Why Phoebe From Ghostbusters: Afterlife Looks So Familiar
"Ghostbusters: Afterlife" is a direct sequel to 1984's "Ghostbusters" and its 1989 follow-up. It's in no way connected to the 2016 "Ghostbusters" reboot starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon — so don't expect any of those stars to show up in this new installment. However, some OG "Ghostbusters" actors are returning in "Afterlife," including Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson.
Joining the veteran ghost hunters are Finn Wolfhard as Trevor, Carrie Coon as Callie, and Paul Rudd as Mr. Grooberson. All three have very familiar faces, and Netflix subscribers likely know Wolfhard from the smash hit "Stranger Things." Coon has starred in critically acclaimed series like "Fargo" and "The Leftovers," while Rudd is known for his work in, well, everything. The cast for "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" is stacked, and one of its biggest talents comes in leading lady Mckenna Grace, who plays Phoebe — the smartypants sister of Trevor and daughter of Callie.
Grace has been acting since 2013, starting in Hollywood when she was just 7-years-old. Over the last eight years, she's landed some pretty serious roles alongside some of the biggest names in the business. Here's where you've seen her before.
Mckenna Grace nabbed three major roles from 2013-2016
Right out of the gate in her acting career, Mckenna Grace landed a major role in the soap opera hit "The Young and the Restless" in 2013. For three years and 50 episodes, she portrayed Faith Newman, the daughter of Nicholas (Joshua Morrow) and Faith Newman (Sharon Case). Since Faith is a much younger character on "Y&R," different actresses have played her over the years to accommodate time jumps which usually happens with children on soaps.
In 2016, Grace landed roles in two of the most popular series of the year — "Designated Survivor" and "Fuller House." In the former, the youngster played Penny Kirkman, the daughter of President Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland). In "Fuller House," Grace portrayed Rose Harbenberger, the daughter of Connie Jane "C.J." Harbenberger (Virginia Williams) and the almost step-daughter of Steve Hale (Scott Weinger).
While some of her earliest credits were in some of the biggest television shows, Grace's career continued to blossom as she went on to star in an Oscar-winning film, as well as alongside a superhero.
She had a major year in 2017
In 2017, Mckenna Grace landed the role of Mary in Marc Webb's "Gifted." She starred alongside Chris Evans, who was smack dab in the middle of his run as Captain America in the MCU. That same year, she starred in "I, Tonya" as Tonya Harding herself, when the skater was between eight and 12-years-old. According to The Boston Globe, Grace said playing Tonya was her "most challenging role" ever.
That same year, Grace dipped her toes in the horror genre starring as Juliet in "Amityville: The Awakening" alongside Bella Thorne. A mother and her three children move into the haunted home to hopefully heal one of the kids (James), who is comatose and paralyzed. James (Cameron Monaghan) is eventually possessed by the spirits in the house and tries to kill Juliet, but she narrowly escapes thanks to her sister intervening. As we'll see in some of her upcoming roles, it wouldn't be the last time Grace dabbled in horror projects.
Mckenna Grace had a diverse 2018
Mckenna Grace had another great year in 2018 and added some more top-notch credits to her resume. The actress landed a role in one of the year's most talked-about films — "Ready Player One." While it was a minor role, Grace played a nameless elementary school child who was listening to the goodbye message of James Halliday (Mark Rylance) on a computer.
In a much larger role, Grace took on the part of young Theodora "Theo" Crain in Netflix's "The Haunting of Hill House." She is the middle child of the Crain family and can feel emotions by touching people or objects. The series was a far cry from another one of her big 2018 roles — "Young Sheldon." For two years, she appeared on the series, showing up in six episodes as Paige Swanson — another child genius. She was more intelligent than Sheldon (Iain Armitage), which made him jealous, but the two formed a friendship over the years and connected on a deeper personal level.
She nabbed her first major award nomination in 2019
In 2019, Mckenna Grace officially joined the MCU in "Captain Marvel," starring as a young Carol Danvers. All of Grace's screentime served as a flashback as Brie Larson's older Carol randomly remembered events of her childhood and teen years. For now, it doesn't seem like there is a future connected to that character for Grace in the MCU, but anything is possible.
Later in 2019, Grace revisited the horror genre in "Annabelle Comes Home" and the highly-praised "Malignant." In the former, the actress played Judy Warren, the daughter of Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga). In "Malignant," Grace played Madison, the younger version of Annabelle Wallis' character.
Moving along in 2021, Grace also had a three-episode stint on Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale," where she played child bride Esther Keyes. She might only have appeared in three episodes, but her performance was so captivating that Grace was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for outstanding guest actress in a drama series. She lost to "The Crown" star Claire Foy, but her performance put Grace on the map as a young, great talent in Hollywood.