In the film, Grace plays Allegra, an openly gay woman who, like the other members of the book club, finds herself in the throws of love. “She’s really open and passionate and fiercely loving,” says Grace about her character, “and she’s always getting hurt.” Taking on a gay role was new to Grace, but she was excited to tell Allegra’s story and give viewers a more evolved means of understanding gay characters. “It’s this character who just happens to be gay, but it’s just part of the character – I think in movies, we tend to fall into these clichés about what it means to be gay and they’re pretty negative – so I liked that it was a clearly drawn woman who, by the way, is really assured of her sexuality and well-adjusted and has very healthy relationships.”
According to Grace, the filming of Jane Austen was almost as empowering as the plotline. Along with a witty script, based on the novel by Karen Joy Fowler, the film also offered the added bonus of working with an impressive group of talented. “It was fantastic. It came at a point in my life when it was just what I needed. It was ‘Estrogen Fest 2006.’ It was fabulous. I was working with these fantastically talented women who have so much more experience than I do.” Along with enjoying the knowledge bestowed on her by her coworkers, Grace was excited to take on a project based on the work of one of her favorite authors. “I’m a big Jane Austen fan. I think I first got into Austen when I was about 12 or 13 so it was such a crazy synchronicity thing to get this script – I had already read the book when it came out.” When it comes to deciding what Austen novel reigns supreme, Grace confesses, “My favorite is Pride and Prejudice, but Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion are kinda sneaking up on Pride and Prejudice as a favorite.” According to Grace, Jane Austen fans are almost like Trekkies in their love of the romantic plotlines, a point the film pokes fun at. Grace, therefore, approached the project quite seriously, allowing her love of the author to shine through.
A deep thinker and intellectual at heart, Maggie Grace is one of the lucky few we all envy - a refreshing combo of beauty and brains. In other words, the girl’s a knockout. Though she’s graced multiple hot lists and manages to turn the heat up even more now that she’s a brunette, Maggie Grace is quite unassuming at our early morning photo shoot at Downtown L.A.’s Library Bar. Ever the professional, she arrives a few minutes early, her hair piled loosely on her head and a sweet, tired smile on her face (perhaps a little too much fun the night before – not that any of us would be the wiser). Still, her playful sense of humor peaks out when she is asked about lunch and retorts, “I’m a kosher vegan…I only eat yellow foods.” Grace’s inability to keep a straight face during this faux diva act, is just one of the many clues that this Ohio native hasn’t forgot her roots.
When Grace was 16, she made the big move from Ohio to L.A. to pursue the acting bug she caught as child. When she arrived, she admits she was a little overwhelmed. “It was a culture shock for a while and it took me probably four years or so to really feel like I knew anyone in that great sprawling, alienating thing we call a city,” Grace recalls. “It’s a strange place to move especially when you don’t have anything like school to connect you. It’s one of those cities you have to grow into and it takes a while to infiltrate. It kind of defies every idea we have of what a city is.” Though Grace sacrificed the typical high school experience in favor of taking on Hollywood, she is thankful for the opportunities that have come her way. Still, she can’t help but toy with the idea of giving in to academic influences. “I was exposed to some amazing experiences really young and I felt really grateful for that and it put more emphasis on being self-educated. But I guess I kind of miss the classroom …I might go back to school for a bit to study literature and history when I can find the time.”
Spare time is becoming a fleeting luxury for Grace, however. She just wrapped Taken with Liam Neeson, which she shot in Paris, France with director Pierre Morel and has a handful of promising projects in the works. When she is able to sneak away from the set, Grace enjoys channeling her inner Martha Stewart by throwing dinner parties for her friends and working on her new home where she is, “remembering how to use power tools.” She also dreams of returning to theater, where she got her acting chops, and maybe one day working with heavy hitters like Cate Blanchett and Dame Judi Dench. At the ripe old age of 23, something tells us Maggie Grace is well on her way to accomplishing it all.
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