Children have a special place in the world of cinema. Adults study acting in courses and try different techniques. As for the children, the situation is more difficult. Therefore, there are not so many successful child actors. When they grow up, they often abandon an acting career.
In 2002, a red-haired girl was born in Brooklyn and became a successful young actress. Read more about her on brooklynski.
The day before Valentine’s Day
Sophia Lillis was born on February 13, 2002 in Crown Heights. Her mother, Juliana, was a costume designer. Little is known about the father. The couple did not stay together for long. A few years after the birth of Sophia and her twin brother, they separated. The girl’s mother was not single for long and remarried photographer Christopher Mellevold. He welcomed Sophia and her brother Jake, who was one minute older than the girl. Later, the couple had a son.
The development of a child’s talent depends on the parents. They can save their child’s career or ruin it. The second situation happened to Macaulay Culkin. However, Sophia’s parents supported her and sent the girl to study at the Lee Strasberg Theater & Film Institute. This is a prestigious school, which is famous for such graduates as Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie and others. Thanks to this, Sofia’s career began at the age of seven.
In 2014, she starred in the short film The Lipstick Stain. It is noteworthy that this movie began a bizarre series of works where Sophia plays the roles of teenagers suffering from the cruelty of their parents.
Despite minor roles, Sophia did not stop. She played a small role in the film based on Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 2016, she starred in the film 37. This screen adaptation of a terrible story may seem not suitable for a little girl. Still, it did not scare her or her parents. Mom and stepfather never told their daughter which movies to choose. The girl selected by herself. Therefore, at the very beginning of her career, she starred in many short films.
It
In 2017, the real success came to Sophia. The screen adaptation of Stephen King’s famous novel It was released. Lillis got the main female role of Beverly Marsh. The rest of the caste was of the same age as her. A complex horror film about a killer clown and a creepy curse helped to reveal the talent of not only Lillis but also other young actors. The film lasts more than two hours. Filming was difficult and long. This was the first major work in Sophia’s filmography. It became a springboard in the career of many young participants.
In this film, Lillis again faced the difficult fate of her character. Beverly Marsh is the embodiment of bravery and courage. She became a real inspiration for little girls. In the film It Chapter Two, the sequel to the first story, the role of Beverly was played by Jessica Chastain. The resemblance between the two actresses is incredible.
Horrors and more
After the horror movie, the girl was approved for a role in the series Sharp Objects. The main female role went to Amy Adams and Sophia played her as a child in the girl’s memories. The series was based on the book by Gillian Flynn (author of the bestseller Gone Girl). This is a complex and confusing detective story that unfolds in a small town. The series touched on many important topics, including self-harm.
The year 2019 seemed quite busy. The girl simultaneously starred in the second part of It and the film Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase.
Horror films are firmly established in Sophia’s filmography. Not everyone liked her role in the movie Gretel & Hansel. However, she stood out significantly against the background of her other works, as well as the film itself was unusual. This was a new vision of a good old fairy tale.
In 2020, Netflix launched a series about an outsider girl with superpowers. The unusual and unique series won over its viewers. After the first season, the project was closed. During the global Covid-19 pandemic, many serials suffered such a fate. Streaming platforms and film companies suffered losses. Unfortunately, there was no way of the series returning. Although fans created various petitions in support of I Am Not Okay With This.
In the first half of 2023, two films from Lillis were released at once, namely Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Asteroid City by Wes Anderson.
Rumors and hobbies
The yellow press likes to gossip about stars and actors regardless of their age. Sophia Lillis has been credited with an affair with her It co-star Jaeden Martell. Neither he nor she confirmed these rumors. The girl does not post photos of her chosen one on social networks.
Sophia’s hobby is photography. She has a warm relationship with her stepfather. He instilled in her a love for black-and-white photography. She likes to take pictures of her colleagues.
Lillis is not particularly talkative in everyday life. She can probably be called shy or modest. The girl prefers to communicate with colleagues and friends through messages. In various interviews, Sophia repeatedly emphasized that young actors should invest a lot in their development and acquisition of various skills. This may be even something as insignificant as skating. The girl likes to read books from the series for dummies. Thus, she replenishes her knowledge. Sophia prefers old music and old movies. Her favorite actor is Bill Murray. Lillis is also actively fighting for a clean environment and climate.
Despite her young age, the girl earns good money. For the first part of It, she was paid $65 000, and for the second, she got $150 000.