What The Final Girl From The Descent Looks Like Today

The concept of the "final girl" is a time-honored tradition in the horror genre. Usually, in these films, you start with a group of people. One by one, they're picked off by whatever the monster is until one individual remains (typically a woman). As clarified succinctly in "The Cabin in the Woods," this final girl can either live or die, but one way or the other, the plot has to come down to solely her. The all-time great heroines of the genre have been the final girl, whether that's Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) from "Halloween" or Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns) from "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre." And honestly, Sarah Carter (Shauna Macdonald) from 2005's "The Descent" deserves to be on that list.

In case you haven't seen the film, it'll make sure you never want to go spelunking ever again. The film follows a group of women who go on a cave expedition only to find themselves off the beaten path. While deep within the earth, they discover a group of sub-humans living there that begin picking them off until only Sarah remains. The last time many people saw her, she was a little worse for wear, which is why it can help put your mind at ease to see what actress Shauna Macdonald is up to these days.

Shauna Macdonald broke out into the mainstream thanks to the widespread critical success of "The Descent." She put her newfound fame to good use, going on to star in numerous other films and TV projects, including a follow-up to her big hit — "The Descent: Part 2." Outside of that franchise, her other credits consist of "Made in Belfast," "Filth," and "The Five." She also had a small role in "Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi" as a resistance pilot during the Battle of Crait.

She's married to fellow actor Cal MacAninch, and the couple has three children together. She's also the co-artistic director of the Edinburgh Youth Theatre, located in Bellfield, where young actors learn about various works of art, both classical and contemporary. 

That's not the only way she's giving back to the community. She also teaches public speaking classes to help people overcome their fears of getting up in front of others (via The Sunday Post). Macdonald admits she had a similar problem as a young girl until she started doing theater, which gave her the confidence to perform as a career. She's been awfully busy since her days with blood makeup smeared across her face, but it's good to see an actor help others work toward the same profession.