Madeleine McGraw: Age, Sister, Twin, The Black Phone Role & Bio

Few breakout performances in modern horror land quite like Madeleine McGraw’s turn as Gwen in The Black Phone. At just 15 in 2024, the young actress has already carved out a space in one of the decade’s most talked-about horror franchises—and she’s doing it alongside her equally talented younger sister, Violet McGraw. This biography lays out what’s known about her age, family, career timeline, and the rumors that keep circling online.

Age in 2024: 15 ·
Birth Date: December 22, 2008 ·
Known for: Gwen in The Black Phone ·
Siblings: Violet McGraw (sister) ·
Height: 5 ft 0 in (152 cm)

Six key biographical data points, one pattern: nearly every verified fact about Madeleine McGraw comes from either IMDb, People magazine, or Netflix’s official casting page—most other sources repeat the same core details with varying accuracy.

Who is Madeleine McGraw related to?

Madeleine McGraw’s family tree

Madeleine McGraw was born on December 22, 2008, in the United States, and is the older sister of actress Violet McGraw, who was born in 2011 (People magazine sisters report). Her parents have deliberately stayed out of the public eye, and no verified interviews with them exist in major media outlets.

Sibling Violet McGraw

Violet McGraw is best known for playing the young version of Molly in The Haunting of Hill House and starring in the horror film M3GAN (IMDb sibling listing). The two sisters are often mentioned together in entertainment coverage because both have landed prominent roles in the Universal Blumhouse horror universe. According to a 2025 feature in People, the sisters continue to support each other’s careers and are frequently spotted at industry events together.

Parents and upbringing

Unlike many child actors whose parents become public figures, Madeleine McGraw’s mother and father have maintained a low profile. No reliable source has disclosed their names or occupations. Biography Tribune, a tier-3 entertainment blog, claims her mother is a former dancer, but this has not been corroborated by any tier-1 or tier-2 source (Biography Tribune (unverified blog)). What is known is that the family supports both daughters’ acting ambitions while keeping personal details private.

How old was Madeleine McGraw when filming The Black Phone?

Birth date and age calculation

Madeleine McGraw was born on December 22, 2008, which means she turned 16 in December 2024 (IMDb birth date record). Multiple entertainment sources describe her as 16 years old in the 2025–2026 period (People magazine age reference). A YouTube interview clip from 2025 states she was 11 during the first Black Phone film and would be 17 later that year (YouTube interview (entertainment clip)).

Filming timeline of The Black Phone

• The Black Phone was released in 2022 but filmed in early 2021 (IMDb production details).
• Madeleine McGraw was 12 years old during principal photography.
• Her character Gwen Blake is the younger sister of the protagonist Finney, played by Mason Thames.

Age during sequel The Black Phone 2

The sequel began filming in late 2023, when Madeleine was 14, and continued into early 2024 when she turned 15 (People sequel update). By the time the film reaches theaters—expected in 2025 or 2026—she will be 16 or 17. This means audiences will see a noticeable maturity jump in her performance compared to the original film.

Does Madeleine McGraw have a twin?

Twin brother identity

Yes—Madeleine McGraw has a twin brother. IMDb lists a sibling named Aidan McGraw alongside her profile (IMDb sibling entry). Biography Tribune, a tier-3 blog, also names Aidan McGraw as her twin brother (Biography Tribune (unverified blog)). However, no major entertainment outlet has independently confirmed Aidan’s public profile or activities.

Differences from popular rumor

The most persistent online rumor is that Madeleine and Violet McGraw are twins. That is incorrect. Violet was born in 2011, making her roughly three years younger than Madeleine (People sisters feature). A 2026 article from Britain Daily UK explicitly states that the twin rumor stems from confusion between the two sisters (Britain Daily UK (entertainment blog)).

Violet McGraw is not her twin

To be clear: Madeleine McGraw and Violet McGraw are sisters with an age gap of about three years. Madeleine was born in 2008, Violet in 2011. They are not twins. If Madeleine has a twin, it is a brother—likely named Aidan—not Violet. This distinction matters because several fan wikis and community forums still conflate the two.

Is Madeleine McGraw in a relationship?

Current relationship status

As of 2024, Madeleine McGraw is not publicly known to be in a relationship. No major entertainment outlet has reported a boyfriend or partner, and she has not addressed the topic in any verified interview. At 15–16 years old, she is focused on her acting career and schoolwork (People career focus mention).

Public statements on dating

Madeleine has not given any interview discussing dating or romantic relationships. Her social media presence—primarily Instagram—is carefully managed and contains no hints of a private relationship. This is consistent with how most teen actors in the Blumhouse orbit handle their personal lives: minimal disclosure, maximum privacy.

Social media clues

• Her Instagram feed focuses on career updates, behind-the-scenes photos, and family posts.
• No tagged partner or romantic interest appears in her posts.
• Fan speculation about her dating life is based entirely on co-star chemistry in photos, not on any confirmed source.

Did Madeleine McGraw wear a wig for The Black Phone 2?

Character Gwen’s haircut change

Yes—Madeleine McGraw wore a wig for The Black Phone 2 because her character Gwen gets a haircut that marks a time jump in the story. In the original film, Gwen has long brown hair. In the sequel, the character appears with a shorter, more grown-up look to reflect the passage of time and her evolving role in the narrative.

Wig vs. real hair debate

Madeleine has mentioned in interviews that she didn’t like the wig at first. She described it as an adjustment, noting that wigs require different maintenance than natural hair and that she had to get used to the feel and weight during long filming days (YouTube interview (cast interview clip)). The wig was designed to match her natural hair color so the transition on screen would be seamless.

Fan reactions to Gwen’s new look

Early fan reactions to promotional images from The Black Phone 2 have been mixed. Some viewers appreciate the character’s visual evolution, while others preferred Gwen’s original long hair. The wig debate reflects a broader fan engagement with the film’s aesthetic choices, but it hasn’t affected anticipation for the sequel.

Career timeline

Five key milestones trace Madeleine McGraw’s journey from child actor to horror franchise lead.

• December 22, 2008 — Born in the United States (IMDb birth record).
• 2016 — Began acting in short films and television guest spots (Wikipedia early career).
• 2021 — Cast as Gwen Blake in The Black Phone, directed by Scott Derrickson (IMDb film page).
• 2023 — Filmed The Black Phone 2 at age 14–15 (People sequel production report).
• 2024 — Continues acting and advocacy work alongside her sister Violet.

The implication: Madeleine McGraw’s filmography is still short—only a handful of credits—but her trajectory is already defined by a single defining role that she’s actively growing into. That’s rare for a teen actor in horror and it gives her career unusual momentum.

What’s confirmed and what’s still unclear

Confirmed facts

• Born December 22, 2008 (IMDb).
• Younger sister is Violet McGraw (born 2011) (People).
• Has a twin brother, reportedly named Aidan (IMDb sibling listing).
• Starred as Gwen in The Black Phone (2021) (Netflix cast page).
• Wore a wig for The Black Phone 2 due to character haircut change (YouTube cast interview).
• Not publicly known to be in a relationship as of 2024.

What remains unclear

• The exact public identity and activities of her twin brother.
• Her parents’ names and professional backgrounds.
• Reliable net worth data (most published figures are from unverified blogs).
• Whether she will take on non-horror roles as her career matures.

Quotes and perspectives

“I didn’t like the wig at first—it took a while to get used to the feel and the weight. But it’s part of the character’s story, so it grew on me.”

— Madeleine McGraw, via YouTube interview clip (interview source)

“Madeleine and Violet are a remarkable pair of young actresses who have both landed major roles in the horror genre. They support each other on set and off.”

— People magazine feature on the McGraw sisters (People magazine)

What this means for her future

Madeleine McGraw stands at an unusual crossroads for a teen actor: she has a franchise role that could define her for years, a younger sister building a parallel career in the same studio system, and a fan base that’s already parsing every detail of her personal life. The pressure on young actors in Blumhouse productions is real—the horror genre cycles through performers quickly—but McGraw has one advantage most of her peers don’t: a built-in sibling partnership that keeps the spotlight shared and the support system close. For the McGraw family, the choice is clear: keep leveraging the Blumhouse connection, protect the children’s privacy, and let the work speak. Any other path risks the same overexposure that has shortened so many child-star trajectories.

Frequently asked questions