The Real-Life Evolution Of Paige Swanson From Young Sheldon

Every main character needs a rival, which is what Iain Armitage's character, Sheldon Cooper, got in Season 2 of "Young Sheldon." Played by Mckenna Grace, Paige Swanson was an equally gifted kid — if not smarter — than Cooper, which often frustrated him. While the young prodigy wasn't a main character on the show, viewers took to Swanson's quick humor and rebellious nature, making her a favorite until she quietly disappeared after Season 6.

Fans were disappointed when Swanson wasn't in Season 7 of "Young Sheldon," and producer Steve Holland told TVLine, "People online respond to Paige, and I think that's because Mckenna is incredible. The downside of Mckenna being incredible is that Mckenna is a movie star, and that makes Mckenna very difficult to get." It's true that Grace has an extensive resumé, as she's been acting since she was around six years old, so she was already an industry vet by the time she appeared in "Young Sheldon." Now, as a young adult, she's already accomplished so much, and her real-life evolution from child actor to Hollywood producer is simply awe-inspiring.

It's rare that a five-year-old knows exactly what they want to do, but Mckenna Grace dreamed of becoming an actor even before beginning elementary school. "I begged to be an actor. My mom was like, 'No,' but then I convinced her at some point to let me go to an acting class or something. I must have been five. I don't really remember any of it, but from there, I met an agent and ended up getting an audition," she told Glamour in 2024. Grace definitely had talent at a young age, as her first role was Disney's "Crash & Bernstein," where she appeared in 15 episodes.

From then on, Grace's career never let up, and she had some minor roles until landing a part in "The Young and the Restless" as Faith Newman in 2013. The budding starlet wasn't just a one-note actor either, adding "Once Upon a Time" and "I, Tonya" to her expanding portfolio. "It was scary and fun, but exciting and nerve-wracking, if that makes any sense at all," Grace told Red Carpet News TV in 2017 of playing a young Tonya Harding. It's clear that she got the acting bug, and her ability to play diverse roles just helped the young star land even more prominent gigs.

By the time Mckenna Grace joined the cast of "Young Sheldon" as Paige Swanson in Season 2, she already had tons of acting experience. Although she had only nine guest appearances throughout her run on the show, she got to know the cast well, including Raegan Revord, who played Missy Cooper, and has had a real-life evolution of their own. In a 2018 ET interview with Iain Armitage, Grace shared her favorite part about being on set with the actors, stating, "Everyone is really fun and relaxed, so that's really nice." In a sweet bonding moment, Armitage revealed that his one quirk was sleeping with so many stuffed animals that he barely had any room, to which his co-star replied, "Me too!"

That year, Grace also began her stint on "The Haunting of Hill House" as young Theo. When chatting with Red Carpet Report about preparing for her role, the tween shared, "I kept this journal where I write in it every day as if I [were] my character. And me and Miss Kate Siegel, who plays the older version of me ... we would switch out journals and we'd both write in it, so it was very exciting to see each other's experiences as the character." Grace's acting skills on the horror series were well-received, with one fan writing on Reddit, "She's an awesome actor! I've seen her in several things. Did Theo justice!"

Mckenna Grace made history when she became the youngest person ever to receive an Emmy nomination for best drama guest actress in 2021 for "The Handmaid's Tale," whose women are so stunning in real life. At the time, she was just 15-years-old and played the role of child bride Esther Keyes, who first made her appearance as a rebel of Gilead in Season 4. Upon receiving her nod, Grace shared on Instagram, "1st Emmy nomination. Thank you to the Television Academy for this honor. I spent an hour this morning crying and just feeling the most insane amount of happiness and joy. Today was genuinely one of the coolest days of my life and the best day of my acting journey."

Keyes is one of Grace's most controversial roles, but she jumped right in. "I thought she was so cool. She's such an interesting character to play, especially with how intimidating she is," she told Elle. Grace continued, "She's angry and then she's regal and talking to the guards. She changes up so quickly. It was so fun to play all of her different emotions." Although the young teen lost out to "The Crown" actor Claire Foy that year, Grace still has plenty of time and talent to achieve EGOT status.

Mckenna Grace may be best known as an actor, but she's paving the way to becoming a pop star. In 2023, she released her first album, "Bittersweet 16," which features songs highlighting the angsty feelings of a teen. "All of these things that I'm going through are so universal, so I'm just trying to normalize those feelings," Grace shared with Teen Vogue. She added, "Every time I think about being a teenage girl, I think of that one 'Jennifer's Body' quote: 'Hell is a teenage girl.'"

Taylor Swift, whose favorite books are a crash course in girlhood, is one of Grace's biggest inspirations, but she branched out music-wise with the help of her father. "[He's] always playing Nirvana and Foo Fighters on the guitar for me. And I really always loved it," she revealed to Flaunt. The singer-songwriter went on to say, "But yeah, my dad always showed me a ton of fun music, and he's super into heavy metal and stuff like that. So I don't know, I just kind of grew up listening to stuff with my dad." Grace performed her first-ever concert in February 2023 and went on to reprise her role as Phoebe the following year in "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire." She's set to play Maysilee Donner in "Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping," proving that there's no stopping the young star.