The Housemaid was one of the juiciest movies to come out in 2025 and it certainly helped end the cinematic year with a bang. Now, the author of the book series the film is based on, Frieda McFadden, has finally revealed her real-life identity beyond her pen name.
During a recent interview with USA Today, McFadden said it was “time” to let her readers know her real name, which is Sara Cohen, and her real occupation, a doctor who treats brain disorders.
“I’m at a point in my career when I’m tired of this being a secret,” she said. “I’m tired of people debating if I’m a real person or if I’m three men. I am a real person and I have a real identity and I don’t have anything to hide.”
According to the author, she attempted to keep her pen name a secret from her medical professional peers, but that didn’t last too long. Cohen claimed her coworkers were “really nice” about her double life and swore themselves to secrecy so she could continue using her pen name without interruption.
“My whole goal was to keep it a secret until I was [ready to] step back from my doctor job, so it wouldn’t be like everyone I work with suddenly knew and it compromised my ability to do my job,” she explained. “But I have stepped away from my job. I’m only working like once or twice a month.” Cohen also took a sabbatical right after publishing The Housemaid in 2022, which probably helped tip off the other hospital staff members.
That said, Cohen feels as though she will be the same person she was to her readers before the reveal — and she also plans to keep using her pseudonym. “Even though I haven’t told my real name until now, I feel like I have shared the real me all along and everything I’ve told them has been the truth,” she continued. “Even though the name will be a surprise, nothing else will. I’ve always been genuine with my readers.”
The Housemaid, the first book in Cohen’s multi-book series, was adapted for the screen by Rebecca Sonnenshine and directed by Paul Feig. Starring Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney, the movie (and book) follows a young woman who comes to work as a live-in housekeeper for an increasingly unhinged married couple who harbor a whole host of troubling secrets.
The movie was a major hit at the box office, grossing just under $400 million globally. That success has put a sequel, based on the second book in the series titled The Housemaid’s Secret, on the development track with Feig and Sweeney returning. Kirsten Dunst was reported to have joined the cast last month.
The sequel film is set to be released in theaters in December 2027, but for now, you can catch the first movie on Starz or rent it via Prime Video or Apple TV.
Photo by Manoli Figetakis/WireImage.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
