Mckenna Grace (‘A Friend of the Family’): ‘I am just so proud to have gotten to tell Jan’s story’ [Complete Interview Transcript]
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
During a recent Gold Derby video interview, senior editor Rob Licuria spoke in-depth with Mckenna Grace (“A Friend of the Family”) about her Peacock limited series, which is eligible at the 2023 Emmys. Watch the full video above and read the complete interview transcript below.
The true crime drama was created by Nick Antosca, with Emmy nominee Jake Lacy (“The White Lotus”) portraying Robert “B” Berchtold, a close friend and neighbor of the Brobergs, a close-knit family with strong Christian values that prove to be all too forgiving and naive. In 1974, after B kidnaps their daughter, Jan Broberg (Grace) at age 12, he relentlessly pursues a relationship with her and shockingly manipulates his way back into their good graces and then kidnaps her again at age 14.
More from GoldDerby
“I am just so proud to have gotten to tell Jan’s story and gotten to play her and portray her,” the actress revealed in our webchat. Grace later explained, “Truly at the end of the day, I was telling a story about resilience and about strength and about Jan coming back together with her family.”
SEE Watch more than 400 interviews with 2023 Emmy contenders
Rob Licuria: I’m Rob Licuria, senior editor at Gold Derby, here with the one and only Emmy nominated actor, Mckenna Grace. Mckenna, I was saying to you offline that a role like this in A Friend of the Family just looks so emotionally exhausting. Jan Broberg, who you play, does a lot of crying. A lot of time has passed since you filmed that. But when you think back, was that really as challenging as it seemed? Because yeah, it looked very emotional.
Mckenna Grace: A lot of hard work went into this project. I’d have to, I’m really, really proud of this project, but it’s funny because being on this set, I learned so much about myself and about acting because I had to do a lot of things and push myself to places that I hadn’t gone before. So I really learned a lot. And looking back now, I’ve done a project since then and I’m like, I could have done so much better now that I, I don’t know, I did that project and I feel like I learned so much. I’m like, “Oh, I could have done so much better.” But it was really emotionally and sometimes physically exhausting. But I am just so proud to have gotten to tell Jan’s story and gotten to play her and portray her story.
RL: Yeah, I’m sure. I’m sure. Absolutely. And someone of your age, you’re still so young, and yet you’ve been working for such a long time, I would call you almost like an old veteran at this rate. But still, you must, do you have to rely on your support network, your parents, your family, your friends, to get you through where you’re playing somebody who was so mistreated and sexually abused. That must have been quite challenging, even just personally.
MG: I mean, yeah, I think that playing heavy roles always comes with some, it always comes with some heaviness and some weight. But I mean, truly at the end of the day, I was telling a story about resilience and about strength and about Jan coming back together with her family and getting to tell her story. And I think that one of the things that our show did that I really like is that at the very beginning, before the first episode starts, you have Jan explaining, the real life Jan sitting there and explaining, this may be hard to believe, but it’s my story and this is what happened to me and I’m still here. And so it gives you some hope and you get to see that she made it out on the other side. And she’s so strong and I’m so happy to have her in my life. But yeah, I do definitely, luckily I have parents who really support me in what I do and are always like, “If you don’t want to be doing this, then we can always not have you be an actress,” or, “If you want to do something else,” I’m like, “No way,” because truly this is what I love more than anything else. So yeah, I guess that gets me through it is just knowing that this is what I love doing.
RL: That’s right. And it’s your job and it’s good that you can separate the two. But Nick Antosca, the creator of the series, I told him that this was genius having Jan herself introduce this series, because it made me feel kind of safe that we were able to delve into this very uncomfortable backstory or her life story because without that, I would’ve felt it was being exploitative. So on that note, I wonder how you felt about having her so available to you as a resource onset during production. I know Jake Lacey felt really, really positive about that. What about you?
MG: No, me too. That was the biggest thing for me going into this role, was the first thing, one of the first things that I asked Nick on Zoom, whenever I first read the first four scripts, no, I read the whole series, I think. I stayed up all night reading the whole series. I was like, there’s no way. But I got on Zoom with them and I was like, “Is Jan actually a part of this? Because I don’t feel good or comfortable about telling this story or playing her if she isn’t on board with it.” And luckily, she was so on board and from the get-go, from the first time that I talked to her, we were on FaceTime for two hours and both of us cried and she was constantly so available to me. I think that one of the scariest things about taking this role was that not only am I playing Jan, a real life person who’s a big part of this production and telling her family’s story, and it’s a story that’s really dark and has a lot of heavy subject material, but I’m also coming in halfway through the shoot because I’m Jan in her older years. So I’m also coming in after they’ve already gotten to know each other and everybody’s been shooting for two months and developed bonds or whatever, and so I was terrified. So I really tried to learn as much as I could about the story and I dove so deep into Jan’s backstory. I read her book that she wrote with her mother, and she sent me a transcript for a newer one that’s been released since then. And I had court documents and her old diary and all of the letters between her and B, and I would stay up, even though I had a 6:00 AM call time, I’d be up till four reading all of this stuff in my hotel room up in the dark of my room. But it really meant the world having Jan being so open and honest with me constantly, it really felt safer. I felt like hopefully I can really do Jan right, and I can ask her questions if I need to.
RL: Wow. As you know, that doesn’t come around very often on a project. What a gift to be able to do that. And then it reminds me, as you mentioned, you took over the role from Hendrix Yancey, who plays the younger Jan, and she’s wonderful as well in that role, in this role. You both, I think you’re both together collaboratively, not that you work together necessarily, but because you’re in different timelines. But I just feel like, is there any scope at all for you to even meet with Hendrix or did you keep it separate? How does that work? Because you play Jen so consistently throughout the series, it felt like you were so aligned with the way that was going to work. So talk me through that.
MG: Well, pretty much there was, her and I were actually staying at the same hotel. Me and all of the girls who were the sisters and the youngers, and all of us were in the same hotel. So we’d all go out for lunch and whatnot, and there was about a two-week overlap of Hendrix and I being there. And then for some of the flashbacks in the later episode, she came back further down the line and we hung out again. But for me, as a child actor who has played a lot of younger versions of people, that was so exciting for me to have a younger version of myself, that was mind-blowing. So I was so stoked. I think, oh my gosh, my mom and I were talking to her mom earlier today on the phone. But it was so cool to get to know her and to be able to work with her kind of, there was about a two-week overlap, like I said, and I just tried to spend a lot of time with her, because I wasn’t able to watch her performance as Jan until a little bit later, until they had clips. So I tried to spend a lot of time with her and pick up on the little things that she does. It was complicated, because not only was I playing her version of Jan, but then I’m also trying to play Jan Jan, and then also bring in myself to the role. So I was playing three different people at once, and it was hilarious and really exciting to be able to explore.
RL: I just think that you’re really exercising so many muscles as a performer, because you do have to bring your own voice, your own spirit to the role and make it your own. But of course, you have to be aware of what Hendrix was doing, and you’ve got the real Jan. That’s a lot. And you just hit the nail on the head, Mckenna, because for years now, we’ve always talked about with you, you’ve played the younger this, the younger that, and suddenly you are obviously coming of age as a performer where you are now old enough to play the characters in their adulthood and you now get to do for younger actors, what so many wonderful performers were doing for you. I mean, how does that, what does that mean for you? Because now you’re moving forward, you get to impart some of the stuff that was given to you as a young performer.
MG: It’s really exciting to be, it’s such a weird industry to grow up in and it is a weird thing to work as you grow up, but there’s nothing I’d rather be doing. And it’s really cool, as I get older, to continue to know more about this industry and what I do and to explore the different realms within acting and directing and producing and writing, and then what goes on behind the scenes and the makeup and the hair, and to be able to really dive in depth to all of that. It’s just been cool to be able to have my passion for this grow and grow and grow, and there’s truly nothing I would rather be doing. So it’s really cool, because I came out to LA to become an actress whenever I was so young, really having no idea what that meant or idea just how this was going to become my life. So I’ve probably made so many mistakes, and then there’s also been so much hard work, but also a lot of luck. So it’s cool to be able to tell Hendrix or other actors or actresses who are my age or younger to be able to share just a little bit of the crumbs that I’ve managed to learn over the years, I guess.
RL: Yeah, absolutely. So you’re playing Jan opposite Jake Lacey, who’s playing B, Berchtold. I think Jake is an extraordinary actor and he was mesmerizing in this. The two of you together on the screen, I felt like it was just so compelling. I’d just love to know, what did you most value about working with him? He said to me that he just thought every moment working with you was such a joy, given it was so difficult to do the material. Yeah. How did you feel about working with Jake?
MG: That guy. No, I genuinely, I think that he was so magnificent in this series and captivating, and captivating to watch, not just on screen, but whenever he was performing. Because there’s so many alternative takes and completely different directions that the scenes went in that weren’t used in the series. So it’s just interesting to remember and to think back like, “Whoa, that was a crazy scene,” or that was crazy to shoot, and just thinking about his performances. Truly, this show has been one of the craziest and most interesting experiences because within acting, I learned so much. So it’s one of my favorite things to talk about, especially Jake and I’s scenes and the relationship that we were portraying, because it’s interesting to have to portray a relationship like that, having the scope and knowing what you know about the story and what’s truly happening. Because as Jan, you have to throw all of that out the window because she truly believed him. This was a man who completely made her feel safe and this is a second father to her, a best friend that it turns and then it gets strange. But I’m protecting my family, but I love him. Does that mean I love him as a husband or do I just love him as a family member? But he loves me like a wife, and it just gets so complicated as the years go on. And whenever I got thrown into the mix as older Jan, there had already been the complete brainwashing, so I’m already completely in his grasp. So for me, it was really an exercise in acting because in my mind, I couldn’t come onto set having my lines in a set way in my head how I wanted the scene to go, or how I wanted to say them, or how I wanted to react or respond, because it truly solely depended on what Jake did. So if Jake was giving me this, or if he changed the inflection or the emotion one bit, then I have to hang on his every word, because that’s what Jan had going through her life. It’s just hanging on his word. Did he mention the aliens? Oh, he sounds a little angry. Did I do something wrong?
RL: Yeah.
MG: So it was so complicated, and he’s such an incredible actor. So it was a crazy experience. And I’m such a fan of his, I’m such a fan of his.
RL: I am too, to be honest.
MG: It was complicated.
RL: So just thinking about particular scenes, there’s so many, but I love the second-to-last episode where the car accident, and Jan’s saying to B that she’s going to be in a play and he switches on a dime. And obviously the car accident means that she’s broken on the outside, but it gave me some insight that she’s so broken on the inside as well. And I am curious as a, I’m not a actor, I have no idea, but do you switch on and switch off that very overt emotion, particularly when you have to cry a lot? Or do you need to stay in the moment when you’re shooting scenes like that just to help you be more authentic?
MG: I mean, it really truly depends. It really depends on, is that what we’re shooting all day long? Is that what we’re doing? Is this a moment? But I like to, if I know that I have a really strong emotional scene or I have to convey a lot of emotions, or if that’s the first scene up, I like to come onto set and I just listen to a lot of music. I don’t stay in that, because I don’t want to just be walking around set crying or something, but I listen to a lot of music because I find that it’s something that can really pull me in, but also push me out of an emotion. So I just come onto set, I listen to a lot of music, and I like to know if we’re five minutes out and then hone in on whatever emotion I’m supposed to be feeling.
RL: Wow. I’ve heard other actors tell me about, music is so transportative in very, in many ways. Are you one of the actors who don’t like to tell people what you’re listening to? Or are you free to say, this is what I generally listen to if I need to be sad?
MG: It really depends. I love talking about music, so I’m so down. I have a public Spotify place where I just post a bunch of playlists, and some of them, I make playlists depending on characters. I’ll make playlists for, I don’t think I had one for Jan. I think that I would just listen to, I just listened to my music that made me feel something every once in a while, but I listened to a lot of sad music while I was on that set. I listened to a lot of Phoebe Bridgers and I don’t know.
RL: Nice. Yeah, it totally works. I totally see why you’re doing that. So look, we have chatted a few times already. The last time was about The Bad Seed, before that was about Handmaids for which you received an Emmy nomination. And I know it’s not, it’s a dumb question to say, “Oh, why are you attracted to a role?” You’re not attracted to them, but you’re very smart in your choices. You are obviously still quite young, and you’ve got decades ahead of you in your career. You’ve made very smart choices. You are a serious actor, you’re not just some frivolous actor who just does whatever comes your way. So talk me through the process of, with, I assume your parents, of making those choices and picking roles that are very challenging, that are going to really put you on the edge. Yeah. Talk me through those choices.
MG: Can I just say thank you, that really means a lot, because, I don’t know, I try so hard. That’s really my dream is to just be a serious actress and to do these projects that really mean something. So, thank you. But I don’t know, my parents and I have a lot of trust in each other. I always, before taking on a script or something, even if I’m completely in love with it, I always make sure that my mom or dad reads it, just because I’m like, “I want a second opinion. I’m in love with this. And even if you’re not in love with it, I’m still going to be in love with it. But I want to know what you think. I want to know your thoughts or something because I want somebody to talk about it with.” But whenever it comes to choosing rules, I mean, I’m just lucky to be getting the roles that I’m getting. I’m honored to have been able to portray the stories that I’ve had so far. But I don’t know, I just really hope that I can continue to do this. I really love to tell stories that feel important to me, that tell something for a reason, that aren’t just… Something that I found very tasteful about our show is that there’s a lot of shock value in our culture nowadays. So I really appreciated that there was no sexual assault on screen and that there was no real super nudity or whatnot. It really focused on the psychological effects of this manipulator. And of course, everything that happened still happened, but it didn’t have to be seen. So I really like to tell stories that I find mean something to me, and I also really like to be challenged as an actress, because, I don’t know, how am I going to get better if I just continue to do things that I feel safe in? And even though I look back and I’m like, “Dang it, I could have done so much better.” At least now I know that I can do better, and I’ve learned so much from that experience. And it’s been really cool lately to see myself evolve and grow and learn new things. And, oh, now I can do this. I never knew that I could feel that emotion and portray that. It’s been really, really cool as of lately. But yeah, I don’t know. I’m just really, truly happy with the projects I’ve been able to do lately, and I hope that I can continue down that path.
RL: Let’s hope so. Yeah. I’m so looking forward to speaking to you in 10 years’ time when you’re almost a completely different performer. We’ll see what happens, Mckenna. But in the meantime, congratulations on some beautiful work in A Friend of the Family. And thanks for your time today.
MG: No, thank you so, so much. It’s always cool talking with you. It’s the coolest.
PREDICT the 2023 Emmy nominees through July 12
Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?
SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions
Best of GoldDerby
'Black Mirror' episodes ranked by fans: Can YOU guess their #1 choice?
All Golden Buzzers on 'AGT' through the years: Murmuration joins the list
Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
