Grace is known for her starring roles in films "Sister" and "Brave New Jersey," as well as TV shows such as "The Closer," "The Last Ship," "Bad Teacher," and the list goes on. This talented young actress sings, dances, and loves to hit the beach. She also happens make time to raise money and awareness to fight autoimmune diseases. Get to know Grace Kaufman and check out "Man With A Plan" onCBS Oct. 24, 2016.
Plays Kate on 'Man With a Plan'
Colleen Bement: What can you share about your character?
Grace Kaufman: Kate is a really fun character to play.
I feel like I relate to her in a lot of ways. She can be sassy and rebellious. She’s trying to find her independence and her own path in life; but she still loves her family, of course, so she’s still really connected to them.She definitely has a sarcastic streak to her. She’s the oldest in the family, so she has to deal with a lot of the craziness of having younger siblings. Which I can relate to because I have a younger brother in real life. But like me, Kate loves her younger siblings more than anything; so it balances out!
Life on the set of 'Man With a Plan'
CB: What is it like on the set?
GK: Being on set is not only a great learning experience; it is also a blast. The cast and I are all total pranksters, and we love to tease each other.
Kevin Nealon and Liza Snyder are really fun to hang out with.There are so many funny stories with Matt LeBlanc. During one of our table readings, I had a donut to eat while we were reading the script. I had only taken one or two bites, but I would turn away talking to other people and soon there was only one bite left. Matt had been sneaking bites of my donut the whole time.My donut was gone.
It was a good donut, too! It made me laugh because it was the kind of teasing my real dad does to me. We have definitely become a family!
Grace lives for adventure
CB: When you're not working, what do you do for fun?
GK: When I’m not working, I hang out with my friends, go to the beach, take hikes, and listen to good music. I’m a pretty adventurous person, so I love to travel.
Last year my family went to Hawaii and I got to surf for the first time. I was kind of scared, but I really wanted to give it a try. I ended up doing really well! My instructor said I was one of the best beginners that he had worked with. I don’t think I am going to become a professional surfer or anything, but it was very fun and is something I like to do when I go to the beach. I like exploring and I want to see the world. As far as hobbies, I love photography and drawing. They’re creative and a great way to express myself through art. I sing and take dance classes as well.
CB: Tell us about your passion for the cause of autoimmune diseases. How can others get involved and help?
GK: Autoimmune disease research has become important to me because I know so many people in my life who are affected by it.
It runs in my family, as well as a lot of my friends’ families. It’s a disorder that encompasses many different diseases such as diabetes, thyroid disease, lupus, scleroderma, celiac disease, and many others. There are over 100 autoimmune diseases. Aboutone in five people suffer from a type of it. A close friend of mine, Haley Ramm, started the Los Angeles Autoimmune Walk to raise money and awareness for research and a cure since her mom suffers and wanted to get involved and help make a difference. You can go to the websiteand find out ways to get involved as well, or simply make a tax-deductible donation to help find a cure.
