Mckenna Grace's Disturbing Handmaid's Tale And Friend Of The Family Characters Weigh Heavily On Her,

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Mckenna Grace, at the time of this writing, is handiest 16 years outdated. And yet, she's grappled with some truly adult topics in her work. This is except for her star-making performance in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, AKA the only good Ghostbusters sequel.

Of route, Grace's more emotionally difficult paintings has been in The Handmaid's Tale and Friend of the Family, by which she performs a very actual one who was once abducted and abused by way of a cherished one no longer once but twice. It's heavy stuff. Enough for one to wonder how such a young lady can get into and out of that dark headspace.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mckenna Grace pulled again the curtains on her process and what it all method to her.

Who Is Mckenna Grace In The Handmaid's Tale?

Mckenna Grace performs Esther Keys in the acclaimed Hulu collection. Alongside her acclaimed and wealthy castmates, Grace tackles some actually uncomfortable subjects. This includes her fifth-season storyline which is so darkish that we can't even speak about it here.

Of route, the plotline allows Grace to show off her remarkable performing skills in an uncomfortably honest way.

After studying that she is pregnant with the baby of the guy who took merit of her, Grace's character completely loses it. In her interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Friend of the Family and Ghostbusters: Afterlife big name revealed that she authentically felt so indignant about what her persona went through. This is how she used to be ready to "tap into" her unbridled rage.

"I guess I was just enraged for Esther and what she’s been through," Grace admitted, relating to the scene where she's handcuffed in the health center mattress. "I don’t feel that type of rage through my day-to-day life. I kind of just do it and then after, come out of it to realize I’ve been doing this for hours, and I kind of don’t know where I went. I had these massive bruises on my wrist for going so ham. My wrists were so crazy swollen and bruised the next day."

Mckenna Grace Plays Jan Broberg In Friend Of The Family

Peacock's Friend of the Family is a miniseries based on a horrific true story. Mckenna Grace performs Jan Broberg, a lady who suffered tremendous pain at the palms of a close family friend.

"I’m honored to have been able to be a part of telling her story. I think it’s really important to get her story out there to hopefully educate people and show people [what happened]. Hopefully, people will understand," Mckenna Grace said during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

Related: Why Jake Lacy Kept The Real Jan Broberg At A Distance While Filming A Friend Of The Family

Playing Jan Broberg is for sure an unparalleled emotional challenge. It also comes with so much of criticism.

"To be playing these young women who are going through this, because it’s exactly what I say all the time about playing my age in Handmaid’s Tale: If we’re that uncomfortable with me acting out these scenes, why aren’t we doing something for the young women who are going through it?" Grace said.

"Dramatic roles, to me, are the most fulfilling as an actor, but also I find that these stories are important to tell and that I’m able to be a part of something that’s bigger than myself. To be able to talk about it and have a bit more of a platform to educate people, I think that’s incredible."

How Mckenna Grace Separates Herself From Her Dark Characters

Perhaps section of the reason Mckenna Grace is in a position to move through her extraordinarily darkish roles is that she's managed a medical condition in secret for years. Most folks wouldn't have had a clue that she was going through something so disturbing. She just kept her energy, her grace, and did her job. In other words, she's just right at separating sides of her lifestyles to be in a given moment.

But in her interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mckenna Grace published that she has some other trick for moving away from all of the terrible issues her characters take care of.

"Luckily, I’ve always had my parents, who have always been so supportive of me and my decisions in acting. So outside of acting, I have my family and my dog and my own life that I can separate from my roles," Grace admitted to The Hollywood Reporter.

Related: Yvonne Strahovski's Brutally Honest Thoughts About Serena Being The Villain Of The Handmaid's Tale

On best of this, the Handmaid's Tale star credit tune as being her savior from the darkness. Much like Sadie Sink's character in Stranger Things, Mckenna is in a position to let the rhythm raise her away from the trauma her characters bear.

"I listen to a lot of music to get into a place, and then I listen to a lot of music to get out of a place. Just the other day, I was crying in the car, listening to something because it reminded me of one scene. Music does that to me, and I find that’s really helpful," Grace mentioned.

Related: Bradley Whitford's Real Feelings About His Mostly Villainous Character On The Handmaid's Tale

Grace went on to say that each one of the roles she's played have helped to form her as an individual. So they also weigh heavily on her.

"But it’s an emotion you trick yourself into feeling, and then you have to figure out how to disassociate it from your real emotions. I’ve definitely had times where I look back at a scene where I did something all day that is a super dramatic, high-intensity scene, and it will give me a little bit of anxiety because my body thought it was real even though my mind knows it wasn’t," Grace admitted to The Hollywood Reporter.

"So it’s all sorts of mixed feelings, but at the end of the day, it’s acting and emotions I leave at work."

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