At just 13 years old, Florida actress Ella Grace Helton is already getting the opportunity many young performers dream about—sharing the screen with some of Hollywood’s biggest names. 

Ella Grace stars as Clara, the young daughter of Matthew McConaughey’s character, in Apple TV’s new comedy series Brothers, which also reunites McConaughey with longtime friend and co-star Woody Harrelson. The eight-episode series premiered September 23 with its first two episodes.

For Ella Grace, stepping into the world of Brothers meant joining an impressive ensemble cast and becoming part of a series built around friendship, family and plenty of comedy. With McConaughey and Harrelson playing fictionalized versions of themselves, the show brings a unique mix of real-life history and fictional storytelling to the screen. Ella Grace’s character, Clara, is one of the younger members of McConaughey’s on-screen family.

We recently had the opportunity to talk with Ella Grace about landing the role, what it was like working alongside Matthew McConaughey and the rest of the cast, and what she has learned so far as a young actress. We also talked about her experience on the set of Brothers, her life away from acting, and what she hopes is ahead for her as she continues to pursue her career.

A Little Girl Who Didn’t Want to Leave the Stage

When Ella thinks back to those early days of performing, she remembers something that seems to have followed her throughout her career: she simply couldn’t wait to get onstage.

“I remember not having one inch of worry inside my body and knowing that I was so excited, and I never wanted to stop performing. I wanted to live on the stage. I remember being in the wing, way too excited for my own little body, ready to go on stage.”

There is an even earlier story that illustrates just how naturally performing came to her.

Ella doesn’t remember it happening because she had just turned 3, but her mom captured the moment on video. Her dance class was performing “Let It Go” from Frozen. It was supposed to be a dance performance, but Ella had another idea. Having grown up watching the movie and singing the song at home, she also belted it out for the audience.

The performance ended, but Ella apparently wasn’t quite ready for it to end.

“Well, it was my first time getting applause from an audience, and you see me in the video bowing and waving, not leaving the stage. My teacher had to escort me off the stage.”

“So I have just loved performing from before I can remember.”

That love of performing eventually expanded beyond acting. During her first television show, United We Fall, her director let her yell “Action!” and “Cut!” for scenes she wasn’t even in.

That small opportunity opened a completely different door.

“It made me fall in love with directing and the whole process. And now I make short films of my own.”

Meeting Adam Sandler at Six

Ella’s feature-film career got an early start when she appeared opposite Adam Sandler in Hubie Halloween at age 6.

One of her favorite memories is also one she can laugh about now.

“I remember not knowing who Adam Sandler was and asking my mom which one was him. It’s funny to look back on that now!”

During their scenes together, Sandler gave her a number of alternate lines, and the two went back and forth.

“Even though all of that didn’t make it into the film, it was a memorable experience to work with one of the world’s funniest actors.”

Ella also remembers watching Sandler from behind the scenes.

“During filming of my closeups, I saw his face behind all the chairs and the monitors smiling and it made me really happy.”

And then there was some downtime that had nothing to do with acting.

“I also remember playing Barbies with his wife, Jackie, who played my mom in the film, during breaks.”

Learning to Play Someone Completely Different

One of Ella’s more challenging acting experiences came with Chosen Family, where she played Lily—a character very different from the cheerful personalities she had portrayed previously.

In fact, Ella admits she had a hard time being mean to Heather Graham, who was the film’s star, writer and director.

“I hated being mean to Heather Graham, who was the star and writer and director. I would tell her, ‘Sorry!’ after a take just to make sure she knew I didn’t actually mean to be mean.”

Still, playing Lily gave Ella an opportunity to stretch herself as an actress.

“Though I did feel bad, I had a fun time getting to act in a way that I hadn’t before. It made me really have to dive deeper into my emotions, which I hadn’t done much before because most of my characters had been like me, all happy and chipper.”

Lily was quite the opposite.

“But Lily was sassy, ruthless and downright brutal, which was completely new to me and in a fun way to explore.”

The movie also allowed Ella to combine two of her passions. Because Heather knew Ella was a ballroom dancer, she wrote a dance scene into the film.

“Heather wrote a dance scene into ‘Chosen Family’ because she saw I am a ballroom dancer, so I was glad that I was able to add that into the film. My dad in the film, John Brotherton, and I practiced a lot in the hotel ballroom and had a blast.”

Discovering the Filmmaker Within

By age 9, Ella wasn’t satisfied with simply being in front of the camera. She wanted to understand what happened behind it.

“I’d always been in front of the camera and was curious about what the behind-the-camera experience was like. When my mom found a local summer filmmaking workshop, I wanted to test my limits.”

She made her first short film, Wild Thing, at 9—and immediately wanted to make another.

“I loved making my first film, ‘Wild Thing’ when I was 9 and wanted to keep going. I’ve made one short each summer, and my latest film, ‘Baby Angel’ is currently screening at some film festivals.”

She has also moved into music-video production, writing and co-directing a video for the first song she wrote, “Paradise.”

“So that’s like another short film.”

Learning There Are No Limitations

Ella’s willingness to explore filmmaking also led to another significant milestone. At age 10, she became the youngest recipient of Film Florida’s Sara Fuller Scholarship, an award that had traditionally gone to high school students.

For Ella, receiving the scholarship was about more than the financial support.

“It meant that I could tell myself that I don’t have any limitations, even if there are rules, sometimes the rules can change in your favor.”

She used the money to help fund her future projects and later gave some of it back when she became a sponsor of the banquet that raises money for the Sara Fuller Scholarship and other scholarships.

“I’m thankful that they chose me and I made sure to use the money to help my next projects, plus I gave some of the money back the next year when I became a sponsor of the banquet, which raises money for the Sara Fuller scholarship and others.”

Ella is a student member of both Film Florida and Women in Film & Television Florida.

Making Stories Come Alive

Ella has now written and directed four short films, including The Towel, for which she won a Best Director award.

The experience has changed the way she thinks about storytelling.

“I’ve learned that imagination has no limits. All of my films incorporate something in the fantasy genre because I love to make people wonder.”

She also enjoys the freedom that comes with directing.

“I like being the boss, and I think it also would be a good experience to take someone else’s script and figure out how to make it come alive.”

Welcome to Texas

All of those experiences prepared Ella for perhaps her biggest television opportunity yet: playing Clara in Apple TV+’s Brothers.

The series stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as fictionalized versions of themselves and follows the chaos that unfolds after a family secret raises the possibility that the longtime friends might actually be brothers. The series premiered globally on Apple TV on September 23.

For Ella, getting the role was an emotional moment.

“When I found out, I was weeping with joy.”

She knew after reading the script that she wanted to be part of the project.

“When I read the script, I knew that this project would be a blast, and I wound up having more than a blast.”

Then came her first trip to the ranch where the series was filmed.

“The first time I saw the ranch where we filmed, we did a table read and I enjoyed meeting the cast and everyone was so welcoming from the first moment.”

Ella quickly fell in love with the Texas setting.

“I instantly loved the ranch that became our home for the show, and I had so much fun getting to make my own custom cowboy hat.”

And after spending time in Texas for the production, she wasn’t shy about her feelings about the area.

“We fell in love with the area!”

The Secret to Making People Laugh

Comedy has been a recurring part of Ella’s career, from United We Fall to Sweet Magnolias and now Brothers.

Over the years, she’s learned that comedy isn’t necessarily about trying to be funny.

“Unless you’re doing a Disney show, you can’t do Disney style comedy because to make people laugh, you have to be subtle. Don’t try to say things in a funny way because the words themselves are what make people laugh.”

Her natural comedic ability was apparent early. Ella’s mom, Lee, recalls watching a clip of Ella on United We Fall when she was just 6 and seeing something that came naturally to her.

Someone once described Ella’s ability as “DNA funny”—the idea that she simply seemed to have a natural instinct for comedy.

Looking at the Crew Instead of the Phone

Being a young filmmaker has also changed how Ella behaves when she’s on someone else’s set.

Rather than simply waiting around between scenes, she uses the opportunity to learn.

“It makes me respect all the people on the crew more and keeps me fascinated with learning how they all do their jobs.”

She enjoys observing the different departments and seeing how everything comes together.

“Instead of sitting on my phone during a break, waiting to get called back to set, I might go see what the lighting person is doing or look at how the sound team is working. I like to watch the monitors to see how the shots are set up.”

It’s a perspective that comes from someone who isn’t interested in being limited to just one part of filmmaking.

Learning From Matthew McConaughey

Working with Matthew McConaughey also gave Ella another opportunity to learn from an experienced actor.

“He gave me feedback and pointers, which made me feel great coming from an actor as experienced as him. I knew that if I needed to do better, that he would help me to focus.”

For a young actor who is already fascinated by every part of the filmmaking process, experiences like that seem to be exactly what Ella is looking for.

What’s Next for Ella?

At 13, Ella is already acting, directing, writing, singing, dancing and making art. Yet perhaps the most telling thing about her isn’t the list of things she’s already accomplished. It’s that she still wants to try more.

“What has surprised me the most is the fact that I still yearn for more. I still want to feel that rush of something new and exciting, but also keep that new thing with me along my journey. So adding to all the other things I already love to do.”

And these days, that list includes fashion.

“I am learning to sew and design clothing and I love to upcycle thrifted items and materials. I want to keep improving my skills with that and have a fashion brand to show my unique style. That’s a little different way to share my story.”

For someone who has already gone from a little girl who didn’t want to leave the stage to Broadway, television, feature films, filmmaking and now a starring role on Brothers, it’s clear that Ella Grace Helton isn’t interested in putting limits on where her creativity can take her.

And judging by her answer, she’s not finished adding new chapters to that story anytime soon.

To learn more about Ella Grace Helton and to follow her on social media, please visit her website: ellagracehelton.com.

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Cover Photo Courtesy Ella Grace Helton

Bob Valleau is a regular entertainment writer for Texas Lifestyle Magazine.