Experimental Activity' and 'Paranormal Activity' star Katie Featherston; an overnight success story

Former Bucca di Beppo waitress, Katie Featherston was catapulted to fame two years after appearing in the small-time 2007 horror flick Paranormal Activity. The horror pseudo-documentary premiered nationwide on October 16, 2009, and evoked a strong following by viewers, in a manner similar to The Blair Witch Project.
Texas-born Katie Dianne Featherston, entered the world on October 20, 1982. She is the oldest of three children. According to a high school acquaintance, Featherston played Juliet in the play Romeo and Juliet, during High School. The horror star graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, shortly before moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.

When a still unknown Featherston went to an open casting call in Los Angeles she was paired, by first-time producer Oren Peli, with Micah Sloat, and was asked to perform without a script, in Paranormal Activity. The couple admitted in an interview with Dread Central, that they had immediate chemistry.
Before her 2009 success, Featherston found a few acting jobs in commercials, and played the role of Melissa in the Brad Sykes-directed horror film Mutation, in 2006. The independent film did not fare well with science fiction fans.
As luck would have it for Featherston, the Indie film, Paranormal Activity, was a huge success at both L.A.'s 2007 Screamfest and the 2008 Slamdance Festival. The film garnered the attention of Paramount/DreamWorks and Steven Spielberg, who said after watching the home-video film,

It just killed my marrow — it was too real to watch in the dark. The next morning, in broad daylight, I watched the whole picture and it still scared me beyond measure."

Featherston was paid  a paltry $500 for her role and bought a gray Coach purse with the money. Regarding her career prospects, she mentions, "the quality of meetings we're able to get right now is much higher. So are the scripts."
Featherston is slated to play a small role as Elspeth in the upcoming film Experimental Activity, which was renamed from the original title, Walking Distance. The film is also a horror flick, which revolves around strange happenings in a supposedly idyllic neighborhood.