Mckenna Grace

Grace was born on June 25, 2006, in Grapevine, Texas. She is the only child of Ross Burge, an orthopedic surgeon, and Crystal Grace, a medical sales representative. As a young child, she lived in Dallas-Fort Worth. She trained in cheerleading, gymnastics, tap, and ballet. She participated in beauty pageants, where she was crowned "Tiny Miss Texas". Grace has never attended a regular school; she has been homeschooled and had on-set tutors. In 2017, Grace stated she was attending a creative writing workshop with other homeschooled students once a week. She took a college course on media aesthetics in 2021, in which she had to repeatedly write about The Handmaid's Tale without mentioning her own work on the show.

Grace first expressed interest in acting at age four, after she received a collection of DVD films starring Shirley Temple from her great-grandmother. Grace's acting teacher, who was Morgan Fairchild's sister, advised that she should sign with an agent. Grace secured her first part in a commercial at the age of five. Her agent later recommended traveling to Los Angeles to see if she might land roles in films and television shows. After Grace secured parts in Crash & Bernstein (2012–2014) and Goodbye World (2013), her family moved to the city, with her father having a residency in Ventura.Grace signed with Photo Finish Records in 2020 and released her debut single, "Haunted House", alongside a music video in November 2021. She co-wrote the song alongside Lily Kincade, with Nathaniel Motte as producer. Grace explained that the song was written during a rough period of her life in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that one "could take it as a breakup song, but it could also be about a friend or a family member or any kind of relationship that's ended". NPR wrote that the song "has some surprising twists and turns and spells out the beginnings of an exciting new career for Mckenna Grace". While not originally written for Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the song was eventually added to the film's soundtrack and used for the closing credits.

Grace released her second and third singles, "Do All My Friends Hate Me?" and "You Ruined Nirvana", in 2022. On November 18, 2022, she released "Self Dysmorphia", which was inspired by her struggles with scoliosis. On putting out the single, Grace said: "it's a little bit weird to put these deeply personal thoughts and struggles out into the world. But, hopefully, ... people who are going through the same thing will feel less alone." She also performed the song on The Today Show in December 2022. Preceded by the songs "Post Party Trauma", "Ugly Crier", and "Checkered Vans", Grace's debut extended play (EP), titled Bittersweet 16, was released on March 3, 2023. She wanted to write a full-length album, but Photo Finish suggested she begin with an EP. Later that year, she recorded the single "Bark to the Beat" for the PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie soundtrack. Grace's second EP, Autumn Leaves, was released on October 13, 2023. According to Billboard, its single "Catch Me" showcases her skills in storytelling and "woozy, richly textured pop" music. Grace has since released the songs "Natalie", "Gentleman", and "Swim Team", and performed at the music festival Lollapalooza. She is set to release her third EP in late 2024.