Mckenna Grace marked her 20th birthday with an aquarium visit, a family outing and several photos with Mason Thames.
The actress, who turned 20 on June 25, shared photos and videos from her birthday weekend on Instagram with the caption “birthday weekend :).” Just Jared reported that many of the photos featured Thames, along with Grace’s parents and some of her current co-stars.
Instead of a red carpet or a polished studio shoot, the birthday carousel centered on aquarium tanks, family snapshots, a seal encounter and a photo booth.
The Birthday Weekend Included an Aquarium Visit
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Several photos showed Grace and Thames visiting an aquarium, continuing a theme that fans of the pair have seen before. Grace previously told People that every city she visits with Thames has to include either an aquarium or a zoo, and Thames once said they had walked around an aquarium while sharing an “aquarium playlist” through their AirPods.
The new birthday photos also included Grace’s parents, making the weekend feel more like a family celebration than a celebrity appearance. Just Jared noted that one image showed Grace getting attention from a seal, while other shots showed her and Thames at the aquarium and in a photo booth.
Mason Thames Joined the Celebration
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Thames appeared throughout the birthday post and commented more than once. Just Jared reported that he wrote, “I can’t fathom she’s 20,” and also called it a “Beautiful BEAUTIFUL DAY.”
The post drew extra attention because Grace and Thames have been closely followed since working together on Regretting You. People reported that the two played love interests in the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel and fueled romance attention through TikTok videos, public appearances, interviews and hand-holding photos.
People also reported that Grace called Thames her “favorite person,” while Thames said they “clicked immediately” after meeting before filming. The birthday carousel kept that same easy tone, with Thames folded into the family-and-friends weekend rather than shown in a staged couple announcement.
Her Co-Stars Also Marked the Day
Grace’s birthday weekend was not limited to the aquarium. Just Jared reported that she also shared photos with her Scooby-Doo: Origins co-stars, including a workout photo with Abby Ryder Fortson and Tanner Hagen.
Netflix’s live-action Scooby-Doo: Origins series stars Grace as Daphne Blake, Hagen as Shaggy, Fortson as Velma and Maxwell Jenkins as Fred. Netflix said the show follows the teenage Mystery Inc. crew as they become caught in a supernatural mystery tied to a lost Great Dane puppy.
Grace Is Entering a Packed New Career Chapter
Grace’s birthday comes during an especially busy stretch in her career. Teen Vogue reported that she has continued moving between film, television and music, with projects including Regretting You, Scream 7, New Year’s Rev and The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
She told Teen Vogue that she wants to keep working and putting out projects she can be proud of. She also spoke about wanting to make movies with people she loves, including Thames, after the two worked on Regretting You and New Year’s Rev close together.