Totally Killer Jamie Hughes / Colette
2024 Longlegs Carrie Anne Camera
Twisters Addy
The Last Showgirl Jodie
Sweethearts Jamie
Red One Grýla
2025 Stone Cold Fox Fox
2026 Idiots Irina
Iconoclast TBA
TBA Goodbye Girl Jess Filming
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Television

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2006 Monk Little Girl Episode: "Mr. Monk Gets a New Shrink"
2007 Cory in the House Sophie's Classmate Episode: "Mall of Confusion"
Mad TV Upset Child Episode: "Madtv Ruined My Life"
Heroes Little Girl in Fire Episode: "Four Months Ago..."
2007–2009 Jimmy Kimmel Live! Various 6 episodes
2007–2015 Mad Men Sally Draper Recurring in seasons 1–3; Main role in seasons 4–7
2012 Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 Herself Episode: "Parent Trap..."
Inside the Actors Studio Herself Season 18 Episode 4: "The Cast of Mad Men"
2012–2014 The Legend of Korra Jinora (voice) Recurring in Book 1; Main role in Books 2–4
2013–2018 Sofia the First Oona (voice) Recurring role; 3 episodes
2014 Flowers in the Attic Cathy Dollanganger TV movie
2015 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Kymmi Episode: "Kimmy Has A Birthday!"
Fan Girl Telulah "Lu" Farrow TV movie
Project Runway Herself - Judge Episode: "Fashion Flip"
2017 Feud: Bette and Joan B. D. Hyman Recurring role; 5 episodes
American Dad! Student (voice) Episode: "The Witches of Langley"
Family Guy Meg's Bully #3 / Singing Cheerleader (voice) Episode: "The Peter Principal"
Neo Yokio Helenist (voice) Episode: "O, the Helenists"
2018–2020 Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Sabrina Spellman and Sabrina Morningstar Main role; 36 episodes
2021–2022 Riverdale Special guest; 2 episodes
2022 Swimming with Sharks Lou Simms Main role; 6 episodes
2023 The Other Two Herself Episode: "Cary & Brooke Go to an AIDS Play"
White House Plumbers Kevan Hunt Miniseries; 3 episodes
2025 Grimsburg Mo11y (voice) Episode: “Mo11y”
2026 Industry Hayley Clay 5 episodes
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Music videos

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Artist(s) Role Ref.
2013 "We Rise Like Smoke" Kyler England Young Kyler [44]
2020 "Straight to Hell" Kiernan Shipka & LVCRAFT Sabrina Spellman [45][46]
2025 "Neverland" Kid Cudi [47]
2026 "Do Me Right" Mr. Fantasy Herself [48]
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Video games

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2016 Marvel Avengers Academy Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman Voice[49]
2025 Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Emma Kagan Voice, motion capture and likeness[50]
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Audio

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2021 Treat Allie West
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Awards and nominations

More information Association, Year ...
Association Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
MTV Movie & TV Awards 2019 Best Performance in a Show Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Nominated [51]
San Sebastián International Film Festival 2024 Special Jury Prize[a] The Last Showgirl Won [52]
Satellite Awards 2007 Best Cast – Television Series Mad Men Won [53]
Saturn Awards 2019 Best Actress in a Streaming Presentation Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Nominated [54]
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2008 Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Mad Men Won [55]
2009 Won [55]
2010 Nominated [55]
2012 Nominated [56]
2015 Nominated [57]
Teen Choice Awards 2019 Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actress Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Nominated [58]
Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards 2013 Lucy Award Mad Men Won [59]
Young Artist Awards 2008 Best Performance in a TV Series – Recurring Young Actress Nominated [60]
2009 Best Performance in a Short Film – Young Actress Squeaky Clean Nominated [61]
Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress Carriers Nominated [61]
2010 Best Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actress Ten and Under Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore Nominated [62]
Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Supporting Young Actress Mad Men Nominated [62]
2012 Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special – Leading Young Actress Smooch Nominated [63]
2013 Best Performance in a Voice-Over Role (Television) – Young Actress The Legend of Korra Nominated [64]
Best Performance in a TV Series – Recurring Young Actress Mad Men Won [64]
Young Hollywood Awards 2012  Scene Stealer Female Won [65]
2014 You're So Fancy Nominated [66]
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See also

Notes

References

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