There is a moment in every actor’s career when the supporting roles stop and the leading ones begin. For Madelyn Cline, Day Drinker might be exactly that moment. Sharing the screen with Johnny Depp and Penélope Cruz, in a thriller directed by Marc Webb, is a long way from the beaches of the Outer Banks — and that climb deserves attention.
From Netflix stardom to bigger waters
Cline became a household name as Sarah Cameron in Netflix’s Outer Banks, the sun-soaked adventure series that turned her into one of the platform’s most recognizable young stars. But she has been quietly building a film career ever since. Rian Johnson cast her in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, where she held her own alongside Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, and Janelle Monáe. She also appeared in The Mother with Jennifer Lopez and joined the newest I Know What You Did Last Summer film.
Each step moved her closer to center stage. Day Drinker places her there.
What her character means for the story
In Day Drinker, Cline plays a bartender aboard a private yacht. On the surface, it sounds like a simple role. But this is the character the entire mystery moves through. She meets a strange and unsettling guest, played by Johnny Depp, and slowly gets pulled into a dangerous web involving a criminal figure played by Penélope Cruz.
Thrillers live or die on their central point of view. If we do not feel her fear, her curiosity, her bad decisions, the movie collapses. Lionsgate and Thunder Road — the producers behind the John Wick franchise — clearly believe she can carry that weight.
Why directors are betting on her
Marc Webb has a history of launching careers. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel defined a generation’s idea of romance through (500) Days of Summer. Andrew Garfield became a star under Webb’s direction in The Amazing Spider-Man. Webb does not just cast actors. He builds leading performances around them.
Cline arrives in Day Drinker opposite seasoned veterans. Cruz is an Oscar winner. Depp is one of the most famous actors alive. Standing in that company and leading the story is the kind of test that either breaks a young actor or announces them.
The bigger picture
When Day Drinker reaches theaters on March 26, 2027, watch Cline closely. Performances like this — a young actor holding the screen between giants — are how movie careers are truly made. Sarah Cameron opened the door. This role may kick it wide open.
Also Read: Day Drinker Teaser Explained: Johnny Depp’s Strangest New Role