Fantasy and frights and magical creatures are featured in the new YA series The Spiderwick Chronicles, based on the novels of the same name by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. The eight episode season will be released on the Roku Channel on April 19. Ahead of the series release, we got to chat with Mychala Lee, who stars as Mallory Grace, to learn more about her character, learning how to fence, and the lessons she got from her costars. 

“[Mallory] has that spark and that fire, no one is going to stop her. She is so determined, she is so passionate and I think that is something that we can kind of lose throughout life and she really brought that back to me.”

The Spiderwick Chronicles follows the Grace family including mom Helen, twin brothers Jared and Simon, and their sister Mallory as they move from Brooklyn, New York, to their ancestral home in Henson, Michigan, called the Spiderwick Estate. There they find themselves pulled into an alternative, fantastical world. The series also took some inspiration from the original 2008 film. In addition to Mychala, the film stars Lyon Daniels as Jared, Noah Cottrell as Simon, Joy Bryant as Helen, Jack Dylan Grazer as Thimbletack, and Christian Slater as the ogre Mulgarath. 

Mychala said she learned a lot from Christian Slater, who has been acting for over 40 years, of just how to let go and have fun and enjoy the moment while filming.

“[Christian Slater] really taught me to not take things so seriously, which was really special.”

In addition to The Spiderwick Chronicles, Mychala also starred in the 2022 Netflix film End of the Road opposite Queen Latifah and Ludacris and the 2019 series Truth be Told alongside Octavia Spencer, Kate Hudson, and Gabrielle Union. 

Mychala said it was interesting playing a teenage girl, as she could remember relating to a lot of things Mallory goes through in the series. She said she journaled as Mallory and tried to get into her headspace, which she described as therapeutic. 

“I would do journal entries as Mallory to kind of help me get into that angsty teen and it was actually really therapeutic and fun for me.”

In the series, Mallory has a passion for fencing, and Mychala revealed she actually learned how to fence while filming for six months in Vancouver. She practiced two to three times a week, and this also provided a bonding experience for her and her co-stars, who she became very close with. 

“I was a little bit competitive with myself and also just really trying to show up and be able to portray a fencer accurately, it was so much fun to be in those practices.”

“There were so many great times on and off set that I will cherish forever.”

Thank you Mychala for chatting with Young Entertainment. Follow her on her Instagram at @mychalalee. Watch the video where we ask her more about fun off-set moments, the playlist she created for Mallory, and what she learned as an actor from this experience. 

Consider this: 

• Try journaling as your character. It will help get you into their headspace. 
• Create a playlist for your character. It will get you ready and excited to get into that headspace each day. 
• While acting and being on a set can be stressful, enjoy the moment and have fun too. Trust the preparation you’ve done.