Get Ready To See This Actress A Lot

Big news today if you're a fan of The Mortal Instruments series: As previously reported, the book series is making its way to the small screen with a new ABC series titled Shadowhunters , and the network has officially found its leading lady. Though Lily Collins portrayed Clary Fray in the film version of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, for the TV series, the role of Clary Fray has been passed down to Katherine McNamara, who will star in ABC's Shadowhunters when it premieres.

Reports of a movie sequel and even a prequel to the supernatural film based on the popular young-adult novel series by Cassandra Clare were in discussion after the first Mortal Instruments film hit the big screen in 2013. However, those plans eventually were scrapped in favor of a TV adaptation. Now, we'll meet a new version of Clary, who is described as an 18-year-old promising art student who discovers on her birthday that she is more than she seems: Specifically, she finds out she's descended from a long line of Shadowhunters, angel-human-hybrid warriors who battle demons, and she's thrown into this world when her mother is kidnapped. Dominic Sherwood was cast opposite McNamara as Jace (who was played by Jamie Campbell Bower in the film).

You might not recognize the name Katherine McNamara, but she's been around in movies and TV series. More importantly, though, you will soon know her when she debuts in the series. Before then, here's an introduction to the 19-year-old actress so you can tell your friends you knew about her way back when.

Happyland

Chances are you haven't heard all that much about MTV's Happyland — and, unfortunately, that was part of the problem. The show about the inner workings of a theme park and the folks who work there aired for one season on MTV before getting the ax, probably because nobody watched it. However, McNamara portrayed Harper Munroe, whose parents get promoted and, therefore, so did her ego and lifestyle.

New Year's Eve

First of all, who wasn't featured in New Year's Eve. Those films star practically everyone you can possibly think of. McNamara was lost in the shuffle of actors like Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Biel, Ashton Kutcher, Zac Efron, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro and whole lot of others. McNamara portrayed Lily Bowman in the segment that featured Parker and Chloë Grace Moretz.

Girl vs. Monster

It's funny how McNamara took a back seat to Olivia Holt in Girl vs. Monster, a movie about a young girl fighting off monsters when her parents are kidnapped. But now she's stepping up to the plate with a much more high-profile role.

Workaholics

Among McNamara's more sporadic appearances was a stint on Comedy Central's Workaholics. She played an underage teen looking to score some alcohol outside of a liquor store, and the boys were swooning.

Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn

Yeah, there was a Huck Finn movie that you didn't know about in 2014, but McNamara was it in, playing Becky Thatcher. It's great to see an virtually unknown actress finally land a potential big break, so perhaps she won't have to star in more titles like this one.

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