Nineteen-year-old McKenna Grace has built a resume that will be one of the most impressive things you’ll ever see. A former child star from Texas, she has been steadily making a name for herself in Hollywood with a slew of high-profile acting gigs and a budding music career.
Grace has achieved her first major adult role in the latest Colleen Hoover movie, Regretting You. Grace also landed a role in the new Hunger Games franchise movie, Sunrise on the Reaping, and is filming for the latest Scream 7. Not only is she a huge movie star, but Grace is also adding to the music industry. Her song “Haunted House,” released in 2021, is making a revival after Grace’s live performance in February 2026. In short, McKenna Grace is a multi-talented star who continues to expand her influence across both film and music.
From child star to lead actress
Mckenna Grace began acting at five years old and has maintained a nonstop acting career ever since. Homeschooled throughout her life, Grace has managed to balance a demanding filming schedule with her education. Rather than attending traditional school, she relied on on-set tutors while working on projects year-round, allowing her to build a résumé that includes dozens of television shows and films.
Grace’s earliest work in television included a recurring role as Jasmine on the Disney XD series Crash & Bernstein from 2012 to 2014, as well as a guest appearance on The Young and the Restless in 2013. Her breakthrough arrived with the 2017 film Gifted, where she portrayed Mary Adler, a mathematically gifted seven-year-old. The performance earned widespread praise from critics and a Critics’ Choice nomination. This established her as a serious young talent rather than simply another child actor.
Her dramatic range continued to grow when, at just 14 years old, she appeared in The Handmaid’s Tale as a vulnerable teenage survivor of the dystopian regime. The role earned her a 2021 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress, making her the youngest nominee ever in that category. By her mid-teens, Grace was already taking on emotionally complex roles in critically acclaimed television and major films, which is an achievement few actors reach so early in their careers.
A new lead in Regretting You
Currently, Grace’s most immediate project that has been released is Regretting You, a mother-daughter drama based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel. Released in October 2025, the story follows how a family tragedy affects the bond between mother and daughter. Grace plays the daughter, Clara, and this part helps introduce Grace to her first big-screen coming-of-age lead role. This film gives Grace a chance to shine as the rebellious teen protagonist. This is a role that could redefine her transition from child star to adult actress.
With an acceptable 84% on the Popcornmeter, this is the precise sort of project that proves Grace as an amazing lead actress. The film’s publicity centers on her chemistry with co-star Mason Thames. This kind of publicity already puts her in a more mature spotlight. Grace, in an Entertainment Weekly article, says it was this movie was a big first for her: “I’d always wanted to do a romance film. I’ve done a lot more mature films, series, and roles, but it was my first time playing a more mature character, as I’m an adult legally in the industry. It was just such a fun experience, and I felt like I was surrounded by the best people to do it with.”
Grace’s impressive experience
Over the course of her career, McKenna Grace has steadily built a reputation as a dependable presence within major Hollywood franchises. While many actors begin in small independent projects, Grace’s portfolio already includes several large-scale studio projects spanning multiple genres. Grace, as a child actor, was THE number one choice for any younger version of the main female role. For example, she appeared as a young Carol Danvers in Marvel’s Captain Marvel.
She later became widely recognized for her role as Phoebe Spengler in Ghostbusters: Afterlife and its sequel, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, where she plays the scientifically gifted granddaughter of Egon Spengler. Grace has also been involved in other major genre franchises, including the long-running horror series Annabelle and the upcoming Scream 7. These projects show her ability to move comfortably between action, horror, and drama. By the time Grace became an adult, she had already proven that she could carry important roles in large casts. This was appealing to both younger audiences and longtime fans of established franchises.
Collecting franchises – The Hunger Games
Building on her experience, Grace is now stepping into one of Hollywood’s most recognizable young-adult franchises. In April 2025, it was announced that she would portray Maysilee Donner, one of the District 12 tributes, in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. The film serves as the second prequel in the Hunger Games series following The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023).
Grace’s casting as Maysilee Donner carries particular significance for fans of Suzanne Collins’ universe. The character plays an important role in the backstory, making the role a meaningful addition to the franchise’s expanding storytelling. The announcement reflects the industry’s growing confidence in Grace as a performer capable of handling large-scale productions. This project is another milestone for Grace, as it is a turning point in her career for more mature roles within these major franchises.
Music debut
@sotrueian the bracelets that her fan gifted her aww #mckennagrace #fangirl #concerts #fandom #losangeles ♬ Haunted House – Mckenna Grace
Alongside her rapidly growing acting career, Grace has also developed another identity as a singer-songwriter. Her music career officially began in 2020 when she signed with Photo Finish Records. The following year, she released her debut single, “Haunted House,” in November 2021. The pop-rock track, which Grace co-wrote with Lily Kincade, marked her first public step into the music industry. It also quickly connected her acting and musical worlds.
Grace wrote “Haunted House” during the COVID-19 pandemic while dealing with personal challenges. In an interview about the single, she explained that the song explores the lingering presence of past relationships and memories. Grace says, “I wanted to write a song about how even after someone’s not in your life anymore, their memory never really leaves you” (Entertainment Online).
Connecting music to movies
Although the track was not originally written for film, it caught the attention of director Jason Reitman. Reitman included it in the closing credits of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, a film in which Grace also starred. Through movie publicity, it gave the song immediate visibility and allowed audiences to see another creative side of Grace. The music video, which Grace co-directed, further demonstrated her interest in creative storytelling beyond acting. Since then, Grace has continued to explore music alongside her film career, and in 2023, she released projects such as the EPs Bittersweet 16 and Autumn Leaves. Her songwriting often leans into alternative pop and pop-rock, with lyrics that explore teenage anxiety and heartbreak.
In recent months, her debut single has experienced a renewed wave of attention. After Grace performed “Haunted House” live in February 2026, the song began circulating widely again online. This influenced the song to a new audience several years after its initial release. The resurgence highlights how Grace’s music career continues to evolve alongside her acting work. Her reputation is reinforced as a multi-talented performer who moves fluidly between Hollywood and the music industry.
What is in the future
The industry increasingly sees McKenna Grace’s career in a steady upward climb. Instead of relying on a single defining role, she has built a continuous stream of projects that expand her range and popularity. Her involvement in major franchises such as Ghostbusters and Scream shows that studios view her as a reliable young lead capable of performing for large-scale projects.
Grace has been after one job after another. In a recent interview, Grace explained, “I work a lot… Even whenever I’m off a production, I’m still working—trying to figure out what to do next, and auditioning” (AirMail). This constant pace reflects Grace’s dedication and hard work in building a long-term career. As she continues to take on larger projects and mature characters, her work ethic becomes one of the defining attributes of her rise in Hollywood.
With multiple major films in development, Grace’s career shows no signs of slowing down. Her path explores the rare transition from child star to in-demand young actress. Most actors are not built for this kind of high-profile life for so long, but Grace has found a way to excel in it. Grace will only continue to grow with her consistent pattern of ambitious choices and expanding creative opportunities.
