Sarah Pidgeon has built an impressive acting career across television, film, and Broadway. She first gained widespread attention as Leah Rilke in The Wilds, then appeared in Tiny Beautiful Things, Lazareth, and The Friend. Her role as Stevie Ward in I Know What You Did Last Summer expanded her film work, while playing Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in Love Story brought her to a new level of recognition
If you’re searching for Sarah Pidgeon movies and TV shows, this guide covers her released screen credits, notable performances, and what makes each project worth knowing. It also includes her early television appearances and a look at her acclaimed stage work.
Sarah Pidgeon Movies and TV Shows: At a Glance
Sarah Pidgeon is an American actress born on July 7, 1996, in Birmingham, Michigan. She studied at Carnegie Mellon University, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in drama. Her professional screen career includes television dramas, feature films, and a horror franchise.
Her filmography is still developing, but several roles already stand out. The Wilds introduced her to a wider audience, Tiny Beautiful Things demonstrated her dramatic range, and Love Story gave her a major historical-drama role.
| Title | Year | Role | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| One Dollar | 2018 | Party Girl | TV series |
| Gotham | 2019 | Jane Cartwright / Jane Doe | TV series |
| The Wilds | 2020–2022 | Leah Rilke | TV series |
| Tiny Beautiful Things | 2023 | Young Clare Pierce | Miniseries |
| Lazareth | 2024 | Maeve | Movie |
| The Friend | 2024 | Val | Movie |
| I Know What You Did Last Summer | 2025 | Stevie Ward | Movie |
| Love Story | 2026 | Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy | TV series |
The Wilds: Sarah Pidgeon’s Breakthrough TV Role
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Title: The Wilds
Year: 2020–2022
Role: Leah Rilke
Format: Television drama
The Wilds is one of the most important titles in Sarah Pidgeon’s television career. The series follows a group of teenage girls who become stranded on a remote island after a plane crash. As the story develops, their relationships, personal struggles, and the mystery surrounding their situation become central to the drama.
Pidgeon plays Leah Rilke, an intelligent and emotionally complicated character whose perspective becomes particularly important to the story. Her performance helped establish her as an actress capable of carrying intense, character-driven television.
The series ran for two seasons, with Pidgeon appearing in the main cast. For viewers discovering her work for the first time, this is one of the best places to begin.
Tiny Beautiful Things
In Tiny Beautiful Things, Sarah Pidgeon plays Young Clare Pierce, a younger version of the character portrayed by Kathryn Hahn. The Hulu miniseries is based on Cheryl Strayed’s book and explores grief, family relationships, regret, and the complicated process of understanding one’s past.
Pidgeon’s role is significant because the story moves between different periods of Clare’s life. Her performance helps establish the emotional history behind the older character’s experiences.
The miniseries contains eight episodes and offers a different kind of viewing experience from The Wilds. Rather than focusing on survival and mystery, it emphasizes emotional storytelling and family drama.
💡 Pro Tip: If you want to understand Sarah Pidgeon’s dramatic range, watch The Wilds before Tiny Beautiful Things. The contrast between Leah’s tense, mystery-driven story and Young Clare’s emotional family history makes her versatility easier to appreciate.
Sarah Pidgeon Movies: Her Major Film Roles
Lazareth (2024)
Role: Maeve
Lazareth is a 2024 thriller starring Sarah Pidgeon as Maeve. The film follows a story centered on isolation, family, and survival, giving Pidgeon an opportunity to work in a tense feature-film setting.
This title is part of her early movie career and is useful for viewers who want to explore her work outside television. It also shows her move into feature films after gaining recognition through The Wilds.
The Friend (2024)
For viewers interested in her more understated dramatic performances, The Friend is a useful addition to the watchlist. Its emotional focus makes it distinct from the survival drama of The Wilds and the horror elements of her later film work.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)
Role: Stevie Ward
Sarah Pidgeon plays Stevie Ward in I Know What You Did Last Summer, the 2025 horror film directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson. The movie is part of the well-known slasher franchise and features a new cast alongside returning franchise stars.
Pidgeon’s involvement marked a significant step into mainstream horror cinema. The film brought her work to audiences who may not have watched her earlier television dramas.
This is a particularly relevant title for fans looking for Sarah Pidgeon movies and TV shows that cover different genres. It places her in a franchise setting rather than the more intimate dramatic stories of her previous projects.
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
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Title: Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Year: 2026
Role: Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy
Format: Historical drama series
Love Story is one of the most notable projects in Sarah Pidgeon’s career. The FX and Hulu series dramatizes the relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, with Pidgeon portraying Carolyn and Paul Anthony Kelly playing JFK Jr.
The series premiered on February 12, 2026, and follows the couple’s relationship, public attention, and personal lives. It is part of Ryan Murphy’s American Story universe.
Pidgeon’s performance received attention for its portrayal of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, a fashion figure whose life has long attracted public interest. Her preparation included research and coaching to help capture the character’s manner and presence.
For fans following her career, Love Story represents a major move into a high-profile historical role. It also shows how her work has expanded from young-adult television dramas to more demanding adult character portrayals.
Early Television Credits
Before her breakthrough, Sarah Pidgeon appeared in smaller television roles.
One Dollar (2018)
Pidgeon appeared as Party Girl in an episode of the television series One Dollar. This is among her earliest listed screen credits.
Gotham (2019)
In Gotham, she played Jane Cartwright / Jane Doe in the episode “Legend of the Dark Knight: Nothing’s Shocking.” The appearance added a crime-drama credit to her growing filmography.
These early roles are relatively small compared with her later performances, but they help show the progression of her career before The Wilds.
Her Broadway Work: Stereophonic
Her work in Stereophonic demonstrates that her abilities extend beyond film and television. The role required performance skills suited to live theatre, including musical and dramatic work.
📌 Key Takeaway
Sarah Pidgeon’s strongest starting points are The Wilds for her breakthrough television performance, Tiny Beautiful Things for emotional drama, The Friend for feature-film work, and Love Story for her high-profile historical role. Her filmography is relatively compact, but it covers several genres and continues to expand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sarah Pidgeon best known for?
Sarah Pidgeon is best known for playing Leah Rilke in The Wilds. She is also recognized for Tiny Beautiful Things, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and her role as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in Love Story. Her Broadway performance in Stereophonic earned her a Tony Award nomination.
What movies has Sarah Pidgeon been in?
Her listed feature-film credits include Lazareth (2024), The Friend (2024), and I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025). These films cover thriller, drama, and horror genres, making them useful choices for viewers exploring her movie career.
What TV shows has Sarah Pidgeon appeared in?
Her television credits include One Dollar, Gotham, The Wilds, Tiny Beautiful Things, and Love Story. The Wilds is her breakthrough series, while Love Story is her major 2026 historical-drama role.
Does Sarah Pidgeon play Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy?
Yes. Sarah Pidgeon portrays Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in the FX and Hulu drama Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette. The series dramatizes the couple’s relationship and public lives.
Was Sarah Pidgeon in a Broadway play?
Yes. She played Diana in Stereophonic, which marked her Broadway debut. Her performance earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play in 2024.
Conclusion
Sarah Pidgeon’s career has moved from early television appearances to major roles in drama, horror, and historical storytelling. Her work in The Wilds remains an excellent introduction, while The Friend and Love Story show how her range has developed.
For anyone exploring Sarah Pidgeon movies and TV shows, her filmography offers a clear path through her career: begin with The Wilds, explore her dramatic roles, and then discover her work in feature films and Love Story.
