The teen actress Mckenna Grace has created a name for herself in Hollywood, and has an impressive resume, having appeared in many successful films and TV shows, including Disney XD’s “Crash & Bernstein” series, and Netflix’s “The Haunting of the Hill House.”
Early Life, Childhood, and Education Background
Mckenna Grace was born on 5 June 2006 under the Cancer zodiac sign, in Grapevine, Texas, USA, which makes her 15 years old as of 2021. She was raised in her hometown by her parents Crystal Grace and Ross Burge, who works as an orthopaedic surgeon – she is their only child.
To accommodate her busy career schedule, Grace is being home-schooled with no plans of joining high school soon. She was inspired to become an actress by her grandfather, whom she used to spend a lot of time with watching films alongside the late Shirley Temple, a diplomat, actress, and singer.
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Marc Webb, a famous film director, also encouraged the Grapevine-born star to watch films that had child prodigies and young actors more often. Her family relocated to Los Angeles, California, where her father had landed a job and she started auditioning for various roles; shortly afterward, she was selected to appear in a couple of ad campaigns and TV commercials, marking the beginning of her career.
Hobbies and Interesting Facts
Some of her close friends and family members know her as Doodlebug, a nickname that she was given by her grandfather.
Grace is a vegetarian whose favourite dish is asparagus salad. She announced during an interview with PETA in 2016 that she would become vegan, following her visit to Rescued Sanctuary Animals, saying that she felt bad for the animals.
Mckenna is an animal lover who works with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Farm Sanctuary, and frequently appears in campaigns held to remind people not to neglect their pets or leave their puppies in hot cars.
She owns two dogs, a Pomeranian and a Morkie named Unicorn and Marshmallow respectively.
The young actress is allergic to cats, however, she loves all animals.
She is physically active and enjoys ice skating.
She likes watching horror films during her free time, and her favorite is the “Harry Potter” franchise, and her favorite Marvel star is Captain America. Her best-loved actors and actresses are Tom Hanks, Octavia Spencer and Emma Watson and she revealed that her dream is working with the latter on a project.
She also likes singing and playing the piano, and enjoys her uncle’s (Tanner) company, with whom she makes music.
Career, Awards, and Nominations
Film Appearances
After Grace’s parents noticed her talent, they got her an agent who encouraged her to go for the Dennis Hennelly-directed “Goodbye World” film auditions in 2013; she was lucky to be cast for a major role. In the same year, she played the role of Sydney in the film “Joe, Joe & Jane”, and also featured in “Suburban Gothic.” Between 2015 and 2016, she was seen in several films, including “Frankenstein,” in which she portrayed Molly; “Mr. Church” portraying Isabel, and also lent her voice in “The Angry Birds Movie.” In 2017, she assumed the starring role of Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya.”
Despite her young age, Grace comes out very mature and sharp; this saw her being selected to play the starring role of a mathematics genius in the film “Gifted” (2017), in which she featured alongside Chris Evans, who portrays the role of her uncle. The two became very close since they shared common interests in dance and music, and despite their age gap, they now consider one another as ‘best friends.’ They enjoyed playing songs by Presidents of the United States of America Band, which are her dad’s favorite. She contributed to the film with her exceptional singing ability.
2018 saw Mckenna featuring in two films, “The Bad Seed” and “Ready Player One”, before she landed the role of Carol Danvera in “Captain Marvel” superhero film. She recently voiced Daphne Blake in 2020’s animated film “Scoob!”
TV Series Appearances
Grace came into the limelight for her appearance in the “Crash & Bernstein” TV series, in which she appeared from 2012 – 2016. Concurrently, in 2013 she was seen in three TV series – “The Young and the Restless,” “Instant Mom,” and “The Goodwin Games.” 2014 saw her lending voice to two animated series, “Gravity Falls” and “Clarence”, before she appeared in “The Vampire Diaries” as Candice King in 2015. In 2016, Grace appeared in “Designated Survivor,” and “Fuller House” and voiced a character in the show “The Lion House.” Her most recent roles are in 2018’s “The Haunting of Hill House” in which she portrayed Theodora Crain, “Young Sheldon,” and “The Bad Seed.”
Other Works
On top of acting, Mckenna has appeared in several YMCA commercials, and has been involved in endorsements for several high-end brands such as Mischka Aoki, Nadya Dzyak, CHANEL, and several others. She uses her social media platforms to reach out to potential customers.
She has amassed a huge online fan base at her young age. She is active on Instagram (goes by @mckennagraceful) and is followed by close to 1.2 million people. Her Twitter page, @Mckennagraceful, is followed by more than 50,000 fans, and she has a YouTube channel that has over 140,000 followers. She is seen doing brand endorsements on her social media handles.
Awards and Nominations
Grace is an outstanding actress who has won various awards, including 2017’s Best Performance by a Young Actress, and Breakthrough Performance’s Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards for her performance in “Gifted.” She also jointly bagged 2018’s Ensemble Award’s Hollywood Film Award for her works in “I, Tonya”, together with 2020’s Hollywood Critics Association Award for performing in “Herself.” Moreover, she has been nominated for two Online Television and Film Association Awards for appearing in “Gifted” (2018) and “The Haunting of the Hill House” in 2019, and most recently the 2021’s Primetime Emmy Award for her performance in “The Handmaid’s Tale” – in Outstanding Actress in Drama Series category.
Personal Life
Grace is just a child and is too young to be dating someone. She is currently living with her parents in Los Angeles and is seemingly solely focusing on her blossoming career.
Height, Weight, and Physical Appearance
Mckenna is of mixed ethnicity and has long blonde hair and a pair of dark brown eyes. She weighs around 100lbs (45kg) and is 4ft 11ins (1.19m) tall. Her vital statistics are 28-24-28 and she wears shoes size 6 (US).
Net Worth
Grace started her career as a child actress at the age of six and has since landed major roles in several successful projects, which have brought her fame and a fortune. She has also earned from her advertising and brand endorsements deals. As of 2021, she is worth an estimated $2 million, according to authoritative sources.
