McKenna Grace has an estimated net worth of $3 million. Born on June 25, 2006, in Grapevine, Texas, Grace is an American actress and singer who began her professional career at age five and became one of the most recognized young performers in Hollywood. She is best known for starring as Mary Adler in Gifted (2017), Esther Keyes in The Handmaid’s Tale (2021–2022), and Phoebe Spengler in the Ghostbusters franchise.
Updated March 2026: According to Variety, Grace’s profile continues to grow rapidly as she plays Maysilee Donner in the upcoming The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (November 2026) alongside a major-studio ensemble cast. Industry analysts tracking her combined film, television, music, and production work estimate her net worth at approximately $3 million as of early 2026, reflecting a career that spans over a decade and includes roles in films grossing more than $1 billion worldwide.
McKenna Grace was born on June 25, 2006, in Grapevine, Texas, to Ross Burge, an orthopedic surgeon, and Crystal Grace, a medical sales representative. She is an only child. Her family lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area during her earliest years, where she trained in cheerleading, gymnastics, tap dance, and ballet. She competed in beauty pageants as a young child and was crowned “Tiny Miss Texas.”
Grace first became interested in acting at age four, after her great-grandmother gifted her a collection of DVDs starring Shirley Temple. Her acting teacher — who was Morgan Fairchild’s sister — encouraged her to sign with an agent. Grace landed her first commercial at age five. When she secured recurring roles on Crash & Bernstein (2012) and the film Goodbye World (2013), her family relocated to Los Angeles, with her father taking a residency position in Ventura. She has never attended a traditional school; she has been homeschooled and worked with on-set tutors throughout her career. By 2021, she was taking a college course on media aesthetics.
Grace made her on-screen debut in the Disney XD sitcom Crash & Bernstein, recurring as Jasmine Bernstein from 2012 to 2014. Between 2013 and 2015 she held a recurring role as Faith Newman on the long-running CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. In 2015 she portrayed young Caroline Forbes in The Vampire Diaries, a performance that TVLine ranked among the best flashback castings in television history.
Her breakthrough came with the Fox Searchlight drama Gifted (2017), in which she played Mary Adler, a mathematically gifted child, opposite Chris Evans. She was chosen for her “childlike charm yet old-soul maturity” and earned a Critics’ Choice Movie Award nomination for Best Young Performer. Later in 2017, she appeared in the critically acclaimed biopic I, Tonya, playing the young Tonya Harding and learning to ice-skate for the role.
Grace shifted toward horror between 2018 and 2020, appearing in The Bad Seed (2018), Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House (2018), Marvel’s Captain Marvel (2019) — which grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide — and Annabelle Comes Home (2019), which grossed over $231 million. She simultaneously began a recurring stint as child prodigy Paige Swanson on CBS’s Young Sheldon.
Her most significant career milestone arrived with the lead role of Phoebe Spengler in Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), which earned $204.4 million at the worldwide box office against a $75 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo. Critics singled out her performance as the film’s highlight; The Boston Globe called her “quite-phenomenal” and Gizmodo described her work as “instantly unforgettable” and “star-making.” She reprised the role in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024), which grossed $202 million worldwide, per Box Office Mojo, pushing the total Ghostbusters franchise past the $1 billion mark.
For Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale (2021–2022), Grace’s portrayal of abused teenager Esther Keyes earned her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series — making her the first child ever recognized for a guest acting Emmy. In 2022 she starred in Peacock’s true crime miniseries A Friend of the Family, playing real-life kidnapping survivor Jan Broberg. That same year she wrote, executive produced, and starred in The Bad Seed Returns, the first production from her own company, Beautiful Ghosts Productions.
In 2025, Grace starred in the romantic drama Regretting You (based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel) and in Universal’s Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. Her 2026 slate includes the slasher sequel Scream 7 (released February 27, 2026) and a major supporting role as Maysilee Donner in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, due in theaters November 20, 2026.
Grace is the only child of Ross Burge, an orthopedic surgeon, and Crystal Grace, a medical sales representative. She has maintained a close relationship with both parents; her father co-wrote The Bad Seed Returns with her during the COVID-19 pandemic, while her mother managed her social media accounts during her early career. Grace has stated that she prefers a private personal life so she can “have a childhood and figure herself out as a teenager,” describing her home life as “extremely normal.”
At age 12, Grace was diagnosed with scoliosis. While filming Ghostbusters: Afterlife, she wore a back brace to correct her spine but found it difficult to maintain the prescribed 22-hour daily schedule due to filming demands. After her spinal curvature surpassed 45 degrees, she underwent spinal fusion surgery in October 2022, which reduced the curvature to six degrees. She has been open about the experience and the song “Self Dysmorphia” (2022) addresses her struggles with body image related to the condition.
Grace has been in a relationship with actor Mason Thames, her co-star from Regretting You (2025), which was confirmed publicly in early 2026. The pair were photographed together in New York City and Thames spoke about their relationship to People magazine. Grace currently resides in the Los Angeles area, where she relocated with her family as a child.
McKenna Grace’s net worth is estimated at approximately $3 million as of 2026. Her wealth derives from over a decade of film and television work, including lead roles in the Ghostbusters franchise, her production company Beautiful Ghosts Productions, and a growing music career on Photo Finish Records. Industry tracking of her career trajectory suggests her valuation will increase substantially as she moves into major franchise roles such as The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (2026).
McKenna Grace is 19 years old as of March 2026. She was born on June 25, 2006, in Grapevine, Texas, making her a Cancer by zodiac sign. She began her professional acting career at age five and had accumulated over two decades of credits by the time she turned 19, an unusual milestone for a performer her age.
McKenna Grace stands 5 feet 1 inch tall (approximately 154 cm / 1.54 m), per listings on IMDb. She has a petite build, which contributed to her ability to portray younger characters in roles such as Phoebe Spengler in the Ghostbusters films.
McKenna Grace is dating actor Mason Thames, her co-star from the 2025 romantic drama Regretting You. The relationship was confirmed publicly in early 2026 after the two were photographed together in New York City. Thames, who was born in 2007, spoke about his relationship with Grace in an interview with People magazine, describing her as “so nice” and noting she spends time with his family and close friends.
McKenna Grace is the only child of Ross Burge, an orthopedic surgeon, and Crystal Grace, a medical sales representative. Her family originally lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area before relocating to Los Angeles when McKenna began securing film and television roles around 2012. Her great-grandmother sparked her interest in acting by gifting her a collection of Shirley Temple DVDs. Grace’s father co-wrote The Bad Seed Returns with her, while her mother has actively managed various aspects of her early career.
McKenna Grace’s annual earnings are not publicly disclosed, but her income streams include studio film salaries, television residuals, music royalties from Photo Finish Records, and executive producer fees from Beautiful Ghosts Productions. Featured roles in major studio franchises such as Ghostbusters and The Hunger Games typically command six-figure to seven-figure salaries for established performers. Her dual career as actress and recording artist — including a Billboard Hot Hard Rock Songs chart-topper with Ice Nine Kills in 2026 — adds to her annual income through streaming royalties and touring opportunities.
McKenna Grace lives in the Los Angeles, California area, where she relocated with her family in 2012 after securing her first major television and film roles. Her father held a medical residency in nearby Ventura during the family’s initial move to Southern California. Grace has described her home life as private and “extremely normal,” spending time with family and her dog when not on set. Specific details about her current residence have not been publicly disclosed.