1. Overview
Shelley Hennig is an American actress, model, and former beauty pageant winner. Born on January 2, 1987, she gained prominence through her success in pageants, winning Miss Teen USA 2004. Her career then transitioned into acting, where she earned recognition for her roles in various television series and films. She is known for her work as Stephanie Johnson on the soap opera Days of Our Lives, Diana Meade in the supernatural teen drama The Secret Circle, and particularly as Malia Tate in the MTV supernatural drama Teen Wolf. Hennig has also appeared in films such as Ouija, Unfriended, and When We First Met, and in the Netflix action comedy Obliterated. She has received several accolades, including a Teen Choice Award and two Daytime Emmy Award nominations.
2. Early Life and Background
Shelley Hennig's early life was marked by her upbringing in Louisiana and a significant family tragedy that occurred before her rise to national prominence.
2.1. Early Life and Education
Shelley Catherine Hennig was born on January 2, 1987, in Metairie, Louisiana. She spent her childhood living in St. Rose, Louisiana, before her family later moved to Destrehan, Louisiana. As a student, she attended local high schools, where she was actively involved in dance, winning numerous awards in various dance competitions. Following her success in beauty pageants, which included a scholarship, Hennig pursued formal acting training at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts.
2.2. Family
Hennig is the daughter of Cathy Distefano Gosset and Glenn H. Hennig Sr. Her family experienced a profound tragedy when one of her older brothers was killed in a drunk driving accident. This incident occurred three years before she won the Miss Teen USA title, deeply impacting her personal life and later influencing her advocacy work.
3. Career
Shelley Hennig's career journey began in the world of beauty pageants and modeling, which subsequently paved her way into a successful acting career across television and film.
3.1. Modeling and Beauty Pageants
Hennig first entered the pageant circuit in November 2003, competing in the Miss Louisiana Teen USA state pageant held in Lafayette, Louisiana. This marked her debut in a state pageant, and she emerged victorious, earning the title of Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2004. Her win qualified her to represent Louisiana at the national Miss Teen USA 2004 competition, which took place in Palm Springs, California. On August 6, 2004, Hennig was crowned Miss Teen USA, becoming the first winner from Louisiana and the first girl from the state to win a national title since Ali Landry won Miss USA in 1996.
Her prize package for winning Miss Teen USA included a one-year modeling contract with Trump Modeling Management and a scholarship to the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. As Miss Teen USA, Hennig served as a representative for the Miss Universe Organization. During her reign, she made numerous public appearances alongside her fellow 2004 titleholders, Jennifer Hawkins (Miss Universe from Australia) and Shandi Finnessey (Miss USA from Missouri). These appearances included an international trip to Bangkok, Thailand. Hennig also made several television guest appearances and engaged in public speaking events, notably appearing in the NBC soap opera Passions, which was part of her prize package. Beyond her duties as Miss Teen USA, she actively collaborated with various non-profit organizations such as Seeds of Peace, DARE, Sparrow Clubs, and SHiNE. Her reign concluded on August 8, 2005, when she crowned Allie LaForce of Ohio as the new Miss Teen USA. Shortly after relinquishing her crown, Hennig participated in MTV's reality show, The Reality Show, where she attempted to secure her own show titled After the Crown, but she was eliminated. She later returned to the pageant stage as a co-host for the Miss Teen USA 2008 pageant on August 16, 2008, alongside Seth Goldman.
3.2. Acting Career
Hennig's transition into acting saw her secure significant roles in both television series and major motion pictures, establishing her as a versatile performer in the entertainment industry.
3.2.1. Television
Hennig began her prominent acting career in television on April 20, 2007, when she joined the cast of the long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives. She took on the contract role of Stephanie Johnson, appearing in 470 episodes until her departure on January 18, 2011. She later reprised the role in 2017. During her time on the show, she received a nomination for the Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series at the 37th Daytime Emmy Awards in 2010, and again in 2012. Upon her initial departure, she expressed in Soap Opera Digest that the decision "just feels right" and that she felt creatively satisfied with her exit.
From 2011 to 2012, Hennig starred as Diana Meade, a main character in The CW supernatural teen drama series The Secret Circle, which was based on books by L. J. Smith. The series featured her in 22 episodes before it was announced on May 11, 2012, that it would not be renewed for a second season. She then appeared in the MTV series Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous as Christy, a show that was also cancelled after its first season. In 2013, she had a guest role as Jackie Nevada in the episode "Money Trap" of Justified.
Hennig gained further widespread recognition for her role as Malia Tate in the MTV supernatural drama series Teen Wolf. She began in a recurring capacity during the third season (2014) before being promoted to a series regular for the fourth season, continuing in the main role until the show concluded in 2017. She appeared in 55 episodes of the series. Her performance as Malia earned her the Choice Summer TV Star: Female award at the 2016 Teen Choice Awards. In 2014, she also made guest appearances in Blue Bloods as Maya Lawman and in Friends with Better Lives as Molly James.
In 2018, Hennig took on a main role as Carly Ambrose in Liberty Crossing and appeared in the unaired television pilot False Profits as Hilary Jenkle. She later had a guest role as Ramona in three episodes of Dollface in 2019. In 2021, she played A.E. Goldsmith / Ginny in two episodes of Mythic Quest. The following year, in 2022, she was seen in a recurring role as Lisa Maines / Chastity Linkous in The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window. In September 2021, it was announced that Hennig would reprise her role as Malia Tate in Teen Wolf: The Movie, a reunion film for Paramount+ written and executive produced by Jeff Davis, which was released on January 26, 2023. Most recently, Hennig starred as CIA agent Ava Winters in the Netflix action comedy Obliterated, released in 2023. She is also slated to star as Daisy in the upcoming NBC comedy pilot Crazy For You, which is currently in production and is being produced by Rachele Lynn.
3.2.2. Film
Hennig has also built a notable filmography, predominantly in the horror and romantic comedy genres. In 2014, she appeared in the Blumhouse horror film Ouija as Debbie Galardi. The same year, she played Blaire Lily in the innovative horror film Unfriended, which unfolds entirely on a computer screen. In 2015, she appeared as Melinda Riley in About Scout, followed by a role as Lily Hunter in Summer of 8 in 2016. In 2017, Hennig played Olivia Reed in the legal drama Roman J. Israel, Esq..
Her film roles continued in 2018 with a supporting part as Carrie Grey, a photographer, in the Netflix romantic comedy When We First Met. She also appeared as Alicia Levine in The After Party that year. In 2022, she took on the role of Alice in Gatlopp. In 2023, besides the Teen Wolf reunion movie, she appeared as Sam in The List. Her more recent film credits include playing Jamie Douglas in the 2024 film Cult Killer. She also has an upcoming role in a film titled Fluxx, which is currently in post-production.
3.2.3. Music Videos
Hennig has lent her talents to several music videos, showcasing her versatility beyond traditional acting roles.
- In 2014, she appeared as Tatum in The Band Perry's music video for their song "Gentle on My Mind".
- In 2017, she starred as a character named Shelley in country music artist Maren Morris' music video for "I Could Use a Love Song".
4. Awards and Nominations
Shelley Hennig has been recognized for her acting and pageant achievements throughout her career.
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Daytime Emmy Award | Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series | Days of Our Lives | Nominated |
| 2012 | Daytime Emmy Award | Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series | Days of Our Lives | Nominated |
| 2016 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Summer TV Star: Female | Teen Wolf | Won |
| 2017 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Summer TV Star: Female | Teen Wolf | Nominated |
5. Charity Work
Shelley Hennig is actively involved in social causes and has used her platform to advocate for important issues, particularly focusing on preventing underage drinking. She has collaborated with the Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, a local non-profit organization in Louisiana. Through her work with this council, she has mentored her peers and other young individuals, educating them about the severe impacts and consequences associated with drug and alcohol abuse.
6. Filmography
This section provides a comprehensive list of Shelley Hennig's credits in film, television, and music videos.
6.1. Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Ouija | Debbie Galardi | |
| Unfriended | Blaire Lily | ||
| 2015 | About Scout | Melinda Riley | |
| 2016 | Summer of 8 | Lily Hunter | |
| 2017 | Roman J. Israel, Esq. | Olivia Reed | |
| 2018 | When We First Met | Carrie Grey | |
| The After Party | Alicia Levine | ||
| 2022 | Gatlopp | Alice | |
| 2023 | Teen Wolf: The Movie | Malia Tate | |
| The List | Sam | ||
| 2024 | Cult Killer | Jamie Douglas | |
| TBA | Fluxx | TBA | Post-production |
6.2. Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Passions | Crane Maid | Guest role; 2 episodes |
| 2007-2011, 2017 | Days of Our Lives | Stephanie Johnson | Regular role; 470 episodes |
| 2011-2012 | The Secret Circle | Diana Meade | Main role |
| 2012 | Friend Me | Isabelle | Unaired television series |
| 2013 | Justified | Jackie Nevada | Episode: "Money Trap" |
| Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous | Christy Ackerman | Recurring role | |
| 2014-2017 | Teen Wolf | Malia Tate | Recurring role (season 3), Main role (seasons 4-6) |
| 2014 | Blue Bloods | Maya Lawman | Episode: "Insult to Injury" |
| Friends with Better Lives | Molly James | Episode: "Yummy Mummy" | |
| 2018 | Liberty Crossing | Carly Ambrose | Main role |
| False Profits | Hilary Jenkle | Unaired television pilot | |
| 2019 | Dollface | Ramona | Guest role; 3 episodes |
| 2021 | Mythic Quest | A.E. Goldsmith / Ginny | Guest role; 2 episodes |
| 2022 | The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window | Lisa Maines / Chastity Linkous | Recurring role |
| 2023 | Obliterated | Ava Winters | Main role |
| TBA | Crazy For You | Daisy | In production |
6.3. Music Videos
| Year | Title | Artist | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | "Gentle On My Mind" | The Band Perry | Tatum |
| 2017 | "I Could Use a Love Song" | Maren Morris | Shelley |
7. External Links
- [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2645189/ Shelley Hennig at IMDb]
- [https://twitter.com/shelleyhennig Shelley Hennig on Twitter]
- [https://www.instagram.com/shelleyhennig/ Shelley Hennig on Instagram]
- [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgoffPEy8w23eJLzYFfkMyg Shelley Hennig on YouTube]
- [https://www.mtv.com/celebrity/shelley-hennig/#cast=teen_wolf Shelley Hennig profile on MTV]
- [http://www.missteenusa.com/missteenusa2004/index.html Official Miss Teen USA website]
- [https://www.magzica.com/shelley-hennig-stardom-fan-following-net-worth-personal-life-more/ Shelley Hennig profile on Magzica.com]