Kriti Mehrotra
With Hulu’s ‘Good American Family’ being a limited drama that chronicles the tale of Natalia Grace, we get an insight into all the challenges she has faced as a Ukrainian-born American adoptee. After all, not only does she have a rare form of dwarfism called Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Congenita, but she was also abandoned by those who willingly took her in two separate times. Her first adopted family gave her up in 2010, two years after which her second, the Barnetts, deemed her an adult and moved her into an apartment by herself when she was really just 8 years old. This baffling case from all different perspectives is the core of this aforementioned original production, with Imogen Faith Reid being center stage owing to her brilliant portrayal of Natalia.
Imogen Faith Reid is Indeed a Person of Short Stature
Although Imogen Faith Reid plays a Ukrainian-born American in the series, she is actually a native of Greenwich, an area in London, England, that has been a hub for entertainment since Shakespeare’s time. Thus, it comes as no surprise that she has always had an interest in the industry, and with her family’s support, has dedicated most of her time to the crafts of acting, dancing, and singing. From what we can tell, Imogen was born on May 1, 1997, into a family of average height, but the affection, care, and unwavering backing they always gave her helped her never feel any different.
Therefore, Imogen has had the confidence to walk into every room with her head held high, which even resulted in her graduating from North Kent College before landing a spot at Miskin Theatre. Standing at 4’3″ (130cm), the now nearly 28-year-old woman worked with the reputable theatre company for years to hone her craft and was ultimately signed by Oh So Small Productions talent agency.
Imogen Faith Reid is No Stranger to the Entertainment Industry
While ‘Good American Family’ marks Imogen’s first major television role as a lead, she had already gained significant experience prior to her audition to play Natalia Grace. She appears as a featured dancer in Warner Bros.’ ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ (2018), a body double for young Cosette in BBC’s ‘Les Misérables’ (2019), and a scale double in Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power’ (2022). Furthermore, she also has projects like Netflix’s ‘The Witcher’ season 3 (2023), ‘The One and Only Ivan’ (2020), ‘The Third Day’ (2020), and ‘The Famous Five’ (2024) to her credit.
Hence, it goes without saying that all the live theater performances and other credits already under Imogen’s belt helped her immensely during the audition process, even though it had initially been just a self-tape submission. According to showrunner Sarah Sutherland, they knew they wouldn’t have a show if they didn’t have the right person to play Natalia, so they utilized all their resources for an international search. That’s how they came across newcomer Imogen. “Imogen blew everybody away,” Sarah told Variety. “As soon as everybody saw her tape, it was clear she was the one.”
Sarah expressed, “I mean, she not only has to play over a wide range of years, but she also plays Natalia from two different ages and different people’s perspectives.” So, from there, Disney/Hulu set Imogen up with an acting coach to help her tap into the intensity of Natalia, following which production began in full force and launched her with the proper backing. We should also mention that Imogen has since credited Ellen Pompeo (Kristine Barnett) for helping her do her best and feel at ease by essentially becoming her mentor and guiding her through the ways of the industry.
Read More: Antwon and Cynthia Mans: Where are Natalia Grace’s Guardians Now?
