Elizabeth Dean Lail (born March 25, 1992) is an American actress. She is known for her starring roles as Amy Hughes in the supernatural horror television series Dead of Summer, as Guinevere Beck in the psychological thriller television series You, and for her recurring role as Anna in the fourth season of the adventure fantasy television series Once Upon a Time.
Early life
Lail was born in Williamson County, Texas, and grew up in Asheboro, North Carolina. After graduating from Asheboro High School in 2010, she attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, graduating in May 2014.
Career
Lail mostly worked in student film productions, such as Model Airplane and Without, immediately after graduating from university. She had moved to New York City to pursue stage work when she landed an audition for ABC’s Once Upon a Time, after which she was cast as Anna in the fourth season of the series. Lail was cast in a starring role in the Freeform horror series Dead of Summer playing the role of camp counselor Amy.
On July 27, 2017, Lail was cast as the female lead in the Lifetime/Netflix television series, You, opposite Penn Badgley and Shay Mitchell, for which she was nominated for Best Actress in Streaming Presentation at the 45th Saturn Awards. In October 2019, Lail confirmed in an interview that she will reprise her role as Guinevere Beck in a guest appearance on the second season of You. Lail played the lead in the 2019 horror film Countdown.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Model Airplane | Anna | Short film; as Elizabeth Dean Lail |
| 2014 | Without | Emily | Short film; as Elizabeth Dean Lail |
| 2014 | Once Upon a Time | Anna | Recurring role (season 4) part 1, 10 episodes |
| 2016 | Dead of Summer | Amy Hughes | Main role |
| 2017 | The Blacklist | Natalie Luca | Episode: “Natalie Luca” |
| 2018 | The Good Fight | Emily Chapin | Episode: “Day 478” |
| 2018 | Unintended | Lea | Film |
| 2018–2019 | You | Guinevere Beck | Main role (season 1); guest role (season 2); 11 episodes |
| 2019 | Countdown | Quinn Harris | Film |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress in Streaming Presentation | You | Nominated |