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Kirby Johnson Defines Demonic in ‘The Possession of Hannah Grace’!

Kirby Johnson is literally crawling her way into the acting scene! Ms. Johnson’s fantastically frightening film debut as the demonic Hannah Grace in Sony Picture’s upcoming movie, The Possession of Hannah Grace, is sure to tantalize and terrorize horror-hungry audiences.

“A shocking exorcism spirals out of control, claiming the life of a young woman. Months later, Megan Reed (Shay Mitchell) is working the graveyard shift in the morgue when she takes delivery of a disfigured cadaver. Locked alone inside the basement corridors, Megan begins to experience horrifying visions and starts to suspect that the body may be possessed by a ruthless demonic force.” Source: Possession of Hannah Grace Movie

The petite, bubbly, blonde actress may seem an unlikely choice to portray such a dark character, but Kirby’s remarkable ability to transform her body was a stand-out talent not to be ignored.  Fan Fest News was fortunate to chat with Kirby about her new role, career aspirations, life passions and more.

Kirby Johnson
Image: TJ Manaou

No doubt Kirby’s fondness for fright combined with her abstract abilities made her the perfectly possessed pick for Hannah Grace. In fact, filmmakers were not even sure as to how Hannah should be portrayed until they saw an enthusiastic Kirby ‘exorcise’ her unique talents during the audition. They saw the character elevated to a whole new level of creepy as Kirby crawled around while putting her contortion skills on display. The Possession of Hannah Grace had clearly found their fearsome fiend.

As a self-professed fan of horror movies, preparing for the role came easily to Kirby…. she simply watched more! (No doubt The Exorcist was on that list.) Top-notch make-up artists then completed the job by turning Kirby’s sweet face into one suited for nightmares. Nothing seems to scare this adventuresome actress though and she admitted to loving every moment of her spine-chilling transformation. Kirby explained that having now ‘played the monster’ allows her to enjoy the genre from a whole new perspective. When I asked if she had seen the recently released Halloween movie, she squealed with joy… “Yes! They even showed my trailer!”

The Possession of Hannah Grace
Image: Sony Pictures

While Kirby is established in the world of dance, she assured me that acting has always been her career passion. As with many actors though, typecasting is definitely a concern. Kirby may have a love of horror but she is ready and willing to tackle rolls in any genre. A movie like Black Swan exemplifies what Kirby considers to be an ideal way to highlight her greatest assets. Entertainment industry giants Johnny Depp and Tim Burton inspire her; she adores and admires the combination of acting and music like that in the big screen hit Sweeney Todd. Kirby excitedly exclaimed that it would be her biggest dream come true to work with the likes of Mr. Burton, and given her wide array of talents along with a solid support system, she is rightfully aiming high!

Kirby Johnson Defines Demonic in 'The Possession of Hannah Grace'!
Image: TJ Manaou

Kirby Johnson is a talented, fun-loving, insightful and charismatic young woman with a bright future. Her positivity and work ethic will go a long way toward solidifying her acting career. Persistence is her best advice… eventually, the ‘nos’ turn into a ‘yes’.

Many thanks to Kirby for sharing a bit of her journey. At the end of our conversation, she was kind enough to provide a cheeky peek into her playful personality. Enjoy!

Guilty Pleasure: Jersey Shore – although Kirby assured me she truly feels no guilt at all 😉

Vacation: Key Largo – home

Pet Peeves: Noisy gum chewing

Superpower: Flight – A bit of fangirl bonding ensued when Kirby told me she is a huge fan of the X-Men and totally embraces her ‘geeky’ side. We all should!

Fav movies: Sweeney Todd, Rent, Twilight and all the Harry Potters – I had to laugh when we both shared being shamed for liking Twilight. It’s a good movie and we owe no apologies!

Friends describe you in one word: Outgoing – Although the word ‘strange’ was humorously mentioned.

Animal that represents you: Cat

Dream dinner party (4 people): Ru Paul, Pauly D, Tim Burton, Mom

If you could have the answer to ANY question: What DID come first, the chicken or the egg? – Hmmm lol

Best wishes to Kirby in all her future endeavors!  Follow her on Instagram @kirby_j and be sure to check out The Possession of Hannah Grace, hitting theaters November 30th… if you dare.