Elizabeth Lail Biography: Movies, Husband & Career

There’s something about an actress who can pivot from fairy-tale princess to stalker obsession and then to horror survivalist. Elizabeth Lail has done exactly that, charming audiences as Anna in Once Upon a Time, unnerving them as Beck in You, and facing animatronic terror in Five Nights at Freddy’s. This profile walks through her career milestones, her marriage to dentist Nieku Manshadi, and the real-life details behind the rising star.

Birthdate: March 25, 1992 ·
Birthplace: Asheboro, North Carolina ·
Notable role: Anna in Once Upon a Time (2014) ·
Married: Nieku Manshadi ·
Children: None known publicly

Six key facts, one pattern: Lail consistently chooses roles that swing from innocent to unsettling, and each has expanded her audience.

What is Elizabeth Lail famous for?

Breakout role as Anna in Once Upon a Time

• Lail was cast as Anna the snow queen in the ABC fairy-tale series Once Upon a Time in 2014, appearing in the fourth season (Wikipedia biographical entry).
• The role gave her a prime-time platform and introduced her to a fantasy-driven audience.

Her performance as Anna was widely noted for capturing the character’s warmth and determination.

Guinevere Beck in You

• Lail played Guinevere Beck, the initial love interest and obsession of Joe Goldberg in Netflix’s psychological thriller You (2018–2019) (Wikipedia biographical entry).
• The series dramatically increased her visibility, with one profile noting it “propelled her to new heights” (Grumpy Magazine celebrity feature).

The role required Lail to shift from vulnerable graduate student to a character fighting for survival, earning critical attention for her range.

Vanessa in Five Nights at Freddy’s

• In March 2023, Deadline reported that Lail joined the cast of Blumhouse’s Five Nights at Freddy’s as Vanessa, filming in New Orleans (Deadline entertainment news).
• The film became a box-office hit, earning nearly $292 million globally, according to Screendollars film industry data.

The pattern: Each of Lail’s major roles takes a familiar archetype (princess, love interest, counselor) and twists it. That willingness to subvert expectations may be her signature strength.

Elizabeth Lail Movies & TV Shows List

Full filmography

• Once Upon a Time (2014–2015) – TV series (ABC)
• The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015) – Film (uncredited)
• Unintended (2018) – Film, her first feature-film role (Screendollars filmography)
• You (2018–2019) – TV series (Netflix)
• Countdown (2019) – Horror film (Screendollars filmography)
• Ordinary Joe (2021–2022) – TV series (NBC)
• Mack & Rita (2022) – Comedy film (Screendollars filmography)
• Gossip Girl (2022) – TV series role (HBO Max)
• Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023) – Film (Deadline entertainment news)

Why this matters: Her filmography shows a deliberate progression from indie horror to mainstream IP. The jump to Blumhouse’s franchise signals industry confidence in her ability to carry a tentpole.

Is Elizabeth Lail in a relationship?

Marriage to Nieku Manshadi

• Elizabeth Lail married Nieku Manshadi, a pediatric dentist, in April 2021 (Wikipedia biographical entry).
• Nieku Manshadi is of Iranian ethnicity, according to Tuko and Legit.ng.

Lail occasionally shares glimpses of her married life on Instagram, posting a birthday tribute to Manshadi in 2024.

How they met

• The couple met through mutual friends in Los Angeles after Lail moved there from New York City (Screendollars biography).
• Specific details of their first meeting remain private, with neither party disclosing a full timeline.

Does Elizabeth Lail have children?

• No, she and her husband do not have children as of early 2025.

“Happy birthday to my favorite person.”

– Elizabeth Lail, Instagram post to Nieku Manshadi (source via Elizabeth Lail’s Instagram profile)

The trade-off: Lail keeps her marriage relatively shielded from the press. While fans appreciate the privacy, the lack of public detail feeds ongoing curiosity about her personal life.

What ethnicity is Elizabeth Lail?

Family background

• Lail was born in Asheboro, North Carolina, and raised there (Screendollars biography).
• She is of European descent, with reported English, Scottish, and German roots (per Wikipedia biographical entry).
• Her parents are Dean Franklin Lail and Kay Lurene Surratt (Famous Birthdays biography).

What this means: Lail’s heritage is predominantly Northwestern European, but her husband’s Iranian background adds a multicultural dimension to her immediate family.

How did Elizabeth Lail meet her husband?

Details of their first meeting

• Lail and Manshadi were introduced through a mutual friend in Los Angeles after Lail moved west to pursue acting full-time (Screendollars biography).
• Neither Lail nor Manshadi has publicly shared the exact date or circumstances of their first meeting.

The catch: The lack of an origin story has left tabloids and fan forums to speculate, but Lail has kept the narrative tightly controlled.

Timeline

• 1992 – Born in Asheboro, North Carolina (Wikipedia biographical entry)
• 2011–2014 – Studies acting at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (Screendollars biography)
• 2014 – Portrays Anna on Once Upon a Time (Wikipedia biographical entry)
• 2018 – First season of You as Guinevere Beck (Wikipedia biographical entry)
• 2019 – Marries Nieku Manshadi (Wikipedia biographical entry)
• 2023 – Stars in Five Nights at Freddy’s (Deadline entertainment news)

The implication: Lail’s next announcement will indicate whether she is waiting for a franchise role or shifting back to television.

“Elizabeth Lail’s role in You substantially increased her visibility and turned her into a household name among thriller fans.”

– Grumpy Magazine celebrity feature (Grumpy Magazine profile)

For fans of genre-spanning talent, Elizabeth Lail’s trajectory from fairy-tale princess to horror mainstay is one to watch. Her next project will determine if she becomes a household name, but the foundation is solid: a proven ability to anchor three very different franchises. If she secures a lasting series or another major film role, the payoff for her audience will be watching a star solidify her staying power.

Related reading: Debby Ryan: Biography, Career, and Life Updates

For more on her career and personal life, a detailed biography of Elizabeth Lail covers her journey from Once Upon a Time to You and beyond.

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