McKenna Grace clarified her decision to avoid on-camera nudity for “hypersexual” roles after a recent interview raised eyebrows.
“The two quotes being used right now in these titles are unrelated,” Grace, 20, explained via her Instagram Story on Tuesday, November 3, alongside a headline about the comments she made. “I said at this point in my career I think l’m uncomfortable doing something but / respect everyone who does — and I also have a dream job!”
Grace denied that her choice to opt out of work that required nudity was connected to her interest in a Disney role, as the headline she shared implied.
“I’m not uncomfortable doing nude scenes/hyper sexual roles simply because ‘I want to be a Disney princess,'” she said. “It’s just because of my own personal boundaries and the level of comfortability I have with that sort of thing right now at this point in my life! Silly that it’s become such a source of conversation! So many more important things to talk about.”
Grace, 20, recently opened up to Cosmopolitan about turning down acting roles that require nudity, saying she “definitely” doesn’t pursue those opportunities “at this point” in her career.
The actress noted that she wasn’t passing judgement on her peers who made different choices.
“I respect anybody who can, but it’s terrifying to me. I don’t know if that’ll ever change,” she continued. “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.”
Grace is known for her performance in the movie Gifted, as well as starring roles on Young Sheldon and The Handmaid’s Tale. More recently, she appeared in the movies Scream 7 and Regretting You.
While speaking with Cosmopolitan, Grace reflected on her career so far.
“I’m just out here clawing my way through, trying to get jobs and do things I’m proud of,” she noted. “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.”
Grace has also faced challenges while navigating the evolution from a child star to an adult actor.
“As a kid on set, you’re expected to act like an adult until you’re on camera,” she explained. “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.”
