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Even after several decades since its debut, Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” still sends shivers down spines and makes everyone look twice at eerie hotels. Among the film’s most iconic figures are the ghostly Grady twins, who Danny Torrance (portrayed by Danny Lloyd) encounters in the Overlook Hotel’s corridors. These haunting roles were brought to life by Lisa and Louise Burns. Although “The Shining” profoundly impacted the horror genre, the Burns twins didn’t go on to have extensive acting careers. What kept them from reaching greater stardom?
Warner Bros.
In a conversation with the Daily Mail, the Burns sisters explained that they faced roadblocks at acting schools because of their prior experience in Kubrick’s 1980 film. Louise recounted an audition for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA), where she was told, “I couldn’t be accepted because appearing in the movie made me a professional actress, and they didn’t take professionals.”
Disheartened by their limited prospects in acting, the twins decided to explore different careers. Lisa pursued law, while Louise ventured into the sciences. Nonetheless, they occasionally delight fans by appearing at conventions, offering opportunities for admirers of “The Shining” to meet and photograph the renowned twins.
The film “The Shining” diverges in numerous ways from Stephen King’s original novel. King himself has voiced his displeasure with Kubrick’s adaptation of his story. Notably, Alexie and Alexia Grady, who appear as twins in the movie, are not twins in the book. In King’s version, they are the daughters of former caretaker Delbert Grady, tragically killed by their father under the Overlook Hotel’s sinister influence, and they are described as being eight and ten years old.
Interestingly, the Burns sisters revealed that casting twins was not part of Kubrick’s initial plan. “Stanley wasn’t specifically looking for twins, but we auditioned nonetheless,” Lisa shared with the Daily Mail. “Had we not tried out, the roles might have gone to two girls of different ages, as depicted in the book. However, it turned out that twins added a more chilling effect that Stanley favored.”
The Shining twins turned out to be scene stealers
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“The Shining” book differs from the movie in many significant ways. Just ask author Stephen King, who still has many gripes about how Stanley Kubrick treated his original story. One of the biggest changes made is to Alexie and Alexia Grady, who aren’t twins in the novel. In the book, they are still former caretaker Delbert Grady’s daughters, who are murdered by their father after he becomes possessed by the Overlook Hotel, but they are described as eight and 10 years old.
According to the Burns sisters, Kubrick didn’t plan to cast twins at all. “Stanley was never looking for twins, but we went along anyway,” Lisa told the Daily Mail. “If we hadn’t auditioned then the roles would probably have gone to two girls of different ages, like the characters in the book. It certainly worked in our favor because Stanley decided twins were just spookier.”
It proved to be a masterstroke in the casting department, as the Grady twins became synonymous with the unsettling nature of “The Shining” and considered among the scariest kids in horror movie history. As a matter of fact, it’s impossible to think of the film without their creepy presence. They’re as important and memorable as Redrum and Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) swinging his ax in the direction of his family.