Mckenna Grace is recognized as one of the most talented and in-demand young actors working today. During her brief career thus far, she’s amassed one heck of a Hollywood resume, from The Haunting of Hill House and Designated Survivor on the television front, to such high profile movies as Captain Marvel, Annabelle Comes Home, and Independence Day: Resurgence.
While promoting the release of Troop Zero, Mckenna Grace spoke to Screen Rant about her work on the critically acclaimed film. She talks about selling girl scout cookies to Kiefer Sutherland, her Designated Survivor co-star, and shares her ambitions of singing in a musical and/or becoming a Disney Princess at some point in the near future. At just 13 years old, Grace is already an accomplished actor, and the world is her oyster, so the future surely holds nothing but great things for this talented young artist.
It’s so great to talk to you, especially because I got to watch the movie, and I loved it.
I got to interview Jim Gaffigan, who plays your father in the movie, and I asked him about how you got along during the movie, and he expressed joy that there were other young actors on the set, since we both figured you’re frequently the only kid on any given set.
Oh, that’s great to hear!
Yeah, I imagine you and Kiefer Sutherland might not have the same interest in TV shows and music, right?
Yes. I’m usually the only kid, so I get to make friends with adults, which is nice, but when I text them a bunch or try to call them, they don’t respond as often as other children might. So it’s very great to have those friends from Troop, because we’re all very close.
That is great! So, you’re a girl scout for realsies?
(Laughs) Well, actually, he gave me a stuffed animal and he gave me a bunch of records, so that was really nice. And he bought a bunch of girl scout cookies, which was great! He’s fun.
I’m sure even your relatively minimal girl scout experience came in handy on Troop Zero, right?
I don’t participate in a lot of the activities. I probably would only have the cookie-selling badge. I sell cookies whenever cookie season comes, but I’m working a lot, so I don’t get to do a lot of the activities. But I do like selling cookies on set, and I get to sell a lot of them.
Not to give you a history test, but did you know about The Golden Record, that moment in time for the country? Or did you learn about it for the first time doing the movie?
I think I learned… Even though these are not Girl Scouts, they’re Birdie Scouts, I probably learned more on this about real scouting than I did in Girl Scouts.
How do you go about doing that? I imagine you have to be extra careful, regardless of age, to not use any slang that wasn’t invented yet, right?
I did not know that much about it. I felt like I had heard of it before, but didn’t know a lot about it. It’s really fun and cool to get to learn about something that seems like such a big part of history but you never even knew that it happened. It’s fun getting to learn about that stuff, and it’s one of the things I love about doing films that are based on real life. I can learn a lot about the time period the film is set in.
Did you watch movies and shows from the era? How did you get in to 1977 mode?
I don’t really use any slang (laughs).
You are from Texas.
The 70s is already my favorite era. I really like the music and the movies. I really love the 70s already, so it was fun to get to shoot in a time period that I love. I already knew a bit, but it’s good getting to learn more, because I do love the 70s.
And you don’t always get to play southern, but here you did! Was it a relief, was it a pleasant opportunity, or is there not much of a distinction for you?
Yes.
This is probably a corny question that you’ve been asked a million times, but it’s something that interests me in particular. How did you get to bond with your co-stars? The other Birdies. Was there stuff on-set, was it a mandate, or does it just happen naturally since you’re all in a room together?
It was really fun, because a lot of my relatives don’t have the big southern accents like I do in the movie. But I do have a few relatives with southern accents, so I already kinda know how to do it, but I did work with a dialect coach, which was really fun. Now I know how to do the southern accent, and I hope I get to do more projects where I can have accents. It’s very fun!
Are you still in touch?
I am glad you asked me this question, because I like this question! (Laughs) I was very embarrassed by my haircut and hairstyle in the film, because it was a very odd hairstyle. And all the other kids had to get their hair changed for the film, too. I was very embarrassed, and my mom was texting with the other moms, and the kids started sending me funny photos with their hair pinned up all weird or something to make me feel better. It was very sweet because they didn’t really like their haircuts either, so they sent me photos making silly faces with their hair all weird. It was really sweet. That was when I knew that we were totally gonna be great friends.
That’s fantastic! I’ve gotta get back on that. My aunt has eight kids and they have a Snapchat group chat that I’m supposed to be on, but I don’t really understand Snapchat so I always delete it off my phone. I don’t get it!
Oh yes. We all have a group chat, it’s very nice.
You’re only 13 years old, but you’ve really been around the block, you’ve been in so many hit movies. Do you have any immediate acting goals? Something you’d like to do soon that hasn’t happened yet?
I’m not allowed to have Snapchat, so I feel you.
Is Rapunzel your favorite Disney princess? If the big boss of Disney went up to you and went, “Which princess do you want to be?”
I want to be in a musical so badly! I want to do something where I can sing, I’d love that so much. It would be so fun! I think a dream of mine is to be a Disney Princess. Because you know they’re doing all the live action stuff now, so I’d love to be, like… I don’t know, I could get a wig and be Rapunzel or something when I’m older! I have no idea, I’d just love to do anything in a live action Disney movie, I think that sounds like so much fun.
I can totally see that happening soon!
I don’t think there would be a scenario where I’d get to pick who I want to play! (Laughs) But if there was, I’d pick Rapunzel. But… Actually, I really want to be Snow White, because I don’t like having short hair, but I like having my hair dark, so I think that would be very fun. And Snow White is 13 in the original animated film, so, I mean… (Laughs) But I’d honestly take anything I can get with Disney. I love Disney’s live action films.
Exactly! You’ve still got your Crash & Bernstein contacts, right? Anything can happen. You’re 13, and the world is your oyster.
“Disney! If you’re reading this!” (Laughs)
You know what? I don’t understand it either, but old people tell me that, so I’m like, “Okay, if you say so!”
Yes. I don’t understand that expression, but yes, the world is my oyster.
You’re welcome.
The world is my oyster! I have no idea what that means, but it’s a metaphor I’m using now.
Okay, so in addition to these amazing young actors, you’re also working with genuine legends like Viola Davis, Jim, and Allison Janney as the adult authority figures. How do you break the tension with a cross-generational cast? How do you go from being “kids and adults” to “castmates?”
Thank you very much!
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There’s no tension at all. Everybody’s very friendly. Jim and Allison and Viola, they’re all really nice and so kind to us. They make us feel very close, like we’re all really good friends. It’s really nice because they’re good to us and really kind. Whenever we’re all together, we’re all just part of the group, so it’s great!
