Hamilton actor is at the spooky centre of the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy

For most people, The Umbrella Academy is a show they click on as they're browsing Netflix from the comfort of their couches. But for T.J. McGibbon, its premiere this weekend came with a viewing party.

The 13-year-old Hamilton actor is part of the cast of the new supernatural Netflix series, a story about six extraordinary children — and one not-so-extraordinary one — adopted by an eccentric billionaire.

McGibbon plays young Vanya Hargreeves, the flashback version of Ellen Page's character. Her presence is woven through various scenes in the moody 10-episode series, often as her character lurks behind her more heroic siblings.

Most of the Hargreeves kids have super powers, like the ability to time travel or whisper suggestions that come true. Vanya is ordinary — an unhappy misstep in the dysfunctional family.

McGibbon often auditions for cheerful daughter roles, or kids who come from well-adjusted homes like her own in Kirkendall. This role was darker and meatier. Loneliness emanates from Vanya.

McGibbon said that's appealing for her as an actor.

"I read it," McGibbon said, "and I immediately fell in love with the character."

The Netflix series is just one project in a banner year for McGibbon. This summer, she'll star in The War with Grandpa with Christopher Walken and Robert De Niro.

When she's not doing that, she pays rapt attention to Hamilton issues like transit and affordable housing. She volunteers locally, and is an ambassador for Indwell, one of Hamilton's largest social housing providers.

Hamilton, McGibbon said, needs more "permanent affordable housing."

McGibbon began acting when she was five, and is home schooled, so she could accommodate The Umbrella Academy's shooting schedule last year. She auditioned in Toronto and the show was filmed in Toronto and Hamilton.

Several of Hamilton's older buildings make an appearance in the series. At one point, it even shows a post-apocalyptic Gore Park.

McGibbon's been in a few other series, including Odd Squad, Super Why! and Lucky 7. In 2016, she played Magneto's daughter in X-Men: Apocalypse.

But The Umbrella Academy, based on a comic book created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba, is the first time she's been in quite this many living rooms.

She saw the first episode of The Umbrella Academy at a party in Toronto. The entire series debuted on Netflix on Friday.

McGibbon said late last week that she'd be watching the show in her own living room with friends and family. And even if the popularity of The Umbrella Academy explodes, she's still not interested in moving. 

"If it gets super big, I'm not sure what difference it would make," she said of its impact on her life.

"I love this city. I love being here."