When the first trailer for the horror movie M3GAN was released last year, the creepy robotic doll of the same name went viral thanks to a short dance sequence that appears in the film. Amy Donald, a 12-year-old girl from New Zealand, danced like the physical face of the doll. But behind the scenes, Plano native Jenna Davis lent her voice to M3GAN.
M3GAN, which hit theaters on January 6 and boasts a 95 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, tells the story of an AI doll tasked with being the caretaker and best friend of a young girl named Cady. The situation takes a grim turn when M3GAN becomes violent towards anyone who might harm Cady.
More:New Dungeons & Dragons Movie to Open SXSW Film & TV Festival 2023
“M3GAN” marks the 18-year-old Davis’ first major Hollywood role, San Antonio TV channel KENS 5 reported. Crow on Disney Channel.
During her voice work and prior to “M3GAN”, Davis rose to prominence on social media. She has 4.3 million followers on TikTok and 2 million on YouTube, where she uploaded her first video in 2015. The Plano native told KENS 5 that her social media fame helped her portray M3GAN, such as understanding how the doll speaks.
More:Jonathan Majors is among this year’s Texas Film Awards winners; that’s how to go
“I really had to dive into those creative elements… but I think I’ve been doing it for so long in my life that it’s happening pretty quickly now,” Davis told KENS 5. “Even when it comes to making TikTok or getting scripted or written songs, I have to immerse myself in those creative elements.”
Davis also told KENS 5 that social media in general plays a role in M3GAN’s character and audience appeal.
“Because dancing and TikTok and all these different things are so important to our generation, that’s what makes her so fun,” Davis told KENS 5. “She also has Instagram. She has all these things that people can interact with her, which is pretty comical.”
