In her first major speaking role, Imogen Faith Reid delivers a stellar performance in Hulu's "Good American Family", a powerful new limited series based on the real-life story of Natalia Grace. 

The series explores the unsettling case of a young Ukrainian girl with Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita; a rare form of dwarfism being adopted and later controversially being re-aged by her American family.

Reid’s portrayal is both haunting and immensely humanizing, capturing the emotional weight of a child left to navigate an adult world alone. Starring alongside the phenomenal Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass, she emerges as one of the most compelling and inspiring new talents of the year.

Born with Russell-Silver Syndrome, Reid has built an esteemed body of work across film, theatre, and television—appearing in projects including, "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald", "The Third Day", "Les Misérables", "The Creator", "Snow White", and "House of the Dragon"; gaining experience in everything from stunt work to immersive performance.

With "Good American Family", she not only breaks new ground in her career but also advances the conversation around the significance of authentic representation, offering the audience a poignant yet necessary reminder of the power of inclusive storytelling.
Imogen Faith Reid recently sat down with us to discuss her creative process behind portraying Natalia Grace, what it was like embodying a character with such a fractured past, her advocacy for diverse narratives and representation in Hollywood as a little person herself, future plans, and all things GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY. 

Hi there Imogen! Thank you for joining us on ReVamp! How are you doing and how has 2025 been for you so far? 

Thank you so much for having me! And my 2025 has been amazing so far. I can’t complain at all! 

Let's talk about your impeccable portrayal of 'Natalia Grace' in the currently trending Hulu series "Good American Family". First of all, huge congratulations on your phenomenal involvement! The role you embody is both emotionally intense and deeply complex. I'm very curious to know what it was that initially attracted you to this project and character?

Thank you so much. For me, as a little person, telling another little person’s story—especially Natalia’s—meant a lot. She truly deserves for her story to be heard. I also found it fascinating, and since I had never heard it before, I felt really compelled to tell it. 

Portraying a real person, especially someone as publicly scrutinized as Natalia must surely come up with unique responsibilities and challenges. How did you personally approach embodying her story with as much authenticity and sensitivity as possible?

This was definitely something I thought about and considered carefully. The topic itself is very sensitive, so I always wanted to approach it with respect and awareness. In portraying Natalia, I ultimately chose to create my own version of her as an actor. I worked closely with an amazing acting coach, kindly provided by Disney, who helped me break down the script and understand the character's intentions in each scene. To keep my portrayal authentic to me, I also worked with a movement coach to develop Natalia’s physicality. Because of the differences in types of dwarfism, I wanted to be as respectful as possible by working with my own body to create the movement, rather than trying to imitate hers."

Can you walk us through your overall creative process for this role as well as what kind of route you took in terms of researching Natalia's story? 

When it came to research, I had to do a lot of it on my own because Natalia’s story was new to me. , Once I started digging in, I was completely hooked. I couldn’t believe that this was a true story! As for the process of developing and understanding Natalia, it ties back to what I mentioned earlier. I had an incredible acting coach and movement coach who helped me shape my version of her. On top of that, I worked with a dialect coach to master the American accent—which was such a fun challenge since it was totally new for me. With all those amazing dynamics, plus constant conversations with the directors and executive producers on set, I was able to discover and create my very own version of Natalia. 

The series delves into those intricate and difficult themes of abandonment, identity, and disability. How did you navigate the emotional weight of those narratives, especially in the sequences that reflected Natalia being an actual child living with such isolation, and under such fractured experiences?

The series definitely tackles some challenging topics, and I have to commend the cast and crew for supporting me throughout the process—it truly meant a lot. When we got into Natalia’s point of view, the main thing running through my mind was doing her justice. It was so important to me to highlight the pain and abandonment she experienced, and to make sure that came through in an honest and respectful way.

Do you have any memorable sequences from the project that you absolutely can't wait to get the audience's reactions to? 

I think the moment that stood out to me the most was the scene I did with Mark in Episode 5. It was such an emotional and challenging scene for both Mark and me—not only because we see a major dynamic shift between Michael and Natalia, but also because Mark and I had grown so close during filming. It was genuinely heartbreaking for us to shoot. That said, Mark was an incredible scene partner; he held space for my emotions as Natalia and really looked after them. He’s such a phenomenal actor.

What a lot of people don't know is that this project excitingly also marks your first major speaking role on television! Huge congratulations on this massive milestone! What was it like stepping into that space and under that huge spotlight, particularly alongside a stellar ensemble including the talented Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass?

Thank you so much! I definitely felt honored to be a part of this incredible show. When I got the role and realized I’d be working with Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass, I remember thinking, Is this even real? I just couldn’t believe it. I also felt a bit overwhelmed because not only was it my first role, but I was working alongside such amazing actors. I really wanted to do a good job and give it my all. Working with them was truly incredible—they both gave me so much advice, and I felt like a sponge on set, just wanting to absorb as much as I could from them.

As an adult actress portraying a young child, your performance not only challenges traditional casting norms but also inspires so many people from around the world. How significant is it for you to redefine perceptions of not just disability but also representation on screen?

I think with my character, a common theme is judgment—she’s judged by so many people throughout the show who assume she’s someone she’s not. In everyday life, I think we all do this to some extent; it’s natural to make quick judgments when you first meet someone. But I believe this show challenges us to keep an open mind, take a step back, and not judge someone so quickly just because they might look or sound different from us. I felt truly honored to be part of a story that encourages that kind of reflection.

Even though this is your first speaking role, your early career spans an impressive body of work—from body doubling in "Les Misérables" to stunt work in "The Creator", and your stage performance in the production of "Snow White". In terms of that, what lessons from the theatre have remained with you as you transitioned into this extremely high-profile screen role?

My very first roles as a body double in theatre mean a lot to me—they really shaped the actor I am today. It was my first experience in the industry, and I feel so lucky to have had those opportunities.

This is such an interesting question because theatre and screen work are so different. But one thing I think I’ve carried over from theatre is presence. Theatre taught me how to hold my own, even in a big cast, and to always give 100% of myself, no matter the role. That’s something I bring with me to every job. Also, theatre is hard work—sometimes you’re doing two or three shows a day—so I think the stamina I built there has helped me manage the long days on set, which can often be 12 to 14 hours. A lot of my friends are still in theatre, and I truly applaud them because it’s not easy—it takes a lot of heart and dedication.

Working on both stage and screen, were there any elements from your theatrical background that helped you shape your portrayal of Natalia Grace? Like have those experiences in any way influenced your performance in this series?

Absolutely! My theatre background helped me so much with the physical part of this show! Theatre is such a physical art form, and since I grew up training in it, I really learned how to use my body as a storytelling tool. You become so aware of how to move, how to hold energy, and how to express emotion without even saying a word. Luckily, my movement coach also had a strong theatre background, so she brought in all these incredible techniques that felt so familiar and powerful to me. It was amazing to tap into that shared language while developing Natalia—it felt like coming home, in a way.

I believe the landscape of entertainment has long grappled with authentic representation. As a South-Asian myself, I've been always trying to open up conversations around diversity and shining light on the stories of under-represented communities on-screen; and "Good American Family" does exactly that! Pertaining to that, I'm so curious to know your thoughts on how according to you can we ensure inclusivity for diverse and disabled actors in Hollywood so that many such distinct stories have a chance to be showcased to millions of people?  

I agree and totally hear you on that! Being a part of this story meant a lot to me—not only because we're telling an important story, but also because we’re highlighting the journey of someone who is unique and, like me, a little person. I think seeing diversity and inclusivity on screen is so important, and it's something we should continue to push forward. I want to keep seeing people like me in main cast roles, and in characters where their height isn’t the focus—it’s just one aspect of who they are, not something that defines them. I think that kind of representation really matters.

You’ve actively spoken about the strong sense of community you’ve found among actors with dwarfism. How has that solidarity influenced your journey and advocacy in this industry?

 I love being a part of my community and it truly means everything to me. When you are unique, I think it is important to lean on your community for support, and I can’t even begin to tell you how much getting praise from my own community means to me. I think that, for the longest time, I used to see my dwarfism as a problem in the industry and I thought that I’d never be successful until people started telling me that being unique was a good thing. It wasn't until I stepped into the industry that I was able to see that for myself. I really have been so lucky with the opportunities I have had, from my body doubling jobs to Good American Family, and it’s important to know that, if you are unique, you should learn to embrace it and not shun it away.

With "Good American Family" poised to make a significant cultural impact and invite audiences to re-examine assumptions about age, disability, and societal stigmas, what do you hope viewers will take away from this series—and your performance in particular? 

The biggest takeaway that I’d like viewers to have is to not to judge others so quickly and to always have an open mind through everything. We all take different paths in life; none of us are the same and that’s a good thing. Our differences make us who we are, and that's amazing. I think our show does an incredible job of playing around with perspectives and, maybe after watching this show, viewers will gain a new perspective on people. 

Ending Note:- Thank you so much for joining us on this insightful interview, Imogen! Wishing you lots of luck on the success of GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY and all your upcoming projects! 

Lastly, I'd love to know what's next for you, Imogen? Any forthcoming projects in the pipeline that you'd like to tell us about? As well as any message you wish to convey to your fans and supporters currently reading this interview? 

Thank you so much, it was a pleasure ReVamp! I do have something in the pipeline but of course within this industry everything is hush hush so I can't share it yet but I'm so excited for it! If you haven't already watched Good American Family, all episodes are now streaming on Disney Plus. And for those who have watched it and have reached out to me, thank you so much for your support! I may not respond to each message, but I read them all and I'm so so grateful.