# Violet McGraw

**Violet McGraw** is an American actress and producer known for her roles as Young Nell Crain in Netflix's *[The Haunting](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-haunting-tv-series) of Hill House*, Cady in the horror film *M3GAN* (2022) and its 2025 sequel, and young Yelena Belova in the [Marvel Cinematic Universe](https://www.edgepedia.org/marvel-cinematic-universe) films *Black Widow* (2021) and *Thunderbolts\** (2025).<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8627157)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/violet_mcgraw)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born in | San Jose, California, USA<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8627157)</sup> |
| First role | Young Nell Crain in *The Haunting of Hill House*, her first acting job at age five<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8627157)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.dailyactor.com/interview/violet-mcgraw-double-trouble/)</sup> |
| Signature role | Cady in *M3GAN* (2022), a film that grossed 180 million dollars worldwide; she reprised the role in *M3GAN 2.0* (2025)<sup>[4](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-844314/biographie/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/violet_mcgraw)</sup> |
| Marvel roles | Young Yelena Belova in *Black Widow* (2021) and *Thunderbolts\** (2025)<sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/violet_mcgraw)</sup> |
| Producing | Executive producer of *The Curse of the Necklace* (2024) and *Double Trouble* (2026)<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8627157)</sup> |
| Family | Three older siblings who also act: Jack, Aidan, and Madeleine McGraw<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8627157)</sup> |

## Early career

McGraw began acting at age five, and her first job was as Young Nell Crain in *The Haunting of Hill House*, the Netflix horror series.<sup>[3](https://www.dailyactor.com/interview/violet-mcgraw-double-trouble/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8627157)</sup> The role brought her widespread recognition, and she followed it with parts in *Doctor Sleep* (2019), *[Our Friend](https://www.edgepedia.org/our-friend)* (2019), *Separation* (2021), and *Grummy* (2021).<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8627157)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-844314/biographie/)</sup>

## M3GAN

Her international breakthrough came as Cady, the heroine of the horror film *M3GAN* (2022). In the film, roboticist Gemma, played by Allison Williams, builds the Model 3 Generative Android to help her 8-year-old niece Cady cope with the loss of her parents.<sup>[5](https://time.com/6244885/allison-williams-interview-m3gan/)</sup> The film grossed 180 million dollars worldwide, according to AlloCiné, and made McGraw known globally.<sup>[4](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-844314/biographie/)</sup> She reprised the role of Cady in *M3GAN 2.0* (2025).<sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/violet_mcgraw)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-844314/biographie/)</sup>

## Marvel and other film work

McGraw joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as young Yelena Belova in *Black Widow* (2021), a role she reprised in *Thunderbolts\** (2025).<sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/violet_mcgraw)</sup> Her other credits include *[The Life of Chuck](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-life-of-chuck)* (2024), in which she plays Lily, *A Christmas Mystery* (2022), and *I Believe in Santa* (2022).<sup>[4](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-844314/biographie/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/violet_mcgraw)</sup>

## Producing and recent projects

**Move into producing.** McGraw was an executive producer of the 2024 thriller *The Curse of the Necklace*, in which she also played Ellen Davis, and of *Double Trouble* (2026).<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8627157)</sup> In interviews about *Double Trouble*, a holiday movie, she has described moving from horror to comedy and has stated goals of producing and directing in the future.<sup>[6](https://www.movieguide.org/videos/from-horror-to-comedy-violet-mcgraw-on-double-trouble.html)</sup> In *Double Trouble* she plays Willow opposite her real-life older sister Madeleine McGraw as Charlotte, in a Christmas caper about two girls whose family trip to Las Vegas lands them in a jewelry heist.<sup>[7](https://www.movieguide.org/news-articles/actress-brings-real-life-sister-bond-into-her-new-movie.html)</sup>

Her upcoming slate includes *Summer's Last Resort* (2026), in which she plays the title character Summer opposite [Jerry O'Connell](https://www.edgepedia.org/jerry-oconnell) and [Sophia Bush](https://www.edgepedia.org/sophia-bush), and *Anything But Ghosts* (2027), which is in post-production.<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8627157)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://nz.news.yahoo.com/curry-barker-anything-ghosts-adds-173000209.html)</sup>

## Family

McGraw comes from an acting family: her mother is Jackie Celia McGraw, and she has three older siblings who also act, Jack McGraw, Aidan McGraw, and Madeleine McGraw.<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8627157)</sup>

## References

1. [Violet McGraw, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8627157)
2. [Violet McGraw, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/violet_mcgraw)
3. [Violet McGraw on 'Double Trouble,' Interview, Daily Actor](https://www.dailyactor.com/interview/violet-mcgraw-double-trouble/)
4. [Violet McGraw : sa biographie, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-844314/biographie/)
5. [Allison Williams on Her Journey From Marnie to M3GAN, Time](https://time.com/6244885/allison-williams-interview-m3gan/)
6. [From Horror to Comedy: Violet McGraw on Double Trouble, Movieguide](https://www.movieguide.org/videos/from-horror-to-comedy-violet-mcgraw-on-double-trouble.html)
7. [Actress Brings Real-Life Sister Bond into Her New Movie, Movieguide](https://www.movieguide.org/news-articles/actress-brings-real-life-sister-bond-into-her-new-movie.html)
8. [Curry Barker's 'Anything But Ghosts' Adds Violet McGraw, Yahoo News](https://nz.news.yahoo.com/curry-barker-anything-ghosts-adds-173000209.html)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Child and youth screen performers › Child performers born 2011 and later*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license
