Mckenna Grace Bio: Age, Height, Boyfriend Mason Thames, Career, Hunger Games 2026, Net Worth & Facts

Mckenna Grace is the 20-year-old actress who grew up on-screen in Gifted, The Haunting of Hill House, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and who is now stepping into one of the biggest franchises in Hollywood. In 2026 she plays Maysilee Donner in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, the prequel that follows a young Haymitch Abernathy through the 50th Hunger Games.

Grace is unusual among child stars: she has worked steadily for more than a decade, earned an Emmy nomination before she turned 16, released two EPs, and kept a reputation for being almost aggressively normal. In November 2026 she also became the center of a viral debate about nudity, Disney princesses, and what young actresses are asked to do on camera. This biography covers her age, boyfriend Mason Thames, family, career, the Hunger Games role, net worth, quotes, and the controversies that come with growing up in public.

Quick Facts

Searches for Mason Thames, Joseph Zada, Jennifer Lawrence, Elle Fanning, Jesse Plemons, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, and Sadie Sink often lead readers to Grace after the Hunger Games press tour. Her red-carpet looks, which echo Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss wardrobe, have kept her in fashion coverage all autumn.

Early Life & Education

Mckenna Grace Burge was born on June 25, 2006, in Grapevine, Texas, and grew up in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. She is the only child of Ross Burge, an orthopedic surgeon, and Crystal Grace, a medical sales representative. Her parents noticed early that she liked performing and enrolled her in cheerleading, gymnastics, tap, and ballet.

She competed in beauty pageants as a child and was crowned “Tiny Miss Texas.” Her real entry point came at age four, when her great-grandmother gave her a collection of Shirley Temple DVDs. Grace has said she watched them until they wore out, then told her parents she wanted to act. Her acting teacher, who was Morgan Fairchild’s sister, advised the family to find an agent.

She booked her first commercial at five and soon landed a recurring role on Disney XD’s Crash & Bernstein. The family moved to Los Angeles so she could work, with her father taking a medical residency in Ventura. Grace never attended a traditional school; she was homeschooled and had on-set tutors. In 2017 she joined a weekly creative writing workshop, and in 2021 she took a college course on media aesthetics.

Career Journey

Child Roles and the Gifted Breakthrough

Grace’s early credits included The Young and the Restless, The Goodwin Games, The Vampire Diaries, and the 2013 film Goodbye World. In 2015 she joined the cast of Gifted, playing Mary Adler, a seven-year-old math prodigy raised by her uncle, played by Chris Evans. She was chosen for what reviewers called her “childlike charm yet old-soul maturity,” and the role became her breakthrough.

The performance earned her a Critics’ Choice Movie Award nomination for Best Young Performer. She followed it with I, Tonya, where she played the younger version of Tonya Harding and had to learn to ice skate, and with The Bad Seed, Troop Zero, and Annabelle Comes Home.

Horror, Ghostbusters, and The Handmaid’s Tale

In 2018 she appeared in Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House as the young Theodora Crain, a performance that critics said carried “wisdom way beyond her years.” She played young Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel in 2019, then joined the Ghostbusters franchise as Phoebe Spengler in Afterlife (2021) and Frozen Empire (2024).

Her most acclaimed television role was Esther Keyes in The Handmaid’s Tale in 2021 and 2022. The performance earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, making her the first child actor ever recognized in that category. In 2022 she wrote, executive produced, and starred in The Bad Seed Returns and played Jan Broberg in A Friend of the Family.

Music and the 2025–2026 Slate

Grace signed with Photo Finish Records in 2020 and released her debut single, “Haunted House,” in 2021 as part of the Ghostbusters: Afterlife soundtrack. She put out two EPs in 2023 — Bittersweet 16, a pop-rock record, and Autumn Leaves, a folk-leaning project.

Her acting schedule stayed busy. She starred in the romantic drama Regretting You and the supernatural horror sequel Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 in 2025, then appeared in Scream 7 in 2026. Her biggest 2026 release is The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, in which she plays Maysilee Donner, a District 12 tribute in the 50th Hunger Games.

Career Stats

• 2012: Acting debut in Disney XD’s Crash & Bernstein
• 2017: Breakthrough in Gifted; Critics’ Choice nomination
• 2018: The Haunting of Hill House and The Bad Seed
• 2021–2022: Emmy nomination for The Handmaid’s Tale
• 2021–2024: Phoebe Spengler in two Ghostbusters films
• 2023: Two EPs, Bittersweet 16 and Autumn Leaves
• 2026: Scream 7 and The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

Personal Life

Grace has said she prefers to keep her personal life private so she can “have a childhood and figure [herself] out as a teenager.” She lives in Los Angeles, spends her downtime with her family and dog, and has described her home life as “extremely normal.” She was a vegetarian and has spoken about the importance of separating herself from the dark characters she plays.

In 2018, at age 12, she was diagnosed with scoliosis. She wore a back brace while filming Ghostbusters: Afterlife, but the schedule made it hard to wear as prescribed. After her spinal curvature passed 45 degrees, she had surgery in October 2022 that reduced the curve to six degrees.

• Boyfriend: Mason Thames, her co-star in Nimrods and Regretting You; together since early 2026
• Father: Ross Burge, an orthopedic surgeon
• Mother: Crystal Grace, a medical sales representative
• Health: Diagnosed with scoliosis in 2018; spinal surgery in October 2022
• Home: Los Angeles, California

Dating History and Affairs

Grace’s dating life has been quiet by Hollywood standards. She was linked to a few classmates and co-stars in gossip posts as a teenager, but she never confirmed a relationship publicly until 2026, when she and actor Mason Thames attended the Academy Awards together. The two met on the set of Nimrods and later worked together again in Regretting You.

There has been no affair scandal, no messy breakup, and no leaked private messages. Grace has said she wants to keep romance off social media, and her Instagram posts focus on work, fashion, and her dog rather than her relationship.

Controversies

The nudity headline. In November 2026, a Cosmopolitan interview quote about avoiding nudity and “very hypersexual things” was turned into headlines suggesting she was doing it to protect a Disney princess dream. Grace pushed back on Instagram, saying the two quotes were unrelated and that her boundaries are about personal comfort, not a career strategy. The episode became a broader conversation about how young actresses get flattened into clickbait.

Growing up on camera. Grace has spoken about the “very disturbing and gross” remarks young women in Hollywood receive and the impossibility of controlling how the media portrays her. She has been careful about the roles she takes, but she has also said she does not want to be boxed into “wholesome” parts — she played a killer in The Bad Seed and dies at Ghostface’s hands in Scream.

The Scream 7 baggage. The film arrived after a turbulent production that included cast departures and a change of direction. Grace was not at the center of that drama, but her role put her in the middle of a franchise whose fandom argues about everything, and she faced the usual online scrutiny that comes with it.

Method dressing. Her Hunger Games press tour looks, which referenced Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss costumes, split fashion watchers. Some praised the commitment; others called it a nostalgia gimmick. Grace leaned into it, telling interviewers the franchise had “healed” some of her insecurities.

Awards & Achievements

• Critics’ Choice Movie Award nomination for Best Young Performer, Gifted (2017)
• Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, The Handmaid’s Tale (2021)
• First child actor nominated in the guest acting Emmy category
• Critics’ Choice Super Award nomination for Ghostbusters: Afterlife
• Two EPs released in 2023
• Lead role in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (2026)

Physical Statistics

• Height: Not publicly disclosed
• Weight: Not publicly disclosed
• Hair Color: Brown
• Eye Color: Not publicly disclosed
• Build: Slim
• Style: Method dressing — Katniss-inspired gowns, floral couture, and vintage Hollywood silhouettes

Quotes

“At this point, I definitely don’t do nudity or very hypersexual things.”

Mckenna Grace, Cosmopolitan interview, November 2026

“I’m not uncomfortable doing nude scenes/hyper sexual roles simply because ‘I want to be a Disney princess’; it’s just because of my own personal boundaries and the level of comfortability I have with that sort of thing right now at this point in my life!”

Mckenna Grace, Instagram story, November 2026

“Silly that it’s become such a source of conversation! So many more important things to talk about.”

Mckenna Grace, Instagram story, November 2026

Favorites

• Favorite dream role: A Disney princess
• Favorite hobby: Songwriting and singing
• Favorite franchise to work on: Ghostbusters, where she grew up on set
• Favorite co-star: Mason Thames, her boyfriend and two-time co-star
• Favorite downtime: Hanging out with her dog and family

Earnings

Mckenna Grace’s net worth has not been publicly disclosed. Reports online range from a few million dollars to much higher, but none are verified. Her income comes from film and television roles, music releases, endorsements, and brand appearances.

She has worked continuously since childhood, which means her earnings are spread across more than 30 credits rather than one huge payday. Her Hunger Games role is likely her biggest franchise paycheck so far, but neither she nor the studio has disclosed the figure.

Interesting Facts

• She was crowned “Tiny Miss Texas” as a child.
• She has never attended a traditional school.
• She was the first child actor nominated for a guest acting Emmy.
• She had spinal surgery in 2022 and her curvature went from more than 45 degrees to six.
• She wrote and executive produced The Bad Seed Returns at 16.
• She releases music under Photo Finish Records.
• She and Mason Thames met on the set of Nimrods.

Did You Know Already?

• She plays Maysilee Donner in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
• She appeared in Scream 7 in 2026.
• She has been acting professionally since she was five.
• She was homeschooled and had tutors on set.
• Her Ghostbusters character, Phoebe Spengler, is the granddaughter of Egon Spengler.
• She is a vegetarian.

Social Media Links

• Instagram: @mckennagrace
• X (Twitter): @MckennaGraceful
• YouTube: Mckenna Grace

Note: We only list verified official pages. Fan, parody, or unverified social accounts are intentionally left out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Mckenna Grace has spent almost her entire life in front of a camera, but 2026 is the year she became a franchise lead rather than a supporting player. The Hunger Games role, the Scream sequel, and the very public debate over her boundaries all point to the same thing: she is no longer a child star, and Hollywood is still figuring out what to do with that.

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