Meet Clara Grant, played by Mckenna Grace in the movie adaptation of the hit novel “Regretting You,” in PH cinemas October 22.

12 fun facts about Mckenna Grace’s fascinating and feisty teen heroine in this epic tragic romance.

Mckenna Grace plays Clara Grant in Regretting You, from the best-selling author of It Ends with Us and the director of The Fault in Our Stars, in Philippine cinemas October 22.

“Mckenna brings so much life to Clara,” says Allison Williams, who plays Morgan Grant, mom to Mckenna Grace’s Clara in the upcoming tragic romance Regretting You. “She’s an extraordinary actress.”

In Regretting You, the movie adaptation of the best-selling novel, Williams and Grace play mother-daughter duo Morgan and Clara Grant, respectively. After a devastating accident reveals a shocking betrayal, they are forced to confront family secrets, redefine love, and painfully rediscover each other. This is a story of growth, resilience, and self-discovery, also starring Dave Franco, Mason Thames, Sam Morelos, Scott Eastwood, Willa Fitzgerald, and Clancy Brown. Directed by Josh Boone.

Watch the trailer:

Shortly after the trailer was released in August, fans instantly adored Grace, with one commenting, “OMG, Mckenna is perfect as Clara.”

Discover more about Clara Grant and the talented young actress who embodies this beloved character in the upcoming film adaptation.

1. Nineteen-year-old Mckenna Grace began acting at age five and has starred in everything from Captain Marvel to The Handmaid’s Tale, earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress. In Regretting You, based on Colleen Hoover’s beloved novel, Grace portrays Clara Grant, a young woman shattered by grief who falls for a boy her mother, played by Allison Williams, disapproves of. “Clara has been such a special role for me,” says Grace. “She’s so complicated, mature and immature all at once.”
2. Clara’s boyfriend, Miller, is portrayed by Mason Thames, who just so happens to be Mckenna Grace’s best friend in real life. “We already knew each other so well because we’ve been goofing off for the past year, doing all these stupid things,” Grace says of Thames. “And then, all of a sudden, we were working together, running around, having a blast!”
3. The set in this picture is Miller’s bedroom, where production began its very first week. “I especially loved that first week,” remembers Grace. “Those scenes were all shot at Miller’s house, which had all these goats and horses.” They weren’t the only animals on set, as Grace travelled with her beloved pet Yorkshire Terrier, Gizmo.
4. Clara and Miller love each other deeply, though during a big argument, Miller accuses Clara of using him to “piss off” her mom – something Grace concedes may be true. “Clara does some things that she knows will piss off her mama,” Grace laughs. “Sometimes I don’t think she knows there’s a part of her that’s doing it to piss her off. Sometimes she definitely does, though!”
5. Clara and Miller share another love: the movies. Their passion extends to both sides of the camera. Clara’s ambition is to attend her dream college to study acting, while Miller’s is to direct. “Miller is a filmmaker, so he’s very creative,” notes Thames.
6. As well as the classics, Miller is a huge fan of romantic movies, which is perhaps why Thames calls him “a lover boy.” Amongst what Thames says are Miller’s “guilty pleasures” is Elizabethtown (hence the poster), by Cameron Crowe, one of director Josh Boone’s favorite filmmakers.

7. Clara possesses a great sense of humor and can be hilariously sarcastic. She is also captivating, especially to Miller. “Whoever his first kiss was with, I bet it was nothing like his first kiss with Clara,” says Thames of their romance. “That is a moment that everybody is looking for. And once you find it, it’s pretty special.”
8. Clara and Miller are both high school students. But after the family tragedy, Clara, once a straight-A student, rebels against her mom’s rules. “There are a lot of bad decisions that Clara makes within her grief, just trying to figure herself out. Which I think makes her very human,” says Grace. “This film is about her and her mom trying to find each other again.”
9. Regretting You’s director, Josh Boone, is well-versed in adapting beloved teen stories into box office smashes, having previously helmed the huge 2014 hit, The Fault in Our Stars.
10. Music is key in Regretting You, hence the R.E.M. logo on Boone’s hoodie in the photo. “Music is almost the starting point for me to even know whether to make a movie or not,” Boone says. “I worked at a record store for years, so the first thing I do is build a soundtrack. Music is important to Clara, too.”
11. Regretting You is a film about buried secrets. Thankfully, the actress playing Clara is great at keeping them. “I don’t have a lot of secrets of my own, but I am a vault for other people’s,” says Grace. “I never tell. I am a really, really good secret-keeper.”
12. In real life, Mckenna Grace is also a musician. She has released over 30 songs since her 2021 debut single, “Haunted House.” “Music writing,” she says, “is my therapy.”

Regretting You, from Paramount Pictures, opens in Philippine cinemas October 22. #RegrettingYouMovie

Photo credit: Paramount Pictures