“I think at the end of the day, you should do things that you want to do. If you feel really comfy wearing a prosthetic, you do that because that feels like the most authentic version of yourself,” McGonigal said.
“But, for me, it didn’t feel like the most authentic version of myself at that time.
“I was just trying to please other people, instead of doing things that made me feel strong and powerful.”
McGonigal has since been cast in numerous roles in the West End and landed the role as Hazel in season four of the hit Netflix period drama Bridgerton.
No-one with a limb difference has been on the show before, with Gracie saying it has become more than just an acting job.
“I’ve had to have a conversation with myself and realise, ‘Oh, no, so the impact of me doing things is greater than me just being happy that I’ve booked a job,'” she said.
She described joining the Bridgerton cast as both “nerve-wracking” and “the best” experience.
She said it was daunting at first, as many actors in the cast already knew each other from previous seasons, but that she soon felt “part of the family”.
“They were so gracious and wonderful and accepted me with open arms, it was really lovely to get to know everybody,” she said.