Glenn Beck’s daughter, who has ties to eastern Idaho, featured in new Christmas movie
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IDAHO FALLS — Cheyenne Grace is giving Mariah Carey a run for her money — at least when it comes to being a Christmas queen.
The 20-year-old daughter of conservative radio host Glenn Beck was cast in her first film role that premiered over the weekend. “The Best Thing About Christmas” tells the story of a father-daughter music duo who face tragedy after landing a record deal.
“It’s all about how they come back together in their faith to reconnect as a family,” Grace tells EastIdahoNews.com.
Grace portrays the daughter, Molly, and Derek Hinckley — who wrote the movie — portrays the father, Dillon. Based on a poem Hinckley heard over the pulpit in Nashville about 10 years ago, Hinckley says on the film’s website it evolved from a song to a play before it was a film.
The stage musical debuted in Salt Lake City in 2018 and went on tour around the country.
While it is a family-friendly film, Grace says it’s not a cookie-cutter Christmas movie.
“We tried to really get into the grit of life,” Grace explains. “It doesn’t just focus on the happiness of Christmas. It touches on some darker subjects to show us the beauty of Christ and his redemption.”
The film aired on the Up Faith & Family cable channel on Saturday. It’s also available on-demand on the network’ streaming platform. It will air on the cable channel one more time on Christmas Eve.
Grace made her debut as a singer last year with the release of a Christmas album she recorded with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. After a year of acting in local theater productions, Grace says she’s thrilled to be involved in her first major film role.
“It was very nerve-wracking, for sure. It’s very different from theater, but it was so much fun. I couldn’t ask for a better team to start with,” Grace says.
With two Christmas-related projects under her belt, Grace says she jokingly told her dad, “I’ve got to get out of this Christmas cycle.”
“He was like, ‘Mariah Carey’s doing it. You’re fine!'” Grace says, laughing.
Grace was the opening act for pop duo FOR KING + COUNTRY at a concert last year. The performance brought her into the national spotlight and she’s had multiple opportunities to perform since then.
Grace says Hinckley asked her to audition for the film after seeing a video of one of her performances on social media. In an interview with Glenn Beck on his radio program last Friday, Hinckley said he’s been a fan of Beck’s radio show for years and had listened to Grace’s Christmas album.
Grace auditioned over the course of several weeks, thinking there was no way she would get the part. She was surprised when they called her back.
“They called me for a final audition and had me read the letter saying I’d gotten the role. I burst into tears … and I am so grateful they gave me the opportunity to share Molly’s story. It’s just so special,” says Grace.
Grace speaks highly of her dad and is grateful that his fame played a role in launching her career. Still, she says being related to a “highly opinionated” talk show host has its challenges.
“The world is very opinionated, in general, right now. That can be difficult, especially in the art entertainment business,” she says. “I try and separate the two. Art is not about politics and I try and keep myself separate from the politics.”
“I obviously have my own political opinions, but I am a different person than my dad and it shouldn’t create obstacles (for me),” Grace adds.
Beck maintains a part-time residence in eastern Idaho. As a result, Grace has ties to the area and visits whenever she can.
“The Best Thing About Christmas” is definitely not the last yuletide project for Grace. She and her dad are putting together a Christmas show for next year that they’ll be taking on tour.
She’s also cutting demos for another holiday album in 2026.
There’s not much she can say about either project because it’s early in the process, but she’s excited for people to see what’s in store.
“It’s very different from last year’s album,” Grace says. “I’m really excited (to go on tour with my dad). There’s going to be comedy and storytelling and music. We’re just going to have a lot of fun.”
“The Best Thing About Christmas” also stars Megan Alexander, Evelyn Kite, Sam Waugh, and Graham Sexton. Performances from country music stars Mark Wills and Rhonda Vincent are featured as well. To watch the trailer or learn more, click here.
WATCH OUR INTERVIEW WITH GRACE IN THE VIDEO ABOVE.
