Sofia Boutella facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sofia Boutella
Boutella in 2017
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 (Arabic: صوفيا بوتلة) was born on April 3, 1982. She is a talented Algerian actress, dancer, and model. When she was 10 years old, her family moved from Algiers, Algeria, to Paris, France. Soon after, she started rhythmic gymnastics and even joined the French national team when she was 18.

Sofia began dancing in movies, TV shows, commercials, and concerts. For six years, she was a backup dancer for the famous singer Madonna. She performed in many music videos and at the 2012 Super Bowl. Sofia became well-known as an actress in 2012 with the British film StreetDance 2.

She has appeared in many popular movies. These include Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), Star Trek Beyond (2016), and Atomic Blonde (2017). She also starred as the main character in The Mummy in 2017. As a model, Sofia has been featured in Nike ads and videos.

Early Life and Moving to France

Sofia Boutella was born in Bab El Oued, a part of Algiers, Algeria. Her mother was an architect, and her father, Safy Boutella, was a jazz musician. Her brother, Seif, works with visual effects in movies. Sofia grew up in a home that encouraged art and creativity. She has said her childhood was very happy. She felt lucky to be in a family that let her express herself.

When she was five, Sofia started learning classical dance. In 1992, at age 10, her family moved to France. They left Algeria because of the Algerian Civil War. After moving, she started rhythmic gymnastics. By age 18, she was part of the French national team. Later, she studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.

Dancing Career

Growing up in Paris, Sofia learned many different dance styles. She especially liked hip hop and street-dance. She felt these styles gave her more "freedom" than ballet or gymnastics. She joined a dance group called Vagabond Crew. This group won the Battle of the Year in 2006.

A big moment in her dance career came in 2007. She was chosen by Jamie King to choreograph for Nike Women's "Keep Up" campaign. This helped her career a lot. She then worked with stars like Madonna on her tours, including the Confessions Tour and Sticky & Sweet Tour. She also performed at the Super Bowl XLVI and with Rihanna. 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 were extended. In 2011, she was the main character in Michael Jackson's music video for "Hollywood Tonight".

Acting Career

Boutella in 2018

Sofia started dancing in films and TV shows when she was 17. She also appeared in commercials and concert tours. She played the main character, Eva, in the movie StreetDance 2 (2012). This film was a sequel 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 was in her first big movie, Kingsman: The Secret Service. This film really launched her acting career. The next year, she played the alien warrior Jaylah in Star Trek Beyond, which came out on July 22, 2016.

In 2017, she played a French secret agent in the film Atomic Blonde. She starred alongside Charlize Theron and James McAvoy. In the same year, she played the main character in The Mummy with Tom Cruise. GQ magazine called her "the best new action star of 2017."

After 2018, Sofia started getting more central roles. She appeared in the movie Climax. She also starred with Michael B. Jordan in the HBO film Fahrenheit 451. In Hotel Artemis, she played a French contract killer named 'Nice'.

In October 2019, she was in an episode of the Amazon Prime TV series Modern Love. In November 2021, Sofia was chosen for the main role in the sci-fi adventure film Rebel Moon. This movie was directed by Zack Snyder for Netflix. She also played Eve Mansour in SAS: Rogue Heroes in 2022.

Personal Life

Even though Sofia has lived in France since she was 10, she still feels very connected to her Algerian background. She has said that Algeria is very important to her. It is where she is from and where her family is. She feels Algerian and is proud of it.

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

Film and Television Roles

Sofia Boutella has been in many films and TV shows. Here are some of her roles:

Music Videos

Sofia Boutella has also appeared in many music videos for different artists:

See also

In Spanish: Sofia Boutella para niños