Freida McFadden Reveals Why Sydney Sweeney Was the Only Choice for The Housemaid
At the 2026 TIME100 Gala in New York City, Freida McFadden crowned Sydney Sweeney her dream lead for The Housemaid, saying the star is exactly the heroine she envisioned and the perfect pick to headline the film.
File this under: casting that actually makes sense. Freida McFadden says Sydney Sweeney wasn’t just good in The Housemaid — she was the exact vibe she pictured while writing the book. And yes, the sequel is moving ahead with some fun casting heat. Also, if you missed it, McFadden just unmasked her real identity after two decades of speculation. It’s a lot, so here’s the clean version.
McFadden on Sweeney: That’s Millie
At the 2026 TIME100 Gala at Lincoln Center in NYC on April 23, McFadden, 45, told Us Weekly that Sweeney, 28, lined up perfectly with the Millie she had in her head — energy, passion, the whole thing. Honestly, Sweeney was a savvy pick for this kind of pressure-cooker thriller, and clearly the author agrees.
If you need a refresher: Sweeney led the first film adaptation of The Housemaid, which hit theaters in December 2025.
Sequel update: Sweeney back, Kirsten Dunst joins
The follow-up, based on McFadden’s second book The Housemaid’s Secret, is officially in the works. Sweeney is returning, and Kirsten Dunst is climbing aboard too — which is a flex, considering McFadden says she’s been a Dunst fan basically forever.
Story-wise, McFadden teased that the next movie shifts to a new family with fresh twists and a plan to catch people off guard. Translation: don’t expect a rerun.
The author behind the pen name
McFadden has been a best-selling thriller name for 23 years — and a mystery herself. Readers have argued for ages about who she really is. Earlier this month, she stopped the guessing game: McFadden is the pen name of Sara Cohen, a physician who treats brain disorders. She told USA Today on April 8 that she was ready to drop the secrecy now that she’s stepped back from her medical job.
"I am a real person and I have a real identity and I don’t have anything to hide."
Why the mask-off now? She wanted to wait until her day job wasn’t in the blast zone of internet attention. These days she’s only doing clinical work once or twice a month. She also admitted she wore a wig when she did author appearances because, in her words, she has no idea what to do with her hair. The double-life thing got overwhelming, and this simplifies it. Still, she plans to keep publishing as Freida McFadden — the name readers know — and says she’s always been straight with fans about who she is, aside from the legal name.
- December 2025: The Housemaid movie opens, starring Sydney Sweeney as Millie.
- April 8, 2026: USA Today runs McFadden’s identity reveal — real name Sara Cohen, a doctor specializing in brain disorders.
- Sequel confirmed: The Housemaid’s Secret adaptation set, with Sweeney returning and Kirsten Dunst joining.
- April 23, 2026: At the TIME100 Gala in NYC, McFadden calls Sweeney the perfect fit and teases new twists for the sequel.
Bottom line: Sweeney was the right call, the sequel’s lining up to swerve in fresh directions, and the author behind the twisty books finally put a real name to the brand — without ditching the brand itself.