Sofia Boutella facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sofia Boutella
Sofia Boutella in 2023
Born	(1982-04-03) 3 April 1982 (age 43) Bab El Oued, Algiers, Algeria
Alma mater	Berklee College of Music
Occupation	Actress dancer model
Years active	1998–present
Parent(s)	Safy Boutella (father)

Sofia Boutella (born April 3, 1982) is a talented actress, dancer, and model from Algeria. She was born in Algiers, Algeria. When she was 10 years old, her family moved to Paris, France.

Soon after moving, Sofia started rhythmic gymnastics. By the time she was 18, she was good enough to join the French national team! She also began dancing in movies, TV shows, commercials, and concerts. For six years, she was a backup dancer for the famous singer Madonna. She even performed with Madonna at the 2012 Super Bowl.

Sofia's big break as an actress came in 2012. She starred in the British film StreetDance 2. Since then, she has appeared in many popular movies. These include Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), Star Trek Beyond (2016), and Atomic Blonde (2017). In 2017, she played the main character in the movie The Mummy. As a model, Sofia has been featured in many ads and videos for Nike.

Sofia's Early Life and Family

Sofia Boutella was born in a part of Algiers, Algeria, called Bab El Oued. Her mother was an architect, and her father, Safy Boutella, was a jazz musician. Sofia also has a brother named Seif, who works with visual effects in movies. Her last name, Boutella, means "the men of the mountains."

Sofia grew up in a family that encouraged art and creativity. She described her childhood as very happy. She felt lucky to be in a family that let her express herself and explore her imagination.

When she was five years old, Sofia began learning classical dance. In 1992, at age 10, her family moved to France. This was during the Algerian Civil War. After moving, she started rhythmic gymnastics. She later joined the French national team at 18. Sofia also studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.

Dancing Career and Achievements

Living in Paris, Sofia discovered many new dance styles. She especially loved hip hop and street-dance. She found these styles offered more "freedom" than the strict rules of ballet and gymnastics.

Sofia joined a dance group called Vagabond Crew. This group won the Battle of the Year competition in 2006. She also danced with spin-off groups. Sofia has said that artists like Fred Astaire and Madonna inspired her.

Her big moment as a dancer happened in 2007. She was chosen for a Jamie King dance campaign for Nike Women. This campaign helped her career a lot. It led to more work with famous stars like Madonna and Rihanna. Sofia has said that working with Madonna helped her learn English.

Sofia also auditioned for Michael Jackson's This Is It tour. However, she could not join because Madonna's tour dates overlapped. In 2011, she was the main dancer in Michael Jackson's music video for "Hollywood Tonight".

Sofia's Acting Journey

Sofia Boutella in 2017

Sofia started dancing in films and TV shows when she was 17. She also appeared in commercials and concert tours.

Her first main acting role was in the 2012 drama film StreetDance 2. This movie was a follow-up to StreetDance 3D.

In 2014, after 12 years as a dancer, Sofia decided to focus on acting. At first, she wanted to play smaller roles. This way, she could learn from more experienced actors. In 2015, she appeared in her first big movie, Kingsman: The Secret Service. This film really launched her acting career. The next year, she played an alien warrior named Jaylah in Star Trek Beyond.

In 2017, Sofia played a French secret agent in the movie Atomic Blonde. She starred alongside Charlize Theron and James McAvoy. In the same year, she played the main character, Princess Ahmanet, in The Mummy. She acted with Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe in that film. GQ magazine called her "the best new action star of 2017." Vanity Fair also said she was "this season's breakout action star."

From 2018 onwards, Sofia started getting more important roles. She appeared in the horror film Climax. She also starred in the HBO drama Fahrenheit 451. In Hotel Artemis, she played a French contract killer named 'Nice'.

In 2019, she was in an episode of the Amazon Prime show Modern Love. In 2021, Sofia was chosen to play the lead role, Kora, in the sci-fi adventure film Rebel Moon. This movie was directed by Zack Snyder for Netflix. In 2022, she played a spy named Eve Mansour in the show SAS: Rogue Heroes. She will return for the second season in 2025.

Sofia's Personal Life

Even though Sofia has lived in France since she was 10, she still feels a strong connection to Algeria. She said that Algeria is her home and where her family is from. She feels very connected to the world but misses having one place she calls home. She is proud to be Algerian and carries that feeling with her everywhere.

From 2014 to 2018, Sofia was in a relationship with Irish actor Robert Sheehan.

Movies and TV Shows

Music Videos She Appeared In

See also

In Spanish: Sofia Boutella para niños