Mckenna Grace is an American actress who has appeared in films, television series, video games, and narrative podcasts. A 2022 Yahoo! Entertainment article referred to her as "one of the most successful and prolific child actors of her generation", with over 70 credits by that point.[1] Having wanted to act since age four,[2] Grace secured her first part in a commercial at five years old.[3] She made her onscreen debut in Disney XD's sitcom Crash & Bernstein (2012–2014),[4][5] while she had her first film role in Goodbye World (2013). She subsequently appeared in several films and television shows, including The Young and the Restless (2013–2015), The Vampire Diaries (2015), Mr. Church (2016), Independence Day: Resurgence (2016), Designated Survivor (2016–2019), and Fuller House (2016–2020).
In 2017, Grace garnered global recognition for her role as an intellectually gifted seven-year-old in the drama film Gifted,[6][7] for which she received a nomination for the Critics' Choice Movie Awards for Best Young Performer.[8] She also appeared in the 2017 films How to Be a Latin Lover, Amityville: The Awakening, and I, Tonya. The following year, Grace portrayed a murderous girl in The Bad Seed, a psychic middle child in The Haunting of Hill House, the younger version of the titular character in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and a child prodigy in Young Sheldon. She played the lattermost role until 2023. Grace appeared in three films released in 2019. Her first was Captain Marvel, in which she portrayed a 13-year-old version of the titular character. She also led the comedy-drama Troop Zero and the supernatural horror Annabelle Comes Home. Grace subsequently had voice roles in Scoob! (2020) and Spirit Untamed (2021).
Grace portrayed an intelligent teenager who has been abused and raped in the Hulu dystopian show The Handmaid's Tale (2021–2022), and a rebellious first-year student in an episode of the Disney+ horror comedy Just Beyond (2021). For the former, she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.[9] Grace starred in the Ghostbusters sequels Afterlife (2021) and Frozen Empire (2024). In 2022, she wrote, executive produced, and starred in a sequel to The Bad Seed and portrayed Jan Broberg in Peacock's true crime miniseries A Friend of the Family. The following year, she appeared in the science fiction adventure film Crater (2023). Aside from acting, Grace has written and performed her own music, including 2 extended plays and 13 singles. She also directs and stars in her music videos.
Film
† | Denotes projects that have not yet been released |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Goodbye World | Hannah Palmer | ||
Suburban Gothic | Zelda | |||
2015 | Russell Madness | Lena | ||
Frankenstein | Molly | |||
2016 | Mr. Church | Isabel "Izzy" Brooks | ||
The Angry Birds Movie | Ella Bird | Voice role | ||
Independence Day: Resurgence | Daisy Blackwell | |||
2017 | Gifted | Mary Adler | ||
How to Be a Latin Lover | Arden | |||
Amityville: The Awakening | Juliet Walker | |||
I, Tonya | Young Tonya Harding | |||
2018 | Ready Player One | Elementary school kid | ||
2019 | Captain Marvel | Young Carol Danvers (age 13) | ||
Troop Zero | Christmas Flint | |||
Annabelle Comes Home | Judy Warren | |||
2020 | Scoob! | Young Daphne Blake | Voice role | |
2021 | Spirit Untamed | Abigail Stone | Voice role | |
Malignant | Young Madison Lake / Young Emily May | |||
Ghostbusters: Afterlife | Phoebe Spengler | |||
2023 | Crater | Addison | ||
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie | Skye | Voice role | ||
2024 | Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire | Phoebe Spengler | ||
TBA | Spider & Jessie † | Spider | Also executive producer; post-production | |
Anniversary † | Birdie | Post-production |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012–2014 | Crash & Bernstein | Jasmine Bernstein | Recurring role | |
2013 | The Goodwin Games | Even Younger Chloe | Episode: "Hamletta" | |
Joe, Joe & Jane | Sydney | Pilot | ||
2013–2014 | Instant Mom | Sam | 2 episodes | |
2013–2015 | The Young and the Restless | Faith Newman | Recurring role | |
2014 | Clarence | Tinia, Ashley, and Braidy Sumoski | Voice role; 3 episodes | |
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Young Abby Fisher | Episode: "Dead Woods" | ||
Clementine | Lucy | Pilot | ||
2015 | K.C. Undercover | Quinn | Episode: "Give Me a 'K'! Give Me a 'C'!" | |
The Vampire Diaries | Young Caroline Forbes | 2 episodes | ||
Genie in a Bikini | Teresa | Television film | ||
Dog with a Blog | Jules | Episode: "You're Not My Sister Anymore" | ||
Pickle and Peanut | Cindy / Sugarbee | Voice role; 2 episodes | ||
Babysitter's Black Book | Cindy | Television film | ||
CSI: Cyber | Michelle Mundo | 3 episodes | ||
2015–2017 | Once Upon a Time | Young Emma Swan | 4 episodes | |
2016 | Teachers | Avery | Episode: "Drunk Kiss" | |
Bizaardvark | Didi | Episode: "Pretty-Con" | ||
Marvel's Most Wanted | Zoe Abel | Pilot | ||
2016–2017 | The Lion Guard | Kambuni | Voice role; 2 episodes | |
2016, 2018 | Elena of Avalor | Bella | Voice role; 2 episodes | |
2016–2019 | Designated Survivor | Penny Kirkman | Recurring role | |
2016–2020 | Fuller House | Rose Harbenberger | Recurring role | |
2017–2019 | Mickey and the Roadster Racers | Bitsy Beagleberg | Recurring voice role | |
2018 | The Bad Seed | Emma Grossman | Television film | |
The Haunting of Hill House | Theodora "Theo" Crain (young) | Main role; miniseries | ||
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina | Young Sabrina Spellman | Episode: "A Midwinter's Tale" | ||
2018–present | Young Sheldon | Paige Swanson | Recurring role | |
2020 | Home Movie: The Princess Bride | The Grandson | Episode: "Chapter Two: The Shrieking Eels" | |
2021–2022 | The Handmaid's Tale | Esther Keyes | Recurring role | |
2021 | Just Beyond | Veronica Vanderhall | Episode: "Leave Them Kids Alone" | |
2022 | The Bad Seed Returns | Emma Grossman | Television film; also co-writer and executive producer | |
A Friend of the Family | Jan Broberg | Main role; miniseries |
Video games
Year | Title | Role | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Ghostbusters: Afterlife Scare | Phoebe Spengler |
Narrative podcasts
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | The Foxes of Hydesville | Katie Fox | Main role |
Discography
Extended plays
Title | Details |
---|---|
Bittersweet 16 |
|
Autumn Leaves |
|
Singles
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Haunted House"[73] | 2021 | Ghostbusters: Afterlife |
"Do All My Friends Hate Me?"[74] | 2022 | Non-album single |
"You Ruined Nirvana"[75] | ||
"Post Party Trauma"[76] | Bittersweet 16 | |
"Self Dysmorphia"[3] | Non-album single | |
"Ugly Crier"[77] | 2023 | Bittersweet 16 |
"Checkered Vans"[78] | ||
"Buzzkill Baby"[79] | ||
"Casual Kisser"[80] | TBA | |
"Bark to the Beat" (with Blackbear)[81] | PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie | |
"Catch Me"[82] | Autumn Leaves | |
"Natalie"[83] | 2024 | TBA |
"Middle Name" (with Carver Jones)[84] |
Music videos
Year | Title | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|
2021 | "Haunted House" | |
2022 | "Do All My Friends Hate Me?" | |
"You Ruined Nirvana" | ||
2023 | "Ugly Crier" | |
"Buzzkill Baby" | ||
"Casual Kisser" | ||
"Catch Me" |