British actor addresses challenge she faced playing adopted girl accused of being 22-year-old woman

In a case that gripped true crime fans and simply baffled plenty of people, the story of Natalia Grace has been made into a drama series.

The Ukrainian was adopted by Americans Kristien and Michael Barnett in 2010, believing she was just six years old. However, they ended up claiming she was actually an adult woman who attempted to murder them.

And the British actor playing her in the new series on Disney+ has addressed the challenge she faced doing so.

Imogen Faith Reid had never even heard of Natalia Grace before she was cast as the starring role in Good American Family alongside Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass.

And when it came to scouring British media before her audition, she told Variety she only found 'one story’.

With the previous docuseries The Curious Case of Natalia Grace looking into the story, this Hulu series sees one episode shift to Natalia’s point of view. In episode five, it reaches the point where the orphan with a severe form of dwarfism is abandoned in an apartment.

Playing the character came with various obstacles for Reid to overcome, from having to perfect an American accent to learning to move like the real Natalia to dealing with the emotional intensity.

Imogen as Natalia. (Hulu)

Variety asked the 27-year-old what the ‘most challenging scene or sequence’ was for her in the in the ‘heartbreaking’ fifth episode.

“There were multiple moments, because it’s all so intense. The scene between Mark and me was intense,” Reid explained. “The scene with Ellen was tense, but again, Ellen was so amazing and always asking if I was OK. She did such a great job in the scene.”

The actor went on to explain that it was also ‘quite demanding phsycially’, particularly when she had to portray the ‘tantrum’.

“But it was great to get those emotions, as Natalia, out. I had to commend the cast and crew, because everyone was just so supportive,” she added.

The actor described playing the role as ‘so heavy’ as she ‘couldn’t stay in Natalia for so long’.

Good American family is a dramatisation of the case of Natalia Grace. (ID Discovery)

Reid also spoke about wanting the real Natalia’s ‘voice to be seen and heard’.

“It meant a lot to do it, and showcase her pain,” she said. “I don’t know if Natalia will watch it, but I hope she sees the light that I put into Natalia and the justice that I tried to fight for.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, she explained that while she didn’t personally speak to Natalia, she wanted to make sure she ‘embodied such empowerment’ and made her version ‘be seen with so much light’.

Good American Family is now streaming on Disney+.

• ‘Adopted child’ who turned out to be 22-year-old woman accused of ‘coming onto men sexually’
• Adopted girl accused of being 22-year-old woman breaks down in tears after finding out her real age
• Adopted girl accused of being 22-year-old woman took DNA test to find out her real age
• Dad of 'adopted child' shares telltale signs she was actually a 22-year-old woman