Mckenna Grace might only be 19 years old, but she has already done the work to be called a bona fide scream queen. The Haunting Of Hill House, Annabelle Comes Come, Malignant and the Ghostbusters movies have given her all kinds of cred in the genre, and her personally professed appreciation for the scary stuff means we’re likely only going to see that cred get further enhanced in the future (case in point: she’s in Scream 7 next year!). With that reputation, you might think that it was a specific effort from the folks behind Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 that led to her role in the new film – but the reality is that she metaphorically broke down doors so that she could land a role in the video game adaptation franchise.
One need only look at Mckenna Grace’s filmography and social media accounts to recognize her as a proper geek (a 100% complementary label), but when I spoke with her last week in advance of the home video release of Five Nights At Freddy’s 2, she explained that the horror video game is her number one passion. She explained that she made regular professional inquires when she learned that the first movie was in development a few years ago, and she clearly let the folks at Blumhouse Productions (the studio behind the films) know about her extreme interest. Grace told me,
I mean, Five Nights At Freddy’s was always my… I’d call my agents every couple of months and be like, ‘Hey, I know they’re making a Five Nights At Freddy’s movie. When are they making it? Can I be in it?’ I’d go to Blumhouse, and I’d be like, ‘So, like, what’s going on with Five Nights at Freddy’s? Hey guys, like, do you need an extra? Do you need just like a little blonde girl to be in there somewhere?’ I know the lore, I can do it.
In Five Nights At Freddy’s 2, she plays a role far more significant than just a background player. When Mckenna Grace is introduced in the movie, she plays Lisa, a member of a ghost hunting team that gets a tip about haunted happenings at the original Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza location. During an investigation, Lisa ends up getting possessed by the ghost of a girl named Charlotte, who was killed by William Afton (Matthew Lillard) and wishes to exact revenge on all parents.
Grace credits Five Nights At Freddy’s with being a cornerstone title in her genre education. Discussing where her appreciation for horror comes from, she explains she has grown up on stuff like Five Nights At Freddy’s and the novels of Stephen King. She continued,
Five Nights At Freddy’s was always like my top, north star. It’s so crazy. I was just a homeschooled kid. I worked and then whenever I wasn’t working, I just watched movies and played video games and read books. I read Stephen King all the time with my dad. I basically had nothing more to do than like work and nerd out over everything (laugh). So I am a big fan of so many things I’m in. I am in so many fan bases secretly.
That passion is paying off professionally. In addition to having just starred in Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 and having the aforementioned Scream 7 on her upcoming slate, she is also part of the ensemble in The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping, which will be arriving in theaters next November.
Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 is still playing in theaters, the film having surpassed $100 million domestically at the box office, but it’s also now available for home viewing via digital purchase and/or rental.
