McKenna Grace is an American actress and singer from Grapevine, Texas. She rose to prominence as a child actor, earning critical acclaim as math prodigy Mary Adler in the 2017 drama *Gifted*. She built a wide screen presence by playing younger versions of titular characters in *I, Tonya* and *Captain Marvel*, alongside recurring parts on *Young Sheldon*. Her role as Esther Keyes in *The Handmaid's Tale* made her the first child actor nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. On film, Grace took the lead as Phoebe Spengler in *Ghostbusters: Afterlife* and *Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire*. In addition to screenwriting and producing *The Bad Seed Returns*, she records music under Photo Finish Records, releasing two EPs and charting on Billboard with the rock track "Twisting the Knife".
McKenna Grace starred as math prodigy Mary Adler in Gifted, earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for The Handmaid's Tale, and took the lead as Phoebe Spengler in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. She began working in television at age five before transitioning to studio features and releasing pop-rock and folk music.
Personal life and health
Grace is the only child of orthopedic surgeon Ross Burge and medical sales representative Crystal Grace. She grew up in Grapevine, Texas, before moving with her family to California to pursue acting. She was homeschooled and completed high school coursework with tutors on production sets.
Doctors diagnosed Grace with scoliosis when she was 12 years old. Her spinal curvature eventually surpassed 45 degrees, threatening her lung capacity. She wore a back brace during production schedules but required corrective surgery in October 2022. The operation reduced her spinal curve to six degrees.
She began dating actor Mason Thames in February 2026. The two appeared together in the film Regretting You.
Early career and breakthrough in *Gifted*
Grace started acting after watching Shirley Temple films given to her by her great-grandmother. She booked commercials in Texas before landing her first television series role as Jasmine Bernstein in Disney XD's sitcom Crash & Bernstein. Between 2013 and 2015, she played Faith Newman on the daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless.
Her breakthrough came opposite Chris Evans in Marc Webb's 2017 drama Gifted. She portrayed Mary Adler, a seven-year-old math prodigy caught in a custody dispute. Grace memorized complex mathematical equations by setting them to original songs. The performance earned her a Critics' Choice Movie Award nomination for Best Young Performer.
Flashback roles and horror films
Producers frequently cast Grace as younger versions of established lead characters. She portrayed young Tonya Harding in Craig Gillespie's biopic I, Tonya, training on the ice to perform early skating routines. She later played young Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel and young Sabrina Spellman in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Horror and supernatural projects soon became central to her work. She starred as young Theo Crain in Mike Flanagan's Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House. In 2018, she played the murderous child Emma Grossman in Lifetime's television remake The Bad Seed. She followed that with the role of Judy Warren in the 2019 supernatural thriller Annabelle Comes Home.
*The Handmaid's Tale* and *Ghostbusters*
In 2021, Grace joined Hulu's dystopian drama The Handmaid's Tale as Esther Keyes, an abused teenage wife turned rebel. Her performance in the fourth season earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. She was the first child actor nominated in that category.
That same year, she starred as Phoebe Spengler in Jason Reitman's Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The film grossed over $204 million worldwide. She returned to the role in 2024 for the sequel Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, drawing inspiration from Harold Ramis's original performance as Egon Spengler.
Writing, producing, and music
Grace expanded into writing and production through her company, Beautiful Ghosts Productions. During early 2020 filming delays, she co-wrote The Bad Seed Returns with her father. She served as executive producer and reprised her starring role when Lifetime released the film in 2022.
She signed with Photo Finish Records in 2020. Her debut single, "Haunted House", accompanied the closing credits of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. She released the pop-rock EP Bittersweet 16 and the folk EP Autumn Leaves in 2023. In 2026, she collaborated with metal band Ice Nine Kills on "Twisting the Knife" for the Scream 7 soundtrack, which topped the Billboard Hot Hard Rock Songs chart.
Quick facts
- She won the title of Tiny Miss Texas in a childhood beauty pageant at age three.
- She received a collection of Shirley Temple DVDs from her great-grandmother at age four, which sparked her desire to act.
- She created original songs to help memorize the advanced mathematical formulas required for her role in Gifted.
- She learned to ice skate specifically for her role as young Tonya Harding in I, Tonya.
- Kiernan Shipka recommended Grace to play the younger version of her character on Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
- She was the first child actor ever nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.
- Her debut single, "Haunted House", was added to the closing credits of Ghostbusters: Afterlife after director Jason Reitman heard the track.
- She co-wrote the script for the television movie The Bad Seed Returns alongside her father, Ross Burge.
- She underwent corrective spinal surgery in October 2022 to treat severe scoliosis.
- She wrote and released the song "Self Dysmorphia" about her personal experiences managing scoliosis.
- She provided the voice of Skye in the animated feature PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie.
- Her 2026 collaboration with Ice Nine Kills, "Twisting the Knife", hit number one on Billboard's Hot Hard Rock Songs chart.
FAQs about McKenna Grace
When did McKenna Grace start acting?
She began acting at age four after being inspired by Shirley Temple films, booking her first commercial at age five and landing her first television series role in 2012.
Who did McKenna Grace play in Young Sheldon?
She played Paige Swanson, a recurring child prodigy and academic rival to Sheldon Cooper.
Does McKenna Grace have siblings?
No. She is an only child.
What role did McKenna Grace play in Ghostbusters?
She portrayed Phoebe Spengler, the granddaughter of original Ghostbuster Egon Spengler, in both Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
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