If you’ve watched supernatural TV over the past decade, you’ve almost certainly seen Shelley Hennig shift from a fierce werewolf in Teen Wolf to a terrified teen in Unfriended. The Louisiana-born actress has quietly built a career that spans daytime soaps, horror hits, and Netflix rom-coms — often playing characters who are tougher than they first appear.

Born: January 2, 1987 ·
Age: 37 (as of 2024) ·
Net worth: Estimated $1–2 million ·
Instagram followers: 3 million ·
Most famous role: Malia Tate (Teen Wolf) ·
Filmography count: 10+ films, 7+ TV series

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
4What’s next
The upshot

Shelley Hennig’s career trajectory — from pageant queen to soap opera regular to horror lead — shows a performer who deliberately sought genre work that let her play physically demanding, emotionally intense roles. The trade-off: she’s built a niche following rather than mainstream household-name status, which gives her unusual freedom to pick projects.

Eight key facts about her career, at a glance:

Label Value
Full Name Shelley Catherine Hennig
Born January 2, 1987 (Destrehan, Louisiana, USA)
Age 37 years old (as of 2024)
Occupation Actress, model
Years Active 2004–present
Notable Role Malia Tate (Teen Wolf)
Net Worth Estimated $1–2 million
Instagram Followers 3 million

What is Shelley Hennig Known For?

What is Shelley’s most famous work?

  • Shelley Hennig is best known for portraying Malia Tate, the fierce werecoyote, in the MTV series Teen Wolf from 2014 to 2017 — a role she reprised in the 2023 feature film TV Guide (entertainment guide).
  • Before that, she played Stephanie Johnson on the long-running soap Days of Our Lives from 2007 to 2011, a role that earned her a Daytime Emmy nomination Fandango (ticketing platform).
  • She also gained recognition for her lead role as Blaire in the horror film Unfriended (2014) and appeared in The Secret Circle and Ouija Kinoafisha (movie database).

The pattern: Hennig has consistently chosen roles that let her explore supernatural or high-stakes scenarios — from werecoyotes to haunted teens — rather than chasing conventional romantic leads.

What to watch

What sets Hennig apart is her willingness to commit to physically demanding genre work. Her Malia Tate character required fight training, animalistic movement coaching, and hours of prosthetic makeup — a level of investment that many young actors in supernatural TV avoid.

What this means: Hennig’s early soap training and pageant discipline gave her the emotional stamina to anchor these high-intensity roles without losing vulnerability.

What Has Shelley Hennig Played In?

Who was the actress who drank her own urine?

  • Yes, that was Shelley Hennig. In the 2014 horror film Unfriended, her character Blaire is forced to drink her own urine during a harrowing supernatural game — a scene that became one of the movie’s most talked-about moments Kinoafisha (movie database).
  • Her full filmography includes Ouija (2014), the Netflix romantic comedy When We First Met (2018), Gatlopp (2022), and Cult Killer (2024) Fandango (ticketing platform).
  • On television, she has appeared in Days of Our Lives, Teen Wolf, The Secret Circle, Mythic Quest, Dollface, and made a 2004 appearance on Passions TV Guide (entertainment guide).

The implication: Hennig’s filmography reveals a deliberate pivot from daytime television toward genre film and streaming projects — a career arc that mirrors the broader shift in how young actors build sustainable careers outside the network TV system.

How Old Was Shelley Hennig During Teen Wolf?

How old is Shelley Hennig now?

  • Shelley Hennig was born on January 2, 1987, making her 37 years old as of 2024 TV Guide (entertainment guide).
  • She joined Teen Wolf in season 4 (2014) at age 27 and continued through the series finale in 2017. That made her slightly older than many of her castmates, who had been on the show since their late teens Fandango (ticketing platform).
  • She was 36 when she reprised the role in the 2023 Teen Wolf movie.

What this means: Hennig entered Teen Wolf as an established actor in her late twenties, not a teen discovery — which gave her character Malia a maturity and physical presence that stood out from the younger ensemble.

What Is Shelley Hennig’s Net Worth?

  • Shelley Hennig’s net worth is estimated between $1 million and $2 million Bored Panda (entertainment media).
  • Her income derives primarily from her television and film acting career, with major sources including her multi-season run on Teen Wolf, her four-year stint on Days of Our Lives, and film projects like Unfriended and When We First Met.
  • No official financial disclosures exist — the estimate comes from aggregated entertainment-industry sources and should be treated as approximate.

The catch: Without public salary disclosures or verified financial filings, any net worth figure remains speculative. The $1–2 million range is consistent with an actor of her profile who works steadily but not at A-list pay scales.

Is Shelley Hennig Single?

  • As of 2024, Shelley Hennig has not publicly confirmed a current relationship. She previously dated actor Ryan McPartlin, but her current relationship status is private Bored Panda (entertainment media).
  • She maintains an active Instagram presence with 3 million followers, where she posts career updates and personal photos but rarely discusses her romantic life.

Why this matters: For a public figure with 3 million social media followers, the deliberate privacy around dating life is notable. It suggests a boundary between her personal and professional identity that many younger actors struggle to maintain.

Career Timeline

  • 2004 — First television appearance on Passions. Crowned Miss Teen USA. TV Guide (entertainment guide)
  • 2007–2011 — Portrayed Stephanie Johnson on Days of Our Lives. Fandango (ticketing platform)
  • 2011–2012 — Cast as Diana Meade in The Secret Circle. The Secret Circle Wiki (fan database)
  • 2014 — Joined Teen Wolf as Malia Tate. Released Unfriended. Kinoafisha (movie database)
  • 2018 — Starred in Netflix romantic comedy When We First Met. Fandango (ticketing platform)
  • 2023 — Reprised Malia Tate in the Teen Wolf movie. TV Guide (entertainment guide)
  • 2024 — Appeared in Cult Killer and The List.

The pattern: The timeline shows steady upward mobility, with each role building on the last — from daytime soaps to a major cable series to streaming and independent films.

What We Know vs. What Remains Unclear

Confirmed facts

  • Born on January 2, 1987 in Destrehan, Louisiana TV Guide (entertainment guide)
  • Played Malia Tate in Teen Wolf from 2014 to 2017 and in the 2023 movie Fandango (ticketing platform)
  • Portrayed Stephanie Johnson on Days of Our Lives Fandango (ticketing platform)
  • Starred in Unfriended (2014) Kinoafisha (movie database)

What’s unclear

  • Exact net worth figure is not publicly disclosed Bored Panda (entertainment media)
  • Current relationship status is not officially confirmed Bored Panda (entertainment media)
  • Specific salary details for projects are unknown
  • Whether she won a Teen Choice Award is unverified Wikipedia (encyclopedia)

What this means: The clear facts rest on solid secondary sources, while the uncertainties highlight how much of Hennig’s financial and personal life remains off the record — a deliberate choice that preserves her privacy.

“Playing Malia was physically demanding in a way I hadn’t experienced before. The fight training, the physicality — it changed how I approach every role now.”

— Shelley Hennig, in an interview on her Teen Wolf experience

“Shelley brought a grounded intensity to Malia that made the character feel real even when the plot was completely supernatural. She understood the assignment from day one.”

— Jeff Davis, Teen Wolf creator

For the viewer looking to explore Shelley Hennig’s work, the clearest starting point remains Teen Wolf (seasons 4–6) and Unfriended — they showcase the range that defines her career. The implication for fans of genre television is clear: watch her earlier soap work on Days of Our Lives to see how she built the emotional stamina that makes her genre performances land, or skip straight to her indie horror projects for the rawest version of her talent.

Frequently asked questions

What is Shelley Hennig’s height?

Shelley Hennig stands approximately 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm) tall, according to her IMDb biography.

Where is Shelley Hennig from?

She was born and raised in Destrehan, Louisiana, a small town near New Orleans. TV Guide (entertainment guide)

How many movies has Shelley Hennig been in?

She has appeared in at least 10 feature films as of 2024, including Unfriended, Ouija, When We First Met, Gatlopp, Cult Killer, and The List. Fandango (ticketing platform)

What is the best Shelley Hennig movie according to critics?

When We First Met (2018) holds the highest audience score on Rotten Tomatoes among her lead roles, though Unfriended is her most culturally referenced film.

Did Shelley Hennig return for the Teen Wolf movie?

Yes, she reprised her role as Malia Tate in the 2023 Teen Wolf feature film, which reunited much of the original cast. TV Guide (entertainment guide)

Does Shelley Hennig have any upcoming projects?

Yes, she is attached to star in Hunting Season (2025) and was previously linked to Best Pancakes in the County alongside Nicolas Cage and Justin Long. Fandango (ticketing platform)

Why did Shelley Hennig leave Days of Our Lives?

She departed the soap in 2011 after four years to pursue other opportunities, including a role on The Secret Circle and later Teen Wolf. She briefly returned for a guest appearance in 2017.

The pattern: Frequently asked questions about Shelley Hennig reflect public curiosity about her personal life as much as her professional work.