Mckenna Grace Is a Bigger ‘Hunger Games’ Fan Than You

Mckenna Grace is operating on two hours of sleep when she opens her Zoom window. Fresh off a night shoot, she is losing her voice and has the beginnings of a black eye from taking an accidental knee to the face. She uses the camera as a mirror to check for damage, joking, “I’m so thankful that this is what I get to do and have my butt kicked on.”She goes on to enthusiastically detail how her days on set have been filled with snake wranglers, poison ivy, and feral kittens found in the woods. It’s all very Hunger Games–coded and very fitting, of course, considering Mckenna stars in the upcoming Sunrise on the Reaping as Maysilee Donner, a snarky tribute from the fictional world of Panem’s District 12 (Mckenna also plays Maysilee’s twin sister, Merrilee, in the movie).It’s an adventure and not one without risk, but she is very much here for it, having spent most of her life throwing herself—literally—into the universes she loves. From Scream to Ghostbusters to The Hunger Games, Mckenna has been working on her favorite franchises since she was 5 years old (“I grew up on sets, out of a suitcase,” she shares). Her IMDb page is already longer than a CVS receipt, with eight credits in 2025 alone, several in 2026, and the soon-to-premiere Netflix series Scooby-Doo: Origins, in which she plays Daphne. (If you’re curious about just how big a fan of that project Mckenna is, she named her dog, who she’s posing with on her Cosmopolitan cover, Scooby Doo and her cat Scrappy Mew.)The enthusiasm bleeds into her relationships, too, and comes through in how she speaks about her boyfriend, her Regretting You costar Mason Thames (“my best friend”), and her Sunrise on the Reaping costar Joseph Zada, with whom she spent many nights playing chess while shooting in a remote village in Spain (“I beat him constantly. Put it in print”). Because one thing about the 20-year-old is crystal clear: Whatever she decides to tackle, she’ll be going all in.Richard KernAll clothing Gucci, earrings Cartier. Your career so far has covered almost every genre and medium. How would you describe a Mckenna Grace role?The one thing it would require is Mckenna Grace. No, but I’m just out here clawing my way through, trying to get jobs and do things I’m proud of. It’s scary because unlike in the ’90s or early 2000s—where your favorite actors did the same thing in a bunch of movies—now with social media, people get really sick of seeing people really fast. It’s like, “This is the hot new commodity, the new face we’ve been wanting.” Three weeks later, everybody is hating on them.Do you worry that will happen to you? The internet is a big part of the industry but very fickle. There was a time where people wouldn’t give you an interview because you had less than 3 million followers.1 Yet it’s a catch-22 because if you’re too present…but, hey, I’m just thankful to be here. And lately, I’ve been blessed to be able to do these franchises that I’m a huge fan of. I am the biggest Hunger Games fan.1. Mckenna has a total of 13+ million social media followers.Literally, it seems. Before you were cast in Sunrise on the Reaping, you were out here making fan edits.I was very invested in all of it—the headcanons and the fan base. I had this huge Hunger Games poster. I got a bow and arrows so that I could be like Katniss. I told [director] Francis Lawrence when I got to set: “Dude, I’ve watched these movies and read these books a million times. I’ve edited these cornucopias. To be running off my own podium toward the cornucopia, this is not real to me.”There was also your “Team Peeta” fan edit....Why did it have to get back to Josh [Hutcherson] is my thing. I played it so cool for a year and a half of knowing him, and he never brought it up. But everyone keeps reminding him. Just let it die; let a girl have some dignity. I do regret it in a way, but I am also just like, “I am a real fan, a fangirl. I’m a CapCut warrior.”You’re in the trenches.I keep a journal for my characters with pages dedicated to fan things. For Maysilee, I’m like, Okay, they want to see the braid, so I’d pull Francis aside, like, “Look, man, she needs this braid in her hair; she needs this pin.” He’s like, “Sure, Mckenna.”Maysilee has a reputation for being a mean girl, but I think she’s misunderstood. She does get a bad rap, and she has that snark to her, but she has a kind heart. She cares about the people she loves.In her first big moment in the book, Maysilee face-slaps the District 12 Capitol escort, Drusilla, played by Glenn Close in the movie. So my question to you: Did you get to slap Glenn Close across the face?You think I’m going to slap Glenn Close? Hell no. I am terrified of her in the best way. I love her to death.I’m curious—are there any roles, inside or outside of fandoms, that you’d say no to? At this point, I definitely don’t do nudity or very hypersexual things. I respect anybody who can, but it’s terrifying to me. I don’t know if that’ll ever change. It’s not like I only do wholesome things—my character literally gets gutted by Ghostface in Scream—but my dream is to try and be a Disney princess someday.Over the years, how did you navigate the transition between “kid on set” to “adult on set”?As a kid on set, you’re expected to act like an adult until you’re on camera. Then you’re a kid until everybody is mad at you because you’re acting like a kid. Now it’s cool to be an adult and be able to give my opinion and have a bit more ownership over characters. I’ve really enjoyed sitting down with producers and pitching all my ideas.Because you started working so young, were there any classic coming-of-age moments you missed? I always wanted to go to a school dance. When prom season came around, I told all my friends who were single, “I don’t care where you are, I will come to your prom.” I ended up going to three proms. I didn’t know the people there. I just showed up, had a good time, and then dipped.Richard KernAll clothing Miu Miu, glasses Linda Farrow x Jacquemus, earrings Cartier.That’s a life hack, actually. What does love look like for you right now?Your girl is happy. I’m feeling very lovey-dovey. I have somebody I can be a complete nerd with. I got my best friend, and so I don’t see the point in not loving loudly.22. Mckenna posted a birthday tribute in July to her boyfriend, Mason Thames, singing “honeybee” by Olivia Rodrigo. One commenter wrote, “This couple is the Gen Alpha Tom Holland and Zendaya.”How do you balance loving loudly with keeping some things for yourself? There are moments that are just for you and your person. But I don’t see the point in not celebrating who you’re in love with. A lot of people’s hesitation around this stems from the idea that if you post about someone a bunch and then you break up, that’s embarrassing. But why would I even think about that? I’m just going to focus on the present.That’s a lesson I had to learn. That it’s actually not embarrassing if something ends. If you live with that worry, you’re never going to be able to show up fully. It’s a terrifying thing in a relationship to surrender yourself to that thought of, I’m just going to be at my most vulnerable and trust you, and this part of my life is fully in your hands. But I don’t see the point in building a relationship based on fear. I am the biggest fan of the person I’m with, so why wouldn’t I be like, “This is my person. I am so stoked I have this”? We’re always on each other’s sets anyway. He’s like an honorary member of District 12 at this point.You just entered a new decade.3 Where do you want to find yourself when you eventually enter your 30s?I hope to still be as excited waking up for work every day, even though it’s tiring and I get bruised and half the time people may hate me for things I can’t control. I’m thankful to still be feeling that way 15 years in, so I hope that 25 years in, I feel the exact same way.3. For her birthday, Mckenna was supposed to go to the aquarium with her parents and Mason. Her shooting schedule ran too late, so her mom and Mason waited up to surprise her in shark onesies instead.And if nothing else, you’ll always have been a part of these huge fandoms.If I’m 80 and people are like, “Oh, you’re the girl from The Hunger Games,” I’ll be like, “Yes, I am. I did that. That’s so cool.”Read All of The Hunger Games Cover StoriesLead image: All clothing and shoes Miu Miu. Cover: All clothing Miu Miu, earrings Cartier. Styled by Chloe Grace Press. Hair by Evanie Frausto for Redken. Makeup by Matin for Danessa Myricks Beauty. Manicure by Honey for Manucurist Paris. Set design by Elaine Winter. Produced by No Inc.