When Grace Van Dien was cast in Stranger Things, she had no idea just how much her life would change. She wasn’t looking for a career in Hollywood. She had a different dream, but now she’s one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces. She is also a young woman with a rather interesting story, and she has a very cool background. If you don’t know much about her, take the time to get to know her and her family. They have some very cool stuff going on, and we love it.
1. She is a 90s Kid
She got to grow up as one of the last kids in the world to go through an innocent childhood without social media, phones, and the things that kids these days live with all the time. She had a simpler childhood than most, and it was good. She was born on October 15, 1996, and it was a time that was thrilling for her.
2. She is a California Girl
Not only did she grow up during a cool decade, but she also grew up in a cool place. She was born and raised in California. Her family is from the area because that’s where they lived and worked. She’s an LA girl through and through, and she loves it.
3. She Goes By a Nickname
Though her name is Grace Van Dien, she doesn’t go by Grace. In fact, she’s regularly called Gracie, which we love. It’s actually not really a nickname since we think that might be a shorter version of a real name (Sam rather than Samantha, for instance), and Gracie is actually a letter longer. Either way, though, she goes by Gracie.
Her mother is Carrie Mitchum, the famed actress. Her mother starred in movies such as Paul Blart: Mall Cop, and she is also a daytime television star. She’s from the daytime soap, The Bold and the Beautiful, and she’s had a long and successful career in the industry.
5. She Has a Famous Father
Does her last name ring any bells for you? It should. Van Dien is a famous last name attached to her father. His name is Casper Van Dien; yes, the one from Starship Troopers. With both a famous father and a famous mother, it’s no wonder she’s taken to the acting business with such ease.
6. She’s Got Famous Stepmothers
Following the divorce of her mother and father after her own birth, her father remarried. He married an actress by the name of Catherine Oxenberg. They wed in 1999 and were married until 2015. He remarried actress Jennifer Wenger in 2018, and they are still married to this day. She remains close to her first stepmother.
7. She’s Royalty, Kind Of
While she herself might not be royalty, she might as well be. Her father married Catherine Oxenberg when she was approximately 3, and Oxenberg is the daughter of Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia. Because she was a young child at the time, she always grew up with her stepmother and their family, so they are very close. Her grandmother is, of course, a princess. Her stepmother and father have two children together, and being their sister, she will always be family to the royal family.
8. She Has a Very Famous Uncle
To be more precise, she has a very famous Great-great-great uncle whom she never met. However, her great-great-great uncle is the very famous Mark Twain. Yes, that Mark Twain. It seems this young woman has a lot of talent in her family, as well as some of the most famous people in the world to even call her own family.
9. She Did not Dream of Acting
As a child, acting was not her dream. However, she fell into it regardless. She did say growing up that there was nothing her own father did not support if she wanted to try it. While she didn’t dream of one day growing up and following in the footsteps of her mother and father, her own father had no problem supporting her as an actress if that is what she wanted in her life.
10. She is a Writer
Her life plan was much different than her reality. She dreamed of one day going to college, earning a degree, and becoming a famous writer. Putting pen to paper was the dream she grew up with, and it is one that still brings her a great deal of joy when she thinks of it.