The Untold Truth Of Kaitlyn Dever

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Kaitlyn Dever may not be the biggest star in Hollywood, but that could definitely change in the years to come. Starring in both comedies and dramas, she has already shown that she has some stellar onscreen range. That's why the actor started landing her first onscreen roles when she was just 12, and has since scored some pretty impressive gigs. You might have seen her in "Monsterland" and "Last Man Standing," not to mention "Booksmart" alongside Beanie Feldstein. She's also landed roles in "Unbelievable" and "Detroit," while also popping up on "Justified," "Modern Family," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

Although Dever has a reason to be confident about her career, she admitted to IndieWire in 2019 that she's not always so sure of herself. For instance, when discussing that the cast of "Booksmart" received instructions not to bring their scripts to set by director Olivia Wilde, Dever admitted, "It scared me so much." However, she also added, "But sometimes I like to be scared, because that means it's a challenge. 'Booksmart' was definitely a challenge, because I found myself really stepping out of my comfort zone in a big way."

If you're curious about what is in Dever's comfort zone, as well as a few other intriguing tidbits of info about this star that you might not have known, then be sure to read on!

Kaitlyn Dever may be making her name in show business, but, as it turns out, she's not the first member of her family to work in the entertainment industry. In January 2016, she tweeted, "[E]verybody, meet my dad. (But I'm being serious ... this is his voice)." Her post linked to a clip on Instagram of Barney, the big purple dinosaur, singing and dancing around.

Indeed, Kaitlyn's dad, Tim, voiced Barney from 1999 to 2004. During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2019, Kaitlyn opened up about how her dad had scored the gig. Kaitlyn explained that growing up, her dad would often do quirky voices for his figure skating students (yes, he was a figure skating instructor, as was her mom). One day, a student's parent noted there was a nationwide search going on to find the new voice of Barney. Kaitlyn recalled, "He just sent in a tape and heard back that he got it."

On top of that, Tim also voiced Bob the Builder, but it looks like that was just for one episode of "The Wayne Brady Show" in 2003. Still, it's pretty cool that Kaitlyn gets to say that her dad was both Barney and Bob. And, frankly, he's not the only person in the family who makes her feel proud.

If you look at Kaitlyn Dever's Instagram account, you'll see posts about both her dad and mom, making it clear she adores them both. However, she also happens to be incredibly fond of (and thankful for) her sisters too.

Kaitlyn has a younger sister, Jane Dever, who the actor seems to love posting about, and what the star shares about her sibling are oh-so-adorable! "I love you sweet Jane," Kaitlyn wrote alongside a video of her giving her sister a quick kiss on the cheek. The star also shared a video of herself and her younger sister dancing, and while calling Jane her "bestie baby" and a "special magic girl," she added that Jane is the "best baby sis in the [world]."

However, Jane isn't Kaitlyn's only sister. There's also Mady Dever, who also appears on Kaitlyn's IG. The elder sibling often posts pics of them as little kids, doing things like posing at the beach, posing during the holidays, making a movie together, or hosting their own cooking show. If Mady looks familiar, that's because she's also an actor. You might have spotted her in 2016's "Finish Line" and in 2018's "Tully." Oh, and did we mention Mady has a creative endeavor that happens to involve her famous sister?

There are plenty of celebrities who aren't afraid to be open about their beliefs and get political. Kaitlyn Dever is one of them. Although Dever is known, in part, for her role on "Last Man Standing," which was a show that USA Today notes had a "conservative perspective," the star seems to be a Democrat. That is, if her social media posts are any indication.

"Let's. Go. Kamala," Dever wrote on Instagram in August 2020 alongside a photo of herself and then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Making it clear she admires the politician, the actor added, "This is a throwback to when we were on [The Late Show With Stephen Colbert] on the same night, I'm honored to have a picture with a woman making history." In November 2020, Dever also took to Instagram to post a pic of Harris hugging President Joe Biden following their election day victory, along with the caption, "History made."

Frankly, that wasn't the only time that Dever noted a historical moment

Kaitlyn Dever has been in the business since she was a child and has certainly paid her dues in the industry. That's perhaps one of the reasons why she is already a member of the Oscar's Academy. If you're not sure why that's a big deal, NBC News explains that the "voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences wield the power to bestow the most prestigious and coveted awards in Hollywood."

Granted, the Academy has faced issues regarding a lack of diversity, and for years there were calls for the organization to be made more inclusive. That's surely why those who got invited to be members in 2020 included a staggering and historic 819 industry professionals that were "45% women, 36% underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 49% international from 68 countries," according to the Oscars' website.

"Booksmart" director Olivia Wilde and star Beanie Feldstein were among those invited, as was Dever. She simply retweeted the announcement with no comment. However, we're sure she'll have a lot to say if she ever manages to take home her own Oscar, which is certainly something that could happen soon.

It's crystal clear that Kaitlyn Dever is super close to all of her family. However, sadly, everything was blown apart in February 2024 following the death of her mom, Kathy Dever, after a 14-year battle with breast cancer. The loss has left a gaping hole in Kaitlyn's life that the actor will never be able to fill, and she regularly posts touching flashback pics and sweet tributes to her mom. Still, it's the eulogy she has pinned to the top of her Instagram page that is truly heartbreaking.

"My mama. My life. My everything. I don't even have the words. Nothing I'll ever say will amount to the gifts you have given me in my life, the boundless joy you brought, the deep, endless, unconditional love you gave me and our family," Kaitlyn wrote. She recounted the endless special moments they shared, how her mom was steadfastly there for her to turn to for advice and support, and was always able to cheer her up when she was down.

"I will be broken forever without you and I don't know how I'll go on," Kaitlyn continued before thanking Kathy for building their family, tirelessly fighting for everybody and bringing immense joy to their lives. "My best friend. Oh, how much I love you. What a gift it is to love you. I love you forever and ever, Mom."

Given her rapidly increasing celebrity status, it's little surprise Dever is one of those child stars who are super rich today — well, super rich by average Joe and Jane standards. Because, let's face it, most people haven't got millions stashed away. However, the actor does, and then some, as Dever is worth a cool $3 million — none too shabby for a 28-year-old.

Dever got her major career break at age 13, playing Gwen Thompson, a homeless teen forced to live in a car with her mom before moving to a homeless shelter, in 2009's "An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong." The part didn't come without its share of controversy as, for some bizarre reason, The American Girl mega-brand decided it would be a great idea to launch a Gwen homeless doll at a real bargain basement price. "For $95 — more than your average homeless person would dream of spending on a rather mediocre baby substitute — Gwen Thompson can be yours. A mixed message if ever there was one," the New York Post wrote in September 2009.

Despite the uproar over the doll, Dever's talent shone through in the movie, and she soon became one of Hollywood's top young emerging names, even landing a spot on Variety's coveted list of 10 Actors to Watch in 2014. The industry mag praised her "unabashed enthusiasm" for tackling new roles and lauded Dever's work on "Last Man Standing."

Kaitlyn Dever is becoming an increasing double threat thanks to her evolving and thriving music career. Kaitlyn and her sister Mady Dever have been performing for years; they feature on the 2018 soundtrack of "Tully" alongside musical legends Rufus Wainwright and The Velvet Underground. Then, the duo released their first track, "Raleigh," under the name of "Beulahbelle" in February 2020. "We're so, so happy with the results, and it's exactly everything we wanted it to be," Kaitlyn told The Hollywood Reporter.

However, never ones to stand stagnant, the two have mixed things up by changing their name (again) in time for the release of their first EP, "I Think We're Lost," which lands on June 4, 2025. They're now called "Devers," which is certainly easier to pronounce and remember than "Beulahbelle."

In an October 2021 interview with Jimmy Fallon, Kaitlyn shared they'd been working on their EP for "a good while." Still, everything had to be placed on the back burner due to COVID. She also explained why they planned on changing their name from "Beulahbelle." However, at the time, they hadn't devised an alternative. "We just want something fresh," she said, admitting, "This will be the last time we can change it, too, as this will be the fourth time we've changed it." Fallon stepped in to come up with some alternative names. "Deves," he suggested. "Madeves, Madey, Madea," he continued, before settling on "Sesters."

When Kaitlyn Dever was cast in HBO's "The Last of Us," controversy ensued pretty much immediately. Those who already knew the storyline from the video game upon which the show is based recognized that her character, Abby Anderson, does some terrible things. That became problematic when some fans blurred the line between fiction and reality by heaping hatred not just on Abby but on the actor portraying her. "There are people that actually genuinely hate Abby, who is not a real person," said Dever's "The Last of Us" co-star, Isabela Merced, when appearing on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast. According to Merced, additional precautions were required, with Dever "extra secured by security."

Interestingly, Dever nearly played an entirely different role in the show. Back in 2014, long before the video game was adapted as an HBO series, plans were hatched for a movie. At the time, Dever was a leading candidate to play teen protagonist Ellie (played by "Game of Thrones" alum Bella Ramsey); in fact, the game's co-creator, Neil Druckman, invited Dever to the headquarters of the studio that produced the game, Naughty Dog. "I would literally meet Neil at Naughty Dog and he would walk me around and show me how they created the game," she told Entertainment Weekly.

As Druckman recounted for IGN, the movie never happened, and instead, it "kind of entered development hell." Dever, however, remained in the Naughty Dog fold, cast as a voice actor in a subsequent game. "When that was no longer happening, Neil asked me to do 'Uncharted 4," Dever told EW.

Kaitlyn Dever is clearly a woman of many talents, yet one of her stranger skills is one that has tended to fly under the radar. She did, however, bring that particular talent to light when she dropped by "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." 

During her interview, Dever recalled shooting the movie "Ticket to Paradise" in Australia alongside a pair of A-list co-stars, real-life pals George Clooney and Julia Roberts. During some downtime, Dever decided to embark on an offshore excursion that required her to wear a full-body "stinger suit" due to the lethal jellyfish populating the waters off the coastline. While she did manage to avoid getting stung, the bumpy boat ride was harrowing. "I guess we picked a day that the tides were insane, the winds were insane, and the boat was literally going 10 feet up and 10 feet down," she said. 

This led to a wave of seasickness among the passengers. "Everybody was throwing up on this boat," she continued. "I was going to throw up, but I can control myself, and I don't like to let go a lot, and so I held it in." That revelation proved stunning for host Ellen DeGeneres, who interjected, "You can control yourself? Like, if you have to throw up, you just decide you're not?" Indeed, Dever confirmed she possessed that particular superpower. "I just decide I am not going to throw up," she declared.

Given that both Kaitlyn Dever's mother and father were once professional figure skaters who later turned to coaching, it shouldn't prove surprising to learn that her first aspiration was to become a skater herself. Host James Corden brought up this particular nugget about her family history when she appeared on "The Late Late Show with James Corden," and he asked Dever whether she'd ever considered pursuing skating as a potential career. 

"As a young child, I did," she confirmed, which led Corden to show viewers a photo of Dever when she was a kid, wearing skates while on an ice rink. "Basically I was born on ice," Dever explained. "So I got pretty good with it. I mean like as soon as I could walk, I was in skates. My parents were really into it." She'd progressed quite quickly, revealing that she'd been able to master a waltz jump by the time she was seven or eight. "And I would compete too," she added. 

Despite her skating abilities at such a young age, her interest in acting eventually took precedence. "I kept begging my parents to let me take acting classes," she recalled in an interview with The Columbus Dispatch. When they finally relented, the die was cast for all the success that followed. "I came home from the first day of classes and said, 'Mom, that was the best day of my life!'" she added.

Kaitlyn Dever is becoming one of the hottest stars in Hollywood. However, despite inevitably being flooded with scripts to read and offers of new roles, she's not one to jump at any and everything that comes her way. Instead, Dever looks for characters she can get her teeth into and movies or shows that can make a meaningful impact on the world. One such example is "Dopesick," a TV series that delves into the opioid epidemic (and accompanying scandal) that's wreaking havoc across the USA.

"It's really, really, really inspiring to be a part of projects that discuss social issues in a way that allows us to get inside of these characters' heads and go through the journey with them when you're watching it," Dever told The Big Issue in April 2024, sharing that another of her favorite social impact projects that she's worked on is the acclaimed Netflix series "Unbelievable." The show, based on a true story, depicts the trauma suffered by a young rape victim's treatment by police who manipulate and accuse her of lying, forcing her to recant her statement.

"I really saw the impact Unbelievable had on people," Dever said. "Since then, I realised I can do what I love — character work, be a part of projects that have actors that inspire me — but can also create change with the roles that I choose. I can be strategic and seek out stories that deserve to be told."