By Nigel Hicks
With a role in the horror hit Insidious: Out Of The Further, and an upcoming part in the highly anticipated Wolf Creek: Legacy, young Aussie actress Charli Penton could be our next great scream queen.
Twelve-year-old actress Charli Penton is a talent on the rise. And despite her tender years, she’s been busy. The Melburnian has already had significant roles, making her screen debut with a three-episode run on the long running TV soap Neighbours. From there, Penton booked a major part in the 2026 horror movie Insidious: Out Of The Further, joining a cast including Insidious franchise regular Lin Shaye, fellow Aussie Laura Gordon and Amelia Eve.
After playing an imaginary friend in the eleven-minute coming-of-age short film Bub, Penton scored her biggest role to date, becoming a major part of one of Australia’s most indelible horror series with Wolf Creek: Legacy. John Jarratt’s vicious outback serial killer Mick Taylor – who has carved a bloody niche over two feature films and two limited TV series – is still on the loose, and this time he’s in horrific pursuit of a group of children, with Charli one of the madman’s potential victims. A budding scream queen, Charli Penton luckily loves the horror genre, and has chosen the perfect movie industry role model in Margot Robbie. And she also picked up the coveted Young Artist Award from The Young Artist Academy. FilmInk sat down for a chat with Charli, who was joined by her mum, KJ.
In terms of acting, do you do other forms, like theatre or school performances?
Charli: “I do a bit of musical theatre with a local theatrical school. I also do community theatre. I do sing as well.”
Are there notable differences between working on a movie set and working on a television set?
Charli: “There wasn’t that much difference. It’s basically the same, but there’s a lot more storyline and depth behind the scenes on a movie set. But there isn’t that much of a difference. If anything, Neighbours is faster and more streamlined.”
There were a couple of international actors on Insidious. How did you find working with the American actors?
Charli: “It was great! They were all super nice. I was a little shellshocked when first meeting Lin Shaye, but it was really fun.”
Do you see yourself working in the future on movies or television, or do you just want to enjoy what comes?
Charli: “I’m open to anything to be honest…I just love acting in general.”
KJ: “Charli would just be happy to not be at school!” [Laughs]
Did you miss much school for Insidious?
Charli: “I didn’t really have to miss that much for Insidious. It was more so for Wolf Creek. I had to miss the whole first term of school. It was a new school too, and high school at that. I went to the first two weeks, but that was mostly orientation. And then when I rejoined my classes…well, that was interesting, and a real adjustment.”
Are there any acting role models in the family? KJ?
KJ: “Oh, gosh no! It’s a struggle just when I read for her at auditions. I’m not great at reading lines, but Charli is very forgiving. I’ll be flubbing the lines, and am just glad that they don’t care about the reader, it’s just about Charli. But yes, we do have a creative family in general.”
Charli: “I’ve been brought up around a lot of creative people. My uncle is an actor, and my auntie is a singer. There are a number of people in the arts in our family.”
When did acting first come to you?
Charli: “I asked Mum if I could get an agent when I was seven or eight…very young. And she was like, ‘Nah, you’re not quite ready just yet.’ I kept nagging her and she finally said yes. I was very determined.”
KJ: “I was worried because you hear horror stories, and I also thought because she was so young, she’ll just be wild on a set. But when Charli gets on a set, she’s laser focused. She loves it.”
How about role models in general? Do you have any favourite actors or actresses?
Charli: “I’ve always liked Margot Robbie, because she’s Australian as well, and she’s a really good actress. I like to imagine that one day I’ll be in a place like her…always on a movie set. I just look up to her. And she started on off on Neighbours!”
Do you have a favourite genre of movie? Horror?
Charli: “Yes, I do like horror movies. I’m always getting stuck into them; except I sometimes end up having nightmares afterward! It’s my choice…it’s for research!”
Have you seen the original Wolf Creek movie?
Charli: “Yes, for research!
KJ: “I fast forward some bits that are a bit scary. But Charli is quite a technical watcher…she’s not watching like a normal kid watching a movie. Charli watches it through a different lens.”
Are you interested in other genres as well, like period pieces or action movies?
Charli: “I really like sci-fi and period pieces…those are really fun. I like everything actually. And dinosaur movies, I love dinosaurs. It’s a bit weird, but I really like movies where the characters are in one location for the whole movie, or they’re trapped somewhere. You know the movie where the guy is trapped between those two rocks? 127 Hours! I love those types of movies! I don’t know why, but I just find them really entertaining. Natural disaster movies are good too.”
Are any of your friends performers?
Charli: “Yes, I have a lot of friends who like to act. Some of them are theatre friends, and I’ve made heaps of friends on sets as well. We have these little group chats and stuff.”
How do you go when it comes to remembering your lines?
Charli: “I’m pretty good at it…I don’t know why.”
KJ: “She is really good at it. I don’t know how she does it. She reads a script two, three times and she’s done.”
Charli: “I just read them and think, ‘Just say that.’ I think of lines in sections, and I remember one section, then the second one, and put them all together. That’s what I do with the big paragraphs. It’s one part of it, then the other.”
KJ: “One time Charli got eight pages the night before! We were back really late, and within a short while she learned eight pages. She wasn’t even stressed about it.”
Wolf Creek: Legacy is scheduled for release in 2027. Insidious: Out Of The Further is available on digital now.
