Emily Cale

Emily Cale is the tritagonist of White House Down, and the daughter of John Cale.

Interested in history and world politics, Emily puts her life on the line numerous times to report who has taken over the White House and later saves the building from an airstrike.

Emily is first seen waking up early in the morning to watch President James Sawyer's presidential helicopters fly above Washington, D.C. Her father, John, who was often away with the military while she was growing up, is struggling to develop a better relationship with her, and hopes to impress her by getting a job with the Secret Service, but his hopes are dashed when the interview is conducted by Carol Finnerty, a former college acquaintance of his who believes him to be unqualified due to a lack of respect for authority and follow-through. After lying to Emily about the outcome of the interview, she and Cale join a tour of the White House, and Emily knows all the answers to the tour guide's questions, frustrating him greatly. President Sawyer walks by and Emily enthusiastically greets him, claiming that he is her hero. Emily then videotapes the president for a brief video interview for her YouTube channel, where she asks a very complicated question. The president, not expecting this kind of a question from someone her age, is impressed with her staggering intellect but gives her a shout out for her channel. The White House is put on lockdown separating Cale from Emily, who had left the tour group to use the restroom. Emily later videotapes the terrorists and uploads the video to YouTube, informing the secret service who the terrorists are. However, she is caught by one of them when her mother, unaware of the dangerous situation that Emily and her father are currently in, sends her a message asking how it's going, and decides to be taken hostage rather than shot at. Upon seeing her video on the news, Stenz barges into the Blue Room where the hostages are and confronts Emily, slapping her and telling her she will be the first hostage to die if they come. After Stenz discovers John is Emily's father, he comes back, shoots another hostage who tries to protect her, and drags Emily to the Oval Office where Walker is.

Walker tells Cale over the White House intercom to surrender Sawyer or he will have Stenz kill Emily. Sawyer ultimately surrenders himself to save Emily, knowing Cale could still save them if he was free. When Walker threatens to kill Emily again, the alarms and sprinklers are set off by Cale setting various rooms on fire. Cale kills Walker and Emily is told of the impending air strike on the mansion, so she takes a presidential flag and waves it on the front lawn and gets the fighters to call off the attack. At the end of the film, Emily is interviewed, now a media celebrity, and Sawyer officially employs Cale into the Secret Service and takes him and Emily on an aerial tour of Washington, D.C.

She is played by Joey King.