McKenna Grace Movies and TV Shows: Complete Filmography Guide
McKenna Grace has appeared in more than 30 film and television productions since 2012. Her most recognizable movies include Gifted (2017), Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024), Regretting You (2025), and Scream 7 (2026). On television, she is known for Young Sheldon, The Handmaid’s Tale-which earned her an Emmy nomination-and The Haunting of Hill House. Her career has moved through distinct phases, from small child-actor parts to franchise leads, and her 2026 slate is her busiest yet.
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Gifted | Mary Adler | Film |
| 2017 | I, Tonya | Young Tonya Harding | Film |
| 2018 | The Haunting of Hill House | Young Theo Crain | TV |
| 2018–2023 | Young Sheldon | Paige Swanson | TV |
| 2019 | Captain Marvel | Young Carol Danvers | Film |
| 2021–2022 | The Handmaid’s Tale | Esther Keyes | TV |
| 2021 | Ghostbusters: Afterlife | Phoebe Spengler | Film |
| 2024 | Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire | Phoebe Spengler | Film |
| 2025 | Regretting You | Clara Grant | Film |
| 2025 | Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 | Lisa | Film |
| 2026 | Scream 7 | Hannah Thurman | Film |
| 2026 | Nimrods | Olivia | Film |
| 2026 | The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping | Maysilee Donner | Film (upcoming) |
What Movies Is McKenna Grace In?
McKenna Grace is an American actress who began working professionally as a child. Film databases list her credits differently-some count 36 acting roles, while others list more because they count individual TV episodes separately. The table above is a selected filmography of her most significant roles, not an exhaustive episode-by-episode list.
Her career divides into four phases: early television work as a child, a run of “younger version” roles in the late 2010s, a breakthrough into franchise leads, and a recent shift toward adult roles in horror and drama. Each phase tells a different part of the story, and understanding them makes her filmography easier to navigate.
From Child Actor to Franchise Lead
Grace’s first professional roles came in 2012, when she appeared in the Disney XD sitcom Crash & Bernstein and the soap opera The Young and the Restless. These were small parts, but they established her as a working child actor and gave her the kind of on-set experience that child performers rarely get before their teenage years.
The late 2010s brought a specific kind of role: playing younger versions of adult characters. She portrayed young Tonya Harding in I, Tonya (2017), young Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel (2019), and young Theo Crain in The Haunting of Hill House (2018). This is a common path for child actors-it builds experience without requiring them to carry a film, and it puts them on sets with established performers who can model professional behavior.
Her breakthrough came with Gifted (2017), where she played Mary Adler opposite Chris Evans. The role earned her a Critics’ Choice nomination for Best Young Performer. From there, she moved into franchise work with Ghostbusters: Afterlife in 2021, taking on a lead role in a legacy sequel to a beloved franchise.
Her Young Sheldon role as Paige Swanson, which ran from 2018 to 2023, kept her visible on television while her film career expanded. That dual presence-a recurring TV character and a growing film résumé-is part of why her filmography is larger than many actors her age.
Her Most Important Film Roles
Gifted (2017)
Grace played Mary Adler, a mathematically gifted seven-year-old living with her uncle Frank (Chris Evans). The film follows a family dispute over her education and future-Frank wants her to have a normal childhood, while other family members believe her abilities require a different path. It was her first major dramatic lead and remains one of her most critically discussed performances.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) and Frozen Empire (2024)
Grace portrayed Phoebe Spengler, the granddaughter of Egon Spengler, in both films. Afterlife served as a legacy sequel to the original franchise, and Frozen Empire continued the story in New York City. The role introduced her to a new generation of franchise audiences and gave her a continuing character in an established series-a different kind of work from the one-off “younger version” roles.
Regretting You (2025)
Adapted from Colleen Hoover’s novel, the film cast Grace as Clara Grant, a teenager navigating grief and family tension. It premiered in the US on October 24, 2025. Mason Thames played her love interest, Miller Adams, and the two actors were later reported to be dating in real life-a detail that belongs to a separate story but has drawn attention to the film.
Scream 7 (2026)
Grace joined the long-running horror franchise as Hannah Thurman. The film brought back Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox and was directed by Kevin Williamson, a veteran of the original Scream films. Her appearance marked another major horror credit during her transition into adult roles.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (2025)
Grace played Lisa, a paranormal investigator, in the sequel to the 2023 horror hit. The film continued her involvement in horror productions, following earlier work in Annabelle Comes Home and The Haunting of Hill House.
Her Most Important TV Roles
Young Sheldon (2018–2023)
Grace played Paige Swanson, a child genius introduced in the show’s second season. Paige served as a mirror image of Sheldon-a different way a gifted child might turn out-and her family circumstances became increasingly important as the series developed. Grace appeared in nine episodes, and the character became a fan favorite. Executive producer Steve Holland said fans respond to Paige “because Mckenna is incredible.”
The Handmaid’s Tale (2021–2022)
Grace played Esther Keyes, a young woman living under Gilead’s oppressive system. The role earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2021. She was the first child recognized in that category, a distinction that set her apart from other young performers of her generation.
The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
Grace played the young Theo Crain in Netflix’s horror series about a family haunted by their childhood home. It was one of her first major horror roles and introduced her to adult audiences who might not have seen her earlier children’s television work.
Upcoming: The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Grace is set to play Maysilee Donner in the second Hunger Games prequel, scheduled for theatrical release on November 20, 2026. The film takes place during the 50th Hunger Games and stars Joseph Zada as Haymitch Abernathy, alongside Jesse Plemons, Elle Fanning, and Ralph Fiennes.
The role adds another major franchise to her filmography after Ghostbusters and Scream, and it places her in one of the most anticipated releases of the year. If the film performs as expected, it will likely be the highest-profile project of her career to date.
The “Younger Version” Pattern
For viewers who first encountered Grace in her recent roles, her early filmography can look unusual. She spent much of her early career playing younger versions of adult characters-a role type that studios use to establish backstory without hiring a separate child lead.
The pattern gave her experience across genres and with established actors. It also meant that, for several years, audiences saw her face in films without necessarily registering her name. That changed with Gifted and later with Ghostbusters.
Her recent roles – Regretting You, Scream 7, and The Hunger Games-signal a shift toward adult leads and franchise anchors. The “younger version” era is behind her, and her filmography now reads less like a list of cameos and more like the work of a performer building a long career.
