‘The Housemaid’ Trailer – Sidney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried lock horns
Sidney Sweeney plays a woman who works as a live-in maid for an unpredictable wife (Amanda Seyfried) in the psychological thriller The Housemaid.
The best-selling author known around the world as Frieda McFadden reveals her true identity.
Ms. McFadden, whose prolific work includes “The Housemaid” and other domestic thrillers, uses a pseudonym, a wig and glasses to protect her privacy in public. When she first started publishing, she lived a Hannah Montana-worthy double life as a doctor, but kept the two personalities separate.
It may seem like a mystery ripped from her book, but McFadden never intended it to be that way. But as her popularity grew, so did her secrets. McFadden says “the time has come” to reveal his true identity, not to mention that a second “Housemaid” movie is in the works, following the first “Housemaid” movie (starring Sidney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried).
“I’m at a point in my career where I’m tired of this being a secret. I’m tired of people arguing about whether I’m a real person or three guys,” McFadden says. “I’m a real person, I have a real identity, and I have nothing to hide.”
Frieda McFadden reveals her true identity to USA TODAY
Outside of the world of books, McFadden is Sarah Cohen, a doctor who treats brain diseases. And although it looks like he’s wearing a disguise, he’s actually wearing glasses. Her hair is in a wig, but the reason for that is simply because “I don’t know how to style my hair,” she told USA TODAY in a phone interview.
“It’s much more boring than what happens in my book,” McFadden says.
McFadden created this pen name because he didn’t want his writing to conflict with his hospital work.
“My biggest goal was to keep it a secret until I was (ready) to step down from practicing medicine so that everyone I work with wouldn’t suddenly find out and my ability to do my job would be compromised,” McFadden said. At the end of 2023, she stopped working full time. “But I’ve stopped working. I only work once or twice a month.”
But she says her colleagues found out and were “very kind” to keep it a secret. Many of them are fans of her books and had no idea they were collaborating with the author herself. She started bringing books to the hospital.
“I just realized that trying to do both would completely overwhelm me,” she says.
Although McFadden is currently “unidentified,” he is adamant that he is still the author readers know and love. Although she is happy to divulge a secret she had no intention of keeping, she still wants the world of books to know her as “Frieda.”
“Even though I’ve never revealed my real name, I feel like I’ve been telling them who I really am, and everything I told them was true,” McFadden said. “Even if the name is a surprise, nothing else is. I have always been honest with my readers.”
Claire Mulroy is USA TODAY’s books reporter, covering hot releases, chatting with authors, and diving into reading culture. please find her on instagramsubscribe to our weekly magazine book newsletter Or tell her what you’re reading cmulroy@usatoday.com.
