Scarlet Grace on Holmes & Watson and Staying True to Yourself

We’re more than a little impressed by Scarlet Grace. She recently made her big screen debut in the hilarious Sherlock Holmes inspired comedy film, Holmes & Watson, where she plays a street urchin named. She didn’t just land the role – she nailed her auditions so much that they wrote in the role of Pickle just for her! Pretty amazing, right? Her character is feisty and fierce, and the gang of orphaned urchins really bring the laughs.

Scarlet has also performed in West End stage productions of Les Misérables and Annie and is studying at The Arts Educational school in London. Scarlet is passionate about screenwriting and has even written a short film she’s hoping to submit to a film festival!

What is Scarlet like when she’s not on stage? She loves playing with her dogs, swimming in the ocean, shopping, and hanging out with her friends. We have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more her on stage and on screen in years to come! Get to know Scarlet Grace as she shares her experience working on Holmes & Watson, her favorite musicals, and the actress who inspires her most!

Get to Know Scarlet Grace:

You star as Pickle in Holmes & Watson, which just hit theaters on Christmas Day! Tell us a little about your experience working on the film.

SCARLET GRACE: Filming Holmes & Watson was a whole new experience for me as it was my first feature film! I had the most magical time on set and have made memories for life! I filmed for around three months between November and January around the London area. Each week we’d be at a different location, such as the Tower of London, Hampton Court, and the Greenwich docks.

What did you like most about playing Pickle?

SCARLET: I loved playing the role of Pickle in Holmes & Watson for SO many reasons! When I first auditioned for the film, I was up for the role of Flotsam but after being called back a few times and meeting with Etan Cohen, he seemed to like me and wrote my character Pickle into the script. This gave me the opportunity to experiment with my character and play her in my own way.

Before filming, we often had to learn different skills before the next day’s shoot. We were professionally trained in combat fighting (which is a great skill to have) and pickpocketing. Our lessons were really interesting. I love learning new skills!

Being on set with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, there was bound to be some laughs. Do you have any funny memories from filming?

SCARLET: Yes! Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly were hilarious on set! There were many laughs between us all every day! One of the funniest memories we had was when we were filming the ‘Sherlock Cones Ice Cream’ scene!

The urchins, who are usually dressed in all sorts of bizarre clothes, had to wear fancy dresses and straw boaters, as we were Sherlock’s children in his fantasy dream. It was eight in the morning, we were all on set, and we were given as much ice cream as we could eat!!! Many takes later, filled with lots of ice cream and going crazy we were all laughing and having lots of fun!

In addition to the film, you’ve also performed in productions Les Misérables and Annie the Musical. What do you love most about performing on stage?

SCARLET: I’ve been performing in theatre productions since I was around five years old. When I was ten, I was fortunate enough to land the role of Eponine in Les Misérables in the West End production in London. About a year later, I played Tessie in the Annie UK Tour and West End Production. The reason why I love to perform in theatre is because of the thrilling rush I get when performing in front of a live audience.

Do you have any favorite musicals?

SCARLET: I’ve seen numerous shows in London. And I was lucky enough to watch School of Rock when I was out in New York with my family. My favourite musical is probably the Wizard of Oz or Legally Blonde! I love the songs in the Wizard of Oz. I’d love to play Dorothy one day! Legally Blonde is such a great show too! With an aspiring, strong female lead! The music in that show is super catchy and fun too. Plus dogs star in both of those shows and I love dogs! I have two of my own.

You recently turned 16! What would make 16 your best year yet?

SCARLET: My birthday was on November 13th! I had such a lovely birthday, celebrating with my friends and family. Landing a lead role in a series or movie would make my 16th the best year yet! I’m super excited for what the New Year brings and waiting back on a couple of roles.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

SCARLET: One of my biggest inspirations in Emily Blunt! She is such a talented actress who is capable of so many different genres. I loved watching her in A Quiet Place and especially the new film, Mary Poppins Returns! I didn’t realize Emily Blunt could sing until I watched Mary Poppins, and I have to say, she was absolutely incredible!

Since we just celebrated the new year, we’re curious –  do you have a 2019 resolution or goal?

SCARLET: My main goal for the New Year is to land another role! I can’t wait for PILOT SEASON!

My second goal is to focus on my school studies. This is a really big year for me as I have to take my GCSE’s at the end of the year. So lots of studying this year! My New Years resolution is to cut down on chocolate and drink more water. Haha!

What is something you’re surprisingly good at?

SCARLET: I’m surprisingly good at script writing! For my Film Studies GCSE at school, I’ve written, produced, and directed my own short film called Guilt. I filmed it a couple of months ago and it went really well. Now onto editing! It’ll hopefully be out in a couple of months. I’m really excited for everyone to see it, as it was a new and challenging experience for me! I would like to submit it to film festivals.

How do you embrace your girl power?

SCARLET: I embrace my girl power by just being myself! I don’t think there’s any point in trying to act like someone you’re not. The most important thing you can be in this world is yourself! Another way I embrace my girl power is by standing up for what I believe in. If one person speaks up for what they believe in, and can encourage other people to, then we can make a CHANGE!

Now that you know Scarlet, get to know another passionate theater actress Rileigh McDonald!