Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers for “Disclosure Day,” now in theaters.
Steven Spielberg’s latest sci-fi film features performances from Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor, who have received well-deserved praise from critics, but it’s newcomer Courtney Grace, a former journalist, who’s getting the most buzz online.
After whistleblower Daniel (O’Connor) and news anchor Margaret (Blunt) break into a Kansas City newsroom with footage exposing the government’s decades-long cover-up of extraterrestrial activity, the film cuts to an NBC news anchor (Grace) broadcasting the story live.
It’s not uncommon for journalists to play a version of themselves on screen. Grace worked as a news anchor for seven years, most recently at a station in Tampa, Florida. She is used to delivering the news live, while remaining professional and calm. What made her scenes in Disclosure Day, which were shot over two days, unique was the rare opportunity to play a journalist who shares pure shock with the world.
It’s as her character definitively says: “You are not alone.”
“It was about the individual, but it was also about the collective. We all have our own interpretation of that moment, and I love that,” Grace told Variety. “But for me reading it, it got me thinking about the immensity of creation itself, the feeling of not knowing, and how suddenly something revealed can shock your entire system. And that’s okay. It can shock your entire belief system, and it can actually be quite beautiful.”
After the film’s opening weekend, Variety spoke with Grace, who also starred in Sweet Magnolias and Stranger Things, about her breakout moment on Disclosure Day, quitting her anchor job, and why she wants to believe that aliens actually exist out there.
From film critics to award experts, the internet is flooded with people praising your performance. How are you feeling?
Oh, oh, oh! I am filled with gratitude, surprise, and shock. My heart is now 10 sizes bigger. I am deeply moved by how this moment in this film resonated so deeply with people. That certainly resonated with me when I was working on this material. I don’t understand, I can’t find the words. Please bear with me as I venture to explain what this is doing to my system right now.
Before we get into movies, you were an anchor for seven years. Can you talk about how your journalism background prepared you for this role and acting in general?
David Koepp and Steven Spielberg gave me a unique opportunity in this journalistic role. A lot of times, your job as a journalist is to give people information and try not to show them how they would react as a person. When I read the script, I was so moved to be able to experience this moment with the world.
My experience as an anchor combined with my training as an actor over the past three years has helped me understand how to read scripts. Both of these sets were absolutely necessary to allow me to express my work in this way. The practice range I used to use on set helped me feel grounded in the moment. And when I sat behind the news desk with the teleprompter in front of me, I felt right at home.
Has acting always been an aspiration for you?
I have wanted to pursue acting since I was young. I remember when I auditioned for a play in elementary school, they asked me to read three sentences. Even though it was right in front of me, I was stumbling over the words and couldn’t understand it. Needless to say, I didn’t get the job or book the role. From that moment on, even though I was still young, I had this thought in my mind: “Maybe I’m not cut out to be an actress. I’m not an actress.” I also appeared in High School Musical, but I still held onto that belief until three years ago. I’ve wanted to do this my whole life, but I really just silenced a small part of myself.
Some of my proudest moments were as a journalist, but that never quenched my desire to take action. Only the beating of my soul kept getting louder and louder until I could no longer hear it. I had to look at myself in the mirror and be really honest with myself. It’s now or never. I’ve had some great people in my life who told me, “Come on, go ahead and do it.” I took acting classes and booked my first $500 industrial film. And the moment I stepped on the first set, everything clicked.
Speaking in more detail about the final broadcast, which is what the entire movie has been building towards, your character will experience this otherworldly event along with everyone else. As a performer, how did you approach the motions of processing news live?
Luckily, David Koepp gave me the great gift of that script. I only had my scenes and didn’t have a whole script, but what he put in there was exactly what I needed. I loved it because I was reading it and I thought, “Oh, they’re watching journalists a lot.” If you’re breaking news that changes reality for all of humanity, it’s going to affect you, whether you’re a journalist or whatever profession you’re in. They wanted to see humans processing this in real time.
There are moments when you’re like, “I can’t explain this, I don’t understand this at all, this is amazing.” They’ve given me the opportunity to really appreciate this in all aspects of dealing with what’s going on. And I just sit there and feel so moved and amazed by it. There is no way to hide it at the end of the journey. I think that’s really beautiful. Because that’s what being human is all about. In other words, being moved by things and acknowledging them.
My colleague asked Colman Domingo if he believed in aliens. you?
what did he say? I think there may be other extraterrestrial life forms out there. I really want to believe that. It’s really nice to think that we are not alone. I said this to someone at the premiere. “Maybe the aliens are rolling out their own red carpet right now and it’s like they made a movie for us!” You never know how cool it’s going to be. If so, we would love to have Steven Spielberg be our ambassador and spokesperson. It feels like a collective bargaining agreement!
Now that you’ve seen the entire movie and seen how it unfolds leading up to the final scene, what do you think of the way director Spielberg tells this sci-fi story in such a sympathetic way?
That’s wonderful. Man, I cried so many times during this movie. He’s extraordinary in being able to take these really big themes and concepts and ground them in the human experience. It was like magic and I was very impressed. I don’t know how he did it. It’s Steven Spielberg, so it’s only natural, right? It was beautiful to see him inject so many important messages and themes into this piece, and then see everyone walk away with a completely different interpretation of it. It’s just storytelling.
What do you think is the key to making such an impression with just one scene or one monologue?
Being very present in the moment. I didn’t look behind me, and I didn’t look ahead. You are there to be honest and give your all in that moment. After that it’s out of your control.
What are your hopes for the next direction for your acting career and what opportunities this exposure will bring?
This experience taught me that I didn’t dream big enough. I think I need to go back to the drawing board and seriously start asking myself that question through the lens of believing that nothing is impossible. Only time will tell. I always think of the story more than the role. I love a good story, so if I’m given the opportunity to be a part of it, I want to immerse myself in it very deeply. I’m very open. I’m going to dream a little bit, be a little grounded in reality, and be open to what happens next.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
