Meet the 2 young stars of 'Haunting of Hill House' who stole the audience's hearts
Netflix's new hit show "Haunting of Hill House," directed by Mike Flannagan, is quickly becoming a cultural phenomenon, as it terrifies and comforts fans at the same time.
An adaptation of the book of the same name by Shirley Jackson, the show's story centers around the trauma and loss experienced by the Crain family when it moves into a sinister house for a summer.
The story, told in 10 episodes, plays out with a fractured timeline, flashing back and forth from the present and the past as Michael and Olivia Crain, along with their five children, Steve, Shirley, Theodora and twins Luke and Nell, are haunted by past ghosts and -- literally -- their fears.
Released in early October, "Haunting of Hill House" received a 92 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Though the show features Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas, Elizabeth Reaser and Timothy Hutton, the actors who play young version of the twins, Julian Hilliard and Violet McGraw, were the fan-favorite breakout stars.
The two Hollywood newcomers spoke to "Good Morning America" about their backgrounds, life on the set and what's next. Here are eight things to know about them:
1. Hilliard hails from Texas. When he got the job, Hilliard and his mother, Arianne Martin, had to move from their hometown of Dallas to Atlanta for almost eight months during filming, Martin said. Homesickness was tough, Hilliard said: Being away from Dallas and his father "was very hard."
2. Acting is in Hilliard's blood. His mother has been a working actress and a producer for 14 years, and his father, Justin Hilliard, has directed and written a few movies and now works for the Dallas Film Commission. Always artistic -- Hilliard creates his own comic books -- his mother told "GMA" that the he and his father have been shooting pretend trailers together for years.
"Julian loved performing in these and coming up with the ideas," she said. "Once they were done, he'd enthusiastically say, 'I can't wait to see that in the theaters.'"
3. Hilliard was the youngest person on set. He was just 6 years old when he landed the role of young Luke Crain, and his mother gushed that his castmates couldn't have been sweeter to him.
Martin called Thomas and Gugino "lovely and patient" and said director Mike Flannagan was "absolutely amazing to work with."
"He was a genius to make this, and he was so nice," Hilliard added. "You could not believe how nice he was."
4. Hilliard's performance made baby Luke a social media star. The actor's portrayal of the introverted and loving young boy made him an instant star, and fans voiced their love and commitment to shield young Luke from all harm and evil on Twitter:
5. McGraw has three siblings who are all working actors. Originally from Northern California, McGraw and her family would often have to drive hours to Los Angeles for various auditions as her brothers and sister were acting, too. Occasionally, McGraw would tag along to auditions and sets. Her mother, Jackie McGraw, said that after she spent a few weeks watching her sister, Maddy, work on the show "Outcast," she grew more interested in the industry.
6. The ghosts on set were McGraw's favorite part. In the show, the sinister house was filled with all kinds of ghosts, and McGraw said she loved seeing the actors get in their ghost makeup. She especially enjoyed having lunch with the ghosts during meal breaks.
"I watched some parts with me in it and pointed out to my family where the hidden ghosts are," McGraw said enthusiastically.
7. McGraw is a dog lover and a skilled soccer player. When the actress is not busy playing soccer, she is obsessed with furry friends and loved spending time with her castmates' pets. "It was heaven for her," McGraw said. "Carla Gugino's dog, Melville, Lulu Wilson's dog, Olive, and Jax in production had Rex. Those were her three favorites!"
8. Both child stars are too young to watch the whole show. Though Hilliard and McGraw acted in some of the scariest scenes, they're too young to watch the whole series, their parents said. Martin said she tried to test the waters by showing Hilliard a scene he did in the basement where his character had a chilling encounter with one of the ghosts, but it didn't go so well. "He got a little scared," Martin said with a giggle.
McGraw's mother, Jackie McGraw, said even her 11-year-old "who's not afraid of anything" was too anxious to finish the show.
"So maybe when Violet turns 13 we'll let her watch it," she added.
