Miranda McKeon, 19, is facing a challenge that no teenager should ever have to. The Anne with an E actress was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer last month after discovering a lump on her breast, and she recently opened up to PEOPLE about the devastating diagnosis. “I’m making it my job to find the beauty in all of this,” she told the publication. “I wouldn’t have chosen this, I didn’t choose this, I don’t think anyone would choose this. But I’m making it my job to try and pull something out of this.”
Since her diagnosis, Miranda has received an outpouring of support from fans. But who is Miranda McKeon? HollywoodLife has rounded up 5 key facts to know about the inspirational star.
1. Miranda has a theater background.
Before her success on Anne with an E, Miranda appeared in a theater production. Between September and December of 2013, she starred in the off-Broadway production of Little Miss Sunshine at the Second Stage Theatre, according to her IMDb page. Miranda was only 11 at the time, and the theater role surely helped prepare her to take on her future film and television roles.
2. Miranda made her film debut in 2016’s ‘Little Boxes’.
After her off-Broadway gig, Miranda transitioned to the big screen when she snagged a role in the 2016 dramedy Little Boxes. Miranda played Julie Hanson in the film, which also starred Melanie Lynskey, Nelsan Ellis, Christine Taylor, Oona Laurence, Janeane Garofalo and more. The movie had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2016, and was released in theaters the following year. It has a 67% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
3. Miranda starred in all 3 seasons of ‘Anne with an E’.
Miranda had her big break when she joined the Canadian TV series Anne with an E, based on Lucy Maud Montgomery‘s 1908 classic children’s novel Anne of Green Gables. Miranda first appeared as Josie Pye in the first season, which premiered in March 2017, and returned for the following two seasons in a recurring capacity. In total, she appeared in 18 out of 27 episodes, per IMDb.
The series also starred Amybeth McNulty, Geraldine James, R.H. Thomson, Dalila Bela and Lucas Jade Zumann. Despite receiving positive reviews, particularly for its exploration of orphanage, psychological trauma and social issues, the series was canceled in Nov. 2019. The show is currently available to stream on Netflix.
4. Miranda is very close with her family & friends.
If her Instagram is any indication, Miranda has a very tight bond with her family and friends. She often posts snapshots enjoying her time with loved ones on fun adventures in California, New York, and more. On July 8, she shared a sweet Instagram tribute to her older brother Sam after he scored a job in N.Y.C. “Sam, I love you a whole lot!!!! Here’s to many more years of siblingship/friendship. Go get em,” Miranda wrote.
5. Miranda is determined to beat cancer.
Miranda has showed incredible bravery since her breast cancer diagnosis. Last week, she announced that she began chemotherapy and opened up about the highs and lows of her health crisis. “Everyone has been telling me it’s gonna be a rollercoaster but yesterday was the first time I had really felt everything all in one day,” she said in an July 6 Instagram post. “The sensation of being so low and so high at the same time os somewhat inexplicable.”
In her PEOPLE interview, Miranda said that sharing her cancer battle with others was “cathartic” for her. She added: “I’m hoping that by documenting a good majority of this, that someone else will be able to read it down the line when they need it and they can find comfort and healing through it in the way that I do writing it.” Miranda also said that this difficult experience has shown her just how strong she truly is. “Here I am and I’m now living in this story and I think we can all handle a lot more than we think we can,” she said.