She’s Liam Hemsworth love interest in Independence Day: Resurgence, but it’s co-star Jeff Goldblum who sent her heart aflutter.

FACT FILE

NAME Dillon Monroe Buckley
BORN May 29, 1993, Santa Barbara, California, USA
FILMOGRAPHY At Any Price (2012), The Bling Ring (2013), Labor Day (2014), The Guest (2014), It Follows (2014), The 5th Wave (2016), Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

1 NAME GAME

The 23-year-old US actress loved the sound of the name “Maika”, so she adopted it at an early age after learning from her mother that it was her parents’ first choice before they decided on Dillon. She has since legally changed her first name to Maika.

2 SCREAM QUEEN

Following her chilling performances in psychological thriller The Guest and supernatural horror flick It Follows, the US media promptly crowned Monroe the new “Scream Queen”, a label the pretty blonde did not identify with.

“I do like the (horror) genre but that was not planned at all,” she told Us Weekly. “These are probably the two horror movies I’ll do, but then again I can’t say never.”

3 SWITCHING GEARS

Monroe is dabbling in sci-fi now with Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day: Resurgence, the sequel to his 1996 blockbuster.

In the movie, which opens here tomorrow, she plays Patricia Whitmore, the tough cookie daughter of former US President Whitmore (Bill Pullman), who now works in the White House for the current head of state.

Monroe’s casting caused a slight online stir as fans questioned why Mae Whitman, who portrayed Patricia in the original, did not reprise her role.

“I was like, ‘Why are you guys doing this? You’re creating a problem and it’s so not necessary’. I was bummed about that,” Monroe told MTV, adding that she chooses to ignore the backlash over the replacement.

4 LOVE INTEREST

Monroe is also the love interest of Aussie hunk Liam Hemsworth’s pilot protagonist Jake, but it was another co-star – veteran US actor Jeff Goldblum – who sent her heart aflutter.

A fan of the original movie, Monroe told MTV that her most surreal moments were having conversations with Goldblum, who returns as scientist-computer expert-environmental activist David Levinson.

“He’d tell stories, sing and play lots of games. And there was (tap) dancing!”

5 SUN AND SURF

Prior to becoming an actress, Monroe was a ranked competitive freestyle kiteboarder. Her dad taught her the sport when she was 13, and at 17, she moved to the Dominican Republic to train as a pro.

She will be putting her skills to good use in the upcoming The Tribes Of Palos Verde, a drama about a California beach community, which also stars Jennifer Garner and Tye Sheridan.

It Follows star Maika Monroe talks beautiful horror movies, Chloë Grace Moretz – and getting into the dark zone. It Follows is being hailed as an instant horror classic but I hated it because I really don’t like being scared. Good, I like to hear that.

What is the ‘it’ of the title?

I don’t even know what it is. The writer/director David Robert Mitchell told me the idea comes from his nightmare. As a kid he had this constant dream of this thing following him. Sometimes it would be someone he recognised – a friend or family member – or people he didn’t know at all. They would follow him and you could run away but it would always be there.

Since I saw the film sometimes I think people are following me.

Yip, that tends to happen after you watch it. But I guess I’m only imagining it. You don’t know…

Is it more frightening that we never know who or what this relentless, ever-changing thing is and why it wants to catch and kill you?

It moves slowly so you have time to think about what’s happening. That’s the worst. The film has this dreamlike, hazy feel and it’s very elegant and simple. Where most horror movies are so loud and in your face with blood and guts, there is something quite beautiful about it in a terrifying way.

Can you still find a film terrifying if you star in it?

No, not really. It’s hard for me to watch and be able to enjoy it, which is kind of a bummer. I’m just painfully watching myself, thinking this was the most intense five weeks of my life.

Was it so bad?

The character goes to hell and back. Jay is a typical teenager, then she’s thrown into this insane situation and you watch her deal with it and come out a hero. Filming it, I’d always have my headset on with my music playing. I’d be in my own world to stay in that dark zone, since that’s where most of the movie takes place.

What’s on your dark zone playlist?

I was trying to think. I think I blacked out the process of making the movie. I’ve no idea, just some really dark, depressing music.

Radiohead?

There you go.

You used to be a professional kiteboarder. Is that something more of us should take up?

It’s an up-and-coming sport. If you want adrenaline in a somewhat easy way, all ages can do it. There are people in their 70s and kids who are 12 kiting, my dad’s kiteboarding and he’s almost 60. You can learn tricks where you’re jumping 30 feet in the air or you can just be riding on a surfboard.

I have trouble just flying a kite so…

That’s a bad start.

Speaking of waves, you’ll be in the adaptation of The Fifth Wave, with Chloë Grace Moretz.

I just wrapped on that. It’s a really popular young adult novel. It’s pretty cool bringing a character from a book to life – I mean it’s a little stressful because you feel pressure from fans – but it’s exciting and it’s such a fun role. Who doesn’t want to play the kickass girl who’s better than all the dudes?

Your character Ringer is a weapons expert, so handy if anything starts following you again.

Exactly, so be scared. I’ll whip out my M4. I’m ready.