Grace Francisca was born in Santa Monica, California. She is the daughter of the late writer/director Michael Gottlieb. She studied classical ballet from age 5 throughout high school and moved to New York City to dance and attend the Professional Children's School in Manhattan. Grace trained and danced professionally with many of the greatest ballet companies including the Kirov Ballet and the Bolshoi Ballet. Grace was deeply drawn to the stage, often landing solo roles for her dynamic presence on stage, but her lack of athletic strength kept her from a career in ballet. At age 16, Grace was asked to perform in Fashion Week in New York City followed by an offer of a role in an independent feature film. These experiences ignited her passion for acting, and Grace started acting training in New York City. By age 18, Grace relocated to California to study writing and pursue acting.
