The Grady sisters are posthumous characters of the Stephen King multiverse.
Serving as posthumous antagonists of The Shining, 1980 film adaptation of The Shining, and its sequel Doctor Sleep, and its 2019 film adaptation of the same name.
Alexa Grady and Alexie Grady are the names given to them in the 1980 film (they are not given first names in the 1977 book).
They are two little girls who were murdered by their father Delbert Grady, when he was possessed by ghosts in the Overlook Hotel in The Shining.
Quick Answers
Who are the Grady sisters in the Stephen King multiverse?
What is the backstory of the twins from The Shining?
How did the Grady sisters die in The Shining?
What are the names of the twins in the 1980 film adaptation of The Shining?
What role do the Grady sisters play in the sequel, Doctor Sleep?
Book[]
In the book, the Grady sisters are not twins but are eight and ten and described by Bill Watson as “cute as buttons”. They did not make an appearance but are mentioned and referenced several times and almost certainly haunt the Overlook Hotel, most likely now evil.
The Shining (1980)[]
The sisters make a larger and more prominent appearance in the 1980 adaptation. They are seen for the first time when Danny Torrance passes out when he has a vision. They are seen a second time on Closing Day while Danny is in The Games Room while his parents tour the hotel with Ullman and Watson. They stare at Danny before walking out of the room, hand in hand. They are seen again in a brief vision when Danny attempts to enter Room 237. Eventually, Danny encounters them in a hallway on his tricycle. They say hello and ask Danny to come and play with them, to which Danny has visions of their corpses in the same hallway, their blood splattered everywhere on the walls and floor and an axe lying on the ground. Danny covers his eyes and when uncovering them, they are gone. They do not appear again.
The Shining (1997)[]
The sisters do not appear in the miniseries but are mentioned and referenced several times.
Creepshow 2019[]
A photo of the sisters is shown headlining an issue of the Paragon Tribune newspaper dated September 21, 1975 as seen on the first episode of the Creepshow TV series which is based on another King story. According to the accompanying article on the headline, the twins were last seen thursday afternoon riding their bicycle as they left their home located in Bowers County. Their father Delbert is even quoted as saying that it wasn't like them to run off. The article also mentions several times that a search is currently underway. Later in the episode a radio announcer states that due to weather conditions, the search for the twins had been suspended.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The Grady sisters have become some of the more well-known characters from The Shining, with their hallway scene being referenced and parodied several times by several TV shows and movies. Their line “Come and play with us” has also become one of the most well known horror quotes. As a result, they are two of the most iconic pop culture characters.
- Despite the Grady sisters appearance in the 1980 film, they don't appear in the book. The Grady family murders are discussed in the book, but the girls aren't twins and they aren't seen by Danny in a vision as they are in the movie.
- Their names are Alexa and Alexie in the 1980s version of The Shining.