At 11 years old, Violet McGraw has quickly become one of the most watched young stars in the entertainment industry. We saw her, for example, in the movie "Our Friend", starring Casey Affleck, Dakota Johnson, and Jason Segal, where she stands up proudly next to these heavyweights.

In 2021 she joined the Marvel family in the action-packed spy thriller “Black Widow,” playing young Yelena Belova. More recently she became ‘Cady’ in the highly-anticipated Blumhouse Productions film “M3GAN”. Cady is a sweet girl who after losing both of her parents in a car accident, receives a peculiar company that unleashes terror at home.

In this interview, we witnessed his sweetness, freshness, candor, and, of course, her determination to continue making her way as one of the youngest and brightest promises of the industry.

¡Hello Violet! First of all, we want to make a sort of review of your artistic career. Being so young, how did you start acting? When did you discover this was your strong suit?

I had started off doing some print modeling and a few commercials when I was really little, but I didn’t really want to audition for movies or tv. So, my mom told my manager to not send me out on auditions.

Several months later I went to visit my sister Maddy on the set of her show, Outcast, which was filmed in South Carolina. I was there for about 3 weeks and that’s when I kind of fell in love with the whole process. I loved watching everyone doing their jobs, from script supervisor, crafty, lighting, and wardrobe to directing and all in between. I thought it was so cool how so many people were involved. Plus, my sister was having the best time and became like family with so many that it made me want to have that experience too.

So, when we got back to Los Angeles, I asked my mom if I could start auditioning again for tv/movies. Fairly soon after that I booked a small role in the movie Bennett’s War (my relationship with the team of people on that project has grown exponentially, I’ve done three movies with them now) and then I booked a fun role on the show Love, and right after that, I got my biggest break. Mike Flanagan cast me as Young Nellie in The Haunting of Hill House and that changed my life and my path in this business.

I wouldn’t say I ever discovered that acting was my strong suit, but after working with Mike for so many months it definitely made me fall in love with the process and being on set. He really is so amazing, so patient and so incredibly kind that it definitely fills you with a lot of confidence to keep going.

Can you mention some of your past roles and tell us which one has been the coolest for you to play -so far- and why?

Honestly, they have all been really cool to me. The Haunting of Hill House was definitely cool. It was my first really big job and I remember stepping onto that set for the first time, it was this ginormous old house built on a sound stage. It had working lights and running water. I thought it was so awesome.

I thought playing Young Yelena in Black Widow was super cool. After my sister, Madeleine McGraw played Young Hope in Ant-Man and the Wasp, I became even more obsessed with Marvel movies. So, when I got the role, I was so excited. Plus, I got to spend a lot of time in London, which is where we filmed. It was pretty awesome.

Obviously, I think Playing Cady in M3GAN is beyond cool. Working with a cool doll and watching how they made her work was so interesting. Plus I was in New Zealand and I got to bring my brothers with me which made it all extra special. I’m a huge Lord of the Rings Fan, and we got to go to Hobbiton and the Weta Workshop. I still dream about how cool that was.

Playing Jenny in ‘Separation’ was also such a cool experience. I loved my director, William Brent Bell, so much and miss him all the time. I loved the puppets they used in the movie and I loved spending so much time in New York.

Playing Violet in A Christmas Mystery will always have a deep place in my heart because my good friend, John Ducey, wrote it for me. That definitely makes it cool. I got to film a Christmas movie in my mom’s hometown which probably makes this an even cooler experience for me.

We can see you as ‘Cady’ in the Blumhouse Productions “M3GAN”. How has this experience been for you? How people have received the movie?

Playing Cady was incredible. I got to explore so many different sides of myself. I love how many people love M3GAN. When her dance went viral and I was seeing it all over TikTok, that blew me away. It’s also been pretty fun being recognized. People are so nice about it and I love hearing about how much they loved the movie.

Please, talk to us about your character. Do you think you have anything in common with her? And if so, what?

After Cady’s parents die in a horrible car accident, Cady then goes to live with her Aunt Gemma and is a very sad and lonely little girl who doesn’t really know how to deal with this sudden loss. Cady goes through so many emotions. My mom explained to me how there are stages of grief and I think Cady experiences most of them. When she fills that missing hole with M3GAN and becomes addicted to her, that brings on a whole set of different emotions and problems.

In order to relate to Cady’s loss, I thought a lot about when I left my stuffed bunny, Ruby, on an airplane. That bunny was everything to me. I got it when I was a baby and it traveled with me everywhere and was my very best friend. I still get really sad when I think about losing Ruby.

Being so young I wonder if you enjoy this kind of suspense film. Do you?

I love horror and thriller movies. I don’t get to watch a lot of horror movies, but the ones I have seen I love. I got to watch my sister’s movie, The Black Phone, and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I love that roller coaster feeling.

Any lesson learned from ‘Cady’?

After playing Cady, I definitely understand why my parents do not want me to get a phone until I’m 13. It’s so addictive. I have an iPad, but one that needs to be logged into Wi-Fi to work, so it’s not something I have with me all the time. I can see how being on media all the time is so addictive and mood-altering.

Once you saw the movie, what was your favorite terrifying sequence scene?

That’s tough. I loved filming so many scenes, especially with M3GAN. The most terrifying scene would probably be in the forest when M3GAN protects me from Brandon, but I guess my most favorite scene is probably toward the end of the movie when I get to control Bruce. That was just so much fun for me. I loved it.

Which actors would you like to work with in the mid-term?

I would definitely like to do something with one of my siblings. I have done commercials, music videos, and print jobs with them, but I would love to do a movie with one of them. It would be so fun to go to work with them every day. I think one of the reasons I loved filming M3GAN so much was because my brothers came with me to set every day. Being in New Zealand and so far away from home, it was just really nice knowing they were there.

Is there any specific role you would like to play?

I think it would be fun to be a part of a murder mystery or even a comedy. My sister is a huge fan of murder mysteries, so she got me into those and I think it would be fun to do something funny.

One of the questions the film M3GAN raises is related to Artificial Intelligence and how it could get out of hand and actually harm people. What is your opinion on this?

I don’t know. But what I do know is that I think it’s weird when I say something to my sister about a toy or a new game and then I get ads for it on my iPad. That’s pretty creepy. My mom is not a fan of AI, so we aren’t allowed to have an Alexa and my mom disables all of her Siri’s. It just freaks her out.

Yes, that totally happens to each of us, I think. Are you or were you a fan of dolls?

I love dolls. I actually love collecting Rainbow High dolls. For my 10th birthday, I had a rainbow theme party and all I asked for were Rainbow high dolls. It was one of my favorite birthdays. Now they have Shadow high dolls too and I seriously want them all!

Apart from acting, what other things do you enjoy doing?

Besides acting the other thing I love just as much is soccer. I have been on a club team for a few years now and I love it so much. It gets hard when I have to pick between acting and soccer. I really love them both so much.

Young Violet McGraw rises like foam in the film industry

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