Why Sonya From The Babysitter: Killer Queen Looks So Familiar
Fans of kooky horror-comedy got a real gift in 2017 when Netflix released The Babysitter. The Samara Weaving-led movie thrilled viewers with its over-the-top violence, tongue-in-cheek take on tropes of the horror genre, and the committed performances from the ensemble cast that helped bring its outlandish characters to life. The good news those who enjoyed the movie is that a sequel, The Babysitter: Killer Queen, has just dropped on Netflix, and most of the stars from the original are back for another round of Satanic fun.
One of the characters that fans will no doubt be thrilled to see again is Sonya, the stylish and cool member of the satanic cult led by babysitter Bee. She is played by Hana Mae Lee, whose expert line readings turn Sonya from a sidekick to a scene-stealer.
"Sidekick to scene-stealer" could actually be the header for Lee's resume. The actress and model has made a career out of turning in laugh-out-loud performances in small but memorable roles. Let's take a look at some of Hana Mae Lee's career highlights.
Hana Mae Lee has a very famous fan thanks to Pitch Perfect
If there's one thing you're sure to recognize Lee from, it's her gut-busting role in the Pitch Perfect series. In all three films, Lee plays Lilly — the quietest member of the Bellas, but far from the most forgettable. Lilly's soft-spoken demeanor is used to compliment the outrageous one-liners she squeaks out with perfect comedic timing. There's nothing quite like leaning in close to try and hear what she's saying, only to realize it's "I ate my twin in the womb."
Lilly is one of the characters who helps set the absurdist yet heartwarming tone of the trilogy, and it made her a fan favorite. As Lee revealed to BriefTake, she has one very famous fan in particular: Janet Jackson. "[Jackson and I] both work with the same makeup artist," Lee explained. "He took me to her concert awhile back, I think in 2015, and he's like, 'You know Janet always talks about your character in the movie,' and I was like, shocked, 'She watches the movie??' And he's like, 'Yeah! Janet always talks about how your character is so much like her because everyone always tells her that they can't hear her because she talks really quietly.'"
Lilly from the Pitch Perfect series may be Lee's signature role, but it's far from her only one.
The iconic '80s cartoon character Hana Mae Lee brought to life
It's actually entirely possible that you don't recognize Lee from Jem and the Holograms, because one thing the big-screen adaptation of the beloved '80s cartoon is best known for is bombing hard at the box office. But if you did happen to catch the film, then you also saw Lee in a small but significant role during the movie's mid-credits Easter egg.
After the conclusion, we're treated to a small scene that introduces one element from the original series that was missing from the movie: the rival band to the Holograms, the Misfits. Lee makes a cameo here as Roxy, the band's tough-as-nails guitarist. And had the movie not flopped, we might have seen that role expanded in a sequel.
The secret scene, which sees malevolent record industry executive Erica (Juliette Lewis) recruit the Misfits to help her take down Jem and the Holograms, was clearly meant to set up another film in what could have been a budding franchise. Director Jon M. Chu confirmed that there was hope for a sequel in an interview with ComicBook.com. When asked if a follow up film would bring more elements from the comics and cartoons, he replied, "Yeah! I think that was always the intention. I thought of this as telling a bigger story, for sure. We knew that Synergy has bigger secrets and different forms than what we know now. We even plant some Easter Eggs, in case we get the chance to make a sequel."
Oh, what could have been.
Hana Mae Lee is a TV scene-stealer
Lee has also brought her brand of off-kilter humor to the world of TV. In Those Who Can't, TruTV's comedy about teachers behaving badly, Lee guest stars in several episodes as Julie. Like the rest of the staff at Smoot High School, Julie is a bit of an oddball. In her case, she's known for antics like talking at length about her vegan, all organic lunches to everyone in the teacher's lounge, only to reveal that she's actually having an entire pizza once she's alone.
In the Epix original series Perpetual Grace, LTD, Lee recurs throughout the first (and likely only) season as Scotty Scholes, a recovering addict who gets wrapped up in the con job at the center of the strange neo-noir thriller. While the twisted drama and violent aesthetic of Perpetual Grace, LTD is a far cry from the cheerful comedy vibes of Pitch Perfect and Those Who Can't, the offbeat tone of the show ends up being a perfect match for Lee's style.
Whether she's killing it in blockbuster movie franchises, or turning in solid guest-starring work on TV, Hana Mae Lee is hard to miss. We doubt that The Babysitter: Killer Queen is the last we'll see of this scene-stealer.