McKenna Grace is ready to bring Colleen Hoover’s emotional book, Regretting You, to the big screen.
“It’s a rough story,” Grace, 18, exclusively told Us Weekly at iHeartRadio 102.7 KIIS FM’s Jingle Ball on Friday, December 6. “It’s about grief and a girl who loses her father and then a mom who loses her husband. But it’s also a love story. I’m super excited because one of my bestest friends, Mason Thames, is playing Miller, and I’m such a fan of his work. I’m very excited to get to work together on that.”
In the role of Clara, Grace will also have the opportunity to star alongside Allison Williams as a mother-daughter duo.
“We haven’t met yet, but I’m such a fan of hers as well,” Grace shared while wearing a Bronx and Banco dress styled by Sarah Slutsky. “I’ve heard the loveliest things about her.”
Before filming is set to begin in early 2025, Grace recalled the moment she first fell in love with the project. As it turns out, the Gifted actress was first intrigued by the Regretting You script.
“I didn’t know that it was a book,” she explained to Us. “Nobody told me until I got into my meeting to kind of be like, ‘Yeah, I’d love to do this. I’d love to work with you guys. Please have me.’ And then they were like, ‘Yeah, and then the book.’”
After signing on to the project, Grace carefully read the book and prepared to take on the role of 16-year-old Clara.
“I’ve gone back through. I’ve highlighted. I’ve made my little bookmark tabs to give myself some good backstory and what I love about the character,” she said. “It’s such an exciting process, and I’m really jazzed about it.”
Before director Josh Boone yells “action” on the movie set, Grace is finding time to enjoy her music career. On Friday night, Grace performed her hits at the Jingle Ball Village at Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome.
While some have previously told Grace that she has to choose between music and acting, the “Buzzkill Baby” singer is determined to follow both of her passions.
“It’s a weird balance, but this is something that I’m so equally passionate about with acting,” Grace told Us about her music career. “I’m working very hard to try and prove myself in this. … I’m not just here to come and dabble around whenever I’m off of acting, but it’s something that I’m here to take seriously and to hopefully be taken seriously as an artist as well.”
After taking the stage at Jingle Ball, Grace reiterated to her fans and followers that you can be interested in two things at once.
“It’s just about commitment,” she shared, “and living your time and passion 100 percent.”
The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour special airs on ABC Wednesday, December 18, at 8 p.m. ET and streams the next day on Hulu.
