J.J. Abrams Says He’s ‘Thrilled’ as Daughter Gracie Abrams Prepares for Her Acting Debut

J.J. Abrams is proudly supporting his daughter Gracie Abrams as the Grammy-nominated singer prepares to step into an entirely new creative arena: acting.

The filmmaker and producer, 60, spoke about Gracie’s upcoming screen debut while attending the Los Angeles world premiere of The End of Oak Street, a sci-fi survival film he produced.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Abrams said he has watched how seriously his daughter has approached the transition from music into film and that, as a father, his priority is simply seeing her fulfilled by the work she chooses.

“I know how hard she’s working to do all she’s doing so I’m thrilled for her,” the Star Wars filmmaker said.

He added that his reaction is ultimately less about the industry and more about being a parent.

“As a parent, all you can do is hope that the work that your kids do fulfills them, so as long as that’s what’s happening, and I know how hard she’s working, I’m thrilled for her.”

For Gracie, 26, the project marks her first major on-screen acting role after years of building her identity primarily as a singer-songwriter.

Gracie Abrams Will Lead A24’s Please

Gracie is set to star in the upcoming A24 film Please, directed by Halina Reijn.

Variety reported in January 2026 that the musician had landed the lead role in the project, marking her formal entry into acting.

Reijn will both write and direct the film.

The filmmaker has become closely associated with provocative, character-driven projects in recent years.

She directed 2022’s Bodies Bodies Bodies, the darkly comic horror-thriller featuring a group of wealthy young friends whose party descends into suspicion and chaos.

Reijn later directed 2024’s Babygirl, further establishing herself as a filmmaker interested in complex relationships, desire and psychological tension.

Despite Gracie being confirmed as the lead of Please, details about the movie’s plot are still being kept under wraps.

That secrecy means little is currently known about the character she will play or the specific direction of the story.

Still, the combination of Gracie, Reijn and A24 has already made the project a significant step in the singer’s career.

A New Direction After Years of Music

Gracie’s move into acting comes after a steady rise in the music industry.

She began gaining wider attention in 2019, eventually releasing the EPs Minor and This Is What It Feels Like.

Her songwriting style — often intimate, emotionally direct and introspective — helped build a devoted audience.

Over the following years, her profile continued to grow as she released more music and established herself as one of the prominent young singer-songwriters of her generation.

Most recently, she released her third studio album, Daughter from Hell, in July.

Her growing music career has also earned recognition from the Recording Academy.

Gracie received her first Grammy nomination in 2024, when she was nominated for Best New Artist.

The following year, she earned another nomination alongside Taylor Swift.

The two were nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their collaboration, “us.”

Those milestones demonstrated that Gracie had already carved out an independent path in music before choosing to explore acting.

J.J. Abrams Focuses on the Work Behind the Opportunity

Given J.J. Abrams’ own long career in Hollywood, Gracie’s move into film naturally creates an interesting family connection.

Abrams has spent decades working as a director, writer and producer on some of the entertainment industry’s largest franchises and original projects.

His credits include major entries in the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises, along with numerous television and film productions.

But when discussing Gracie’s new role, he did not focus on industry expectations or what advice he might offer her.

Instead, he emphasized her effort.

His statement that he knows “how hard she’s working” suggests that he sees the acting opportunity not simply as another extension of her public profile, but as a craft she is actively preparing to take seriously.

He also framed his support around a broader parental hope: that whatever career his children choose should be meaningful to them personally.

It is a notably simple perspective from someone whose own professional life has been closely tied to large-scale Hollywood productions.

J.J. Abrams Has Several Projects of His Own Underway

While Gracie prepares for her acting debut, her father also has multiple projects moving forward.

One of the most prominent is The Great Beyond, an upcoming fantasy sci-fi film starring Jenna Ortega and Glen Powell.

The movie is currently scheduled for release in October 2027.

According to its premise, the story follows an author who discovers that the fictional world he created on the page has somehow become real.

The concept places Abrams back in familiar territory, combining imaginative science fiction with a reality-bending premise.

He is also preparing for the release of The End of Oak Street, the film whose Los Angeles premiere provided the setting for his latest comments about Gracie.

The End of Oak Street Arrives Aug. 14

Abrams serves as a producer on The End of Oak Street, which is scheduled for release on Aug. 14.

The film stars Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor as members of a family whose seemingly peaceful suburban existence is suddenly disrupted by extraordinary events.

The story centers on the couple and their two children as their quiet life is overturned in what has been described as a chaotic, cosmic crisis.

The project blends science fiction with survival drama, continuing Abrams’ longtime association with stories built around ordinary people confronting extraordinary circumstances.

While promoting that film, however, Abrams’ attention briefly shifted away from his own projects and toward his daughter’s next chapter.

From Singer-Songwriter to Actor

Gracie’s casting in Please represents an intriguing transition because she has already established such a distinct artistic identity through music.

Moving into acting means audiences will encounter her in a different medium, where she will be interpreting a character rather than expressing herself directly through songs.

That shift can be challenging for musicians, even those who are already comfortable performing publicly.

But Gracie will begin her acting career with a lead role rather than a small supporting appearance, immediately placing significant expectations on the project.

Working with Halina Reijn and A24 also suggests that her debut is being positioned as a substantial dramatic undertaking rather than simply a celebrity cameo.

With plot details still secret, much of the curiosity surrounding the film will center on what kind of role Reijn has created for her.

A Father Watching His Daughter Take a Risk

For J.J. Abrams, however, the specific expectations surrounding Please appear secondary.

His comments suggest that he is more interested in whether Gracie finds satisfaction in pursuing something new.

After building momentum in music, earning Grammy nominations and releasing multiple projects, she is now stepping into an industry her father knows extremely well.

That connection will inevitably attract attention.

But Abrams’ response keeps the focus on Gracie’s own effort.

“I know how hard she’s working,” he said.

And for him, that appears to be enough.

As Gracie Abrams prepares to make her acting debut in A24’s Please, her father is watching not as one of Hollywood’s most recognizable filmmakers, but simply as a parent hoping the next stage of his daughter’s career brings her the same sense of purpose she has already found in music.