For Imogen Faith Reid’s first major acting role, she stars as Natalia Grace in this year’s Hulu Original Series Good American Family, with Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass playing her adoptive parents Kristine and Michael Barnett. Good American Family is based on the true story of Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian orphan with dwarfism, and Imogen reunited with some of the cast members earlier this year for the premiere/screening events in Los Angeles and London. Imogen has also worked as a stand-in/double for TV shows such as The Famous Five and The Third Day, and she is working on an unannounced project. We caught up with Imogen, who told us about being cast in the Hulu Original Series Good American Family, having Natalia Grace as her first major acting role and attending the premiere/screening events earlier this year.
You star as Natalia Grace in the new Hulu Original Series Good American Family, which premiered on 19th March, how has it been seeing the fan response to the series so far and how did you feel on release day?
The fan response has been incredible! I was genuinely surprised by how much love we’ve received for the show, especially here in the UK. I’ve been flooded with so much support, which I didn’t expect since Natalia is portrayed as the villain. I’m just incredibly grateful for it all!
For those that haven’t yet seen Good American Family or know the story, can you say about the series and your character?
Good American Family is a family drama based on the real-life story of Natalia Grace – a Ukrainian orphan with dwarfism, who was adopted by an Indiana family. Things take an unexpected turn when the parents begin to suspect she might actually be an adult posing as a child. The show unpacks all of this through multiple perspectives, which adds so many layers to the storytelling.
I play Natalia, who’s right at the centre of it all, and the series really follows her emotional journey to figure out where she belongs and what ‘family’ truly means. It’s dramatic, complex, and honestly unlike anything I’ve worked on before!
With the series based on a true story, how was it reading the script for the first time and how did you prepare for filming?
I was so excited when reading the script for the first time. I was hooked and I couldn’t put it down. When preparing for the role, I had an amazing support system in Disney who connected me with an acting coach to work out Natalia’s intentions and to ultimately break down the script which was needed as someone who has never had such a difficult role to play before. I also had an incredible movement coach, as I do have a different type of dwarfism than Natalia, so it was really important to be respectful and mindful with the movement and to make it genuine with my own body. I also worked alongside a dialect coach to work on an American accent, which I loved and found so interesting. I really felt so supported when going into this role and it meant a lot to have a team that really made sure I was ready.
What was it like finding out you’d booked Natalia for your first major acting role and how have you found the experience being part of the project?
Honestly, I didn’t think I would book it at all as I remember being so critical of my self-tape, but after the third or fourth recall and finding out I had booked the role, it was such a surreal moment for me. I never thought I would get an opportunity like this; to be a part of this amazing cast. I was filled with so many emotions, from excitement to feeling overwhelmed and thinking… can I do this?
My experience with this project has been incredible, not only with filming but also with the response it’s received. Hearing people’s stories of how Good American Family touched them and affected them has been amazing to read and I’m so happy we were able to do that with this story.
What was Natalia like to portray and what did you enjoy most about telling the story?
Portraying Natalia was such a fun and rewarding challenge. As an actor, it felt like I was playing two different people depending on the perspective we were filming – especially during Kristine’s scenes, where Natalia comes across as sharp and unpredictable, which definitely kept me on my toes. This was actually my first speaking role, so jumping into something this layered was intense but exciting. My favourite part though was filming from Natalia’s own perspective. That’s when we really got to explore who she is beneath all the assumptions, and it made the experience feel truly special.
How was it meeting and working with the rest of the cast, which included Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass as Natalia’s adoptive parents Kristine and Michael Barnett?
Meeting Ellen and Mark was so special because we connected with each other straight away. I really felt like they both took me under their wing when filming with me. I was like a sponge on set every time I was with them both because they are both so talented and this is a new world for me. I really wanted to learn as much as possible from them and I was super lucky to work with them and I am grateful to the both of them for taking me under their wing.
Did you have a favourite and a most challenging scene to film, and what was it like watching the completed series when it was released?
I think my favourite scenes to film were definitely the ones where Natalia got to have so much fun and just be a kid. I think the earlier scenes seeing Michael and Natalia’s bond and doing the jump the jitters scene was so fun because you got to see how similar Natalia and Michael are and why they needed each other.
I would say the hardest scenes were the scenes in Episode 5 because they were so heavy. The scene with Kristine at the end of that episode was so intense to film and just a truly horrible scene. Seeing that bond between Natalia and Michael break was so difficult to film because Mark and I had become so close when we were filming that it was a tough pill to swallow.
Earlier this year, you attended the premiere/screening events in Los Angeles and London, what were they like to attend and how was it reuniting with your fellow cast members?
I did! Getting to attend those screenings was an amazing experience. Seeing the cast again felt like seeing your family again after a really long time. When you’re filming, you see each other every day and you’re living in this bubble with them, so it was like getting the family back together again! It was so rewarding to celebrate the show and all the hard work we put into it so it was really special!
Why would you recommend watching Good American Family (which is streaming in the UK on Disney+) and who do you think the series will appeal to?
I think Natalia’s story needs to be heard and not many people really know the true story. We worked so hard to bring to light the injustice she faced, and she deserves for her story to be heard. I think people who love drama and being on the edge of their seats and constantly not knowing what to think or how to feel as everything keeps changing, they’re the ones who need to watch it.
We understand you have previously worked on set as a stand-in/double for shows including The Third Day and The Famous Five, can you tell us about your time working on some of them?
I really loved being a double because it was taste of what it was like to be a part of the main cast. I really loved it because it fueled my love for acting more and more and I knew this is what I wanted to do from those experiences. I never thought I would ever have the opportunity to be a lead in a show. I was so happy being a double, but I definitely think that those experiences prepared me for where I am today.
Where does your love of acting come from and how did you get started in the industry?
Growing up I always loved performing. If you would have asked me what I wanted to be when I was younger, I would have said a singer because I loved entertaining and mimicking singers that I was a big fan of. But it wasn’t until I was in school studying drama that I really picked up the love for acting as I found an escapism in it that I wanted to explore and delve into.
What are some of your favourite films and TV shows to watch?
I love watching TV! I think my favourites right now have to be the YOU series, Grey’s Anatomy, Doctor Who, and WandaVision. I could go on and on… I am a little obsessed with quite a few shows and tend to watch lot of them at one time.
How do you like to spend your time away from acting?
I think a balance between acting and being at home is key and when I’m not working, I love spending time with my friends by going to the cinema, going out for food, and roller skating. I just love being around my inner circle of friends and my favourite people.
What are you hoping this year brings for you, and do you have any projects coming up that you can share?
I think this year has been so surreal and crazy for me and I’m really loving it so far. I can’t wait to see where my career takes me and I’m ready to dive into anything and everything. I do have a project coming up which I’m so excited for and I can’t wait to share it when I’m able to finally talk about it. In the meantime, I’m really loving life!
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