Grace Hodgett Young on Taking Ownership of the Role of Betty Schaefer in Broadway's Sunset Blvd.

It's been a remarkably exciting two years for Grace Hodgett Young, who is currently making her Broadway debut as Betty Schaefer in the critically acclaimed revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Blvd. at the St. James Theatre.

The role of the aspiring writer who falls for ill-fated Joe Gillis in the Jamie Lloyd-directed production also marked Young's West End debut last year at the Savoy Theatre. For her work in the London staging, Young—who brings a no-nonsense take and crystal-clear vocals to the part—picked up an Olivier nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical.

Young was not out of work very long. Sunset played its final performance at the Savoy January 6, and on February 10, previews began for the London return of the Tony-winning Hadestown at the Lyric Theatre. That staging cast the up-and-coming star as Eurydice opposite Dónal Finn's Orpheus.

Young, also seen on the BBC in What It Feels Like for a Girl, can be heard on both of the live London cast recordings for Sunset Blvd. and Hadestown.

In the interview below for the Playbill series How Did I Get Here—spotlighting not only actors, but directors, designers, musicians, and others who work on and off the stage to create the magic that is live theatre—Young shares the challenges of being a stage actor and why appearing on Broadway is such a surprise.

Grace Hodgett Young in *Sunset Blvd.* on Broadway Marc Brenner

Where did you train/study?
Grace Hodgett Young: Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in South London.

Was there a teacher who was particularly impactful/helpful? What made this instructor stand out?
The teacher I will never forget is my secondary school GCSE [General Certificate of Secondary Education] drama teacher, Mrs. Stanley. She always believed in me and made me promise her not to give up. I was 12 when she started teaching me, and now she comes to see my shows, and I’m so happy to know I’ve kept that promise.

What was your reaction when you learned that you would be transferring to Broadway with Sunset? Had Broadway been a goal?
I was utterly in disbelief when I was told Broadway was happening. I always thought if it did, there’s no way they would take me. I was speechless! Honestly, Broadway hadn’t particularly been a goal of mine. I always wanted to do West End, television, and film. So to me, Broadway just seemed so far-fetched. But then again, if someone told me my first job, before graduating, would be with Nicole Scherzinger, Jamie Lloyd, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, I probably would’ve thought that was quite far-fetched, too!

"Too Much in Love to Care" has a gentler, and perhaps more moving, ending than previous productions of the musical. Was that something that was decided upon before rehearsals began or during the rehearsal process?
We created the new ending of “Too Much in Love to Care” in the room, with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Alan Williams, our MD, at the piano, and Jamie Lloyd humming along at the table in front of us! It makes so much more sense in our version and complements the relatability of the characters. They’re real people, and this ending mirrors that perfectly.

Donal Finn and Grace Hodgett Young in *Hadestown* Marc Brenner

You were also part of the opening cast of the West End production of Hadestown. Can you share a favorite memory—either backstage or on stage—from your time with that musical?
My favorite memory of Hadestown will always be meeting the fans of the show. People had waited years for this show to come back to the West End, so to be a part of that was really special.

Tell me about a time you almost gave up but didn’t.
About a week before I got my first audition through for Sunset Blvd., I remember having a conversation with my agent after having lots of the same feedback, which was “You’re great, but you need to get experience, and come back when you do.” I was concerned, because in order for me to get experience, someone had to take a chance on the new kid! I never gave up, but I had a flicker of doubt, and a few weeks down the line, I was being offered Betty, amongst other things, and finally people were taking a chance on the new kid!

What advice would you give your younger self or anyone starting out?
I would tell my younger self or anyone in a similar position to me a year-and-a-half ago to just be yourself. I know it’s cliché, but it’s true. I didn’t know anything about Sunset Blvd., and so I sang it like me. Acted it like me. And that’s the performance I do every night on Broadway. I didn’t know Betty was supposed to be all the things that I wasn’t playing, and we ended up molding the character around me, and I take ownership of her! I’m very protective of Betty, and so just be yourself. Because you never know, you might be exactly what they were looking for!

Grace Hodgett Young and Tom Francis in *Sunset Boulevard* (West End, 2023) Marc Brenner

In such difficult times around the world, how do you think theatre can play a positive role, either for yourself and/or the community at large?
Sometimes it’s really easy to get bogged down by life and everything that’s happening in the world, but I tell myself, “Even on a bad day, we’re just dressing up.” But it’s more than that. I see the way people look at the end of the show. I imagine the day they’ve had leading up to getting to the theatre, the build-up of waiting to watch the show, and the fact that we have the ability to make these people’s lives better, even if it is just for two hours and 30 minutes. That, more than anything, gets me through a show.

Is there a person or people you most respect in your field and why?
I think I have respect for every single person in the industry. It’s our dream come true, but it’s hard. It’s not easy, and it gets harder. We love to be challenged, and we are all our own worst critic, but that’s what makes us creatives! We are all superheroes in my eyes. To get up every day, even on a bad day, and put a smile on our face and make other people happy can be hard, but it’s a gift that we love to give.