San Francisco Frontiers - Cailee Spaeny wins Venice best actress for 'Priscilla'

"Priscilla trusted me with something truly complex, subtle, difficult, and personal and I was overwhelmed by the responsibility in trying to honour this delicate section of her life," Spaeny said as she accepted the award.

"I have such gratitude and respect for her honesty," the US actress added.

Spaeny stars in the subtle biopic by former Venice Golden Lion winner Sofia Coppola.

She thanked Coppola for her "thoughtful and intuitive leadership".

The film charts the rocky relationship from the couple's first meeting on a German army base when Priscilla was just 14 and the rock'n'roll star was 24, through to their acrimonious split.

"I thought it was really important to see the whole journey," Spaeny told reporters ahead of the premiere. "To see all the milestones that us women can relate to, from her being a young girl to her finding her voice and autonomy."

Review website RogerEbert.com said Spaeny "plays 14 so damn well that the viewer almost doubts that she'll be able to credibly age into a woman nearing 30. But she does, beautifully."

Priscilla Presley herself joined the cast and crew for the premiere in Venice.

"Sofia did an amazing job, she did her homework," Presley told reporters.

But she added: "It's very difficult to sit and watch a film about you, about your life and your love."

Spaeny was born in Missouri, United States on July 24, 1998.

She made her film debut in action film "Pacific Rim Uprising" in 2018, and followed it with parts in "Bad Times at the El Royale", "On the Basis of Sex and "Vice".

She earned considerable notice with her supporting role in HBO series "Mare of Easttown" alongside Kate Winslet in 2021.

Spaeny has been linked to an upcoming film in the "Alien" franchise.

C.Lewis--SFF