Soleil Moon Frye facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Soleil Moon Frye
Frye at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show
Born	(1976-08-06) August 6, 1976 (age 48) Glendora, California, U.S.
Education	San Fernando Valley Professional School
Alma mater	The New School
Occupation	Actress director producer screenwriter
Years active	1982–present
Spouse(s)	Jason Goldberg ​ ​ (m. 1998; div. 2022)​
Children	4
Parent(s)	Virgil Frye (father)
Relatives	Sean Frye (half-brother) Meeno Peluce (half-brother)

Soleil Moon Frye (born August 6, 1976) is an American actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. She started acting when she was just two years old. When she was seven, Soleil became famous for playing Penelope "Punky" Brewster in the NBC TV show Punky Brewster.

The show started in 1984. Even though its ratings weren't always high, the character of Punky was very popular with young kids. After NBC stopped the show, it was picked up by other TV stations and aired for two more seasons until 1988. Soleil played Punky again in a new version of the show in 2021, but it only lasted one season.

After Punky Brewster ended, Soleil continued acting in other TV shows and movies. She went to The New School in the late 1990s. In 1998, she directed her first movie, Wild Horses. From 2000 to 2003, she joined the cast of Sabrina the Teenage Witch as Roxie King, who was Sabrina Spellman's roommate and good friend.

Since then, Soleil has mostly worked as a voice actor. She is well-known for being the voice of Zoey Howzer in the Proud Family cartoons. In 1998, Soleil married producer Jason Goldberg, and they have four children together. She also opened a children's clothing store called The Little Seed and has written books about parenting.

Early Life and Education

Soleil Moon Frye was born in Glendora, California. Her father was an actor named Virgil Frye. Her mother, Sondra Peluce, worked as a talent agent and caterer. Soleil has two older half-brothers, Sean Frye and Meeno Peluce, who were also child actors. Her parents separated when she was two years old.

Soleil went to a private school in Los Feliz and later attended the San Fernando Valley Professional School in Burbank.

Acting Career Highlights

Becoming Punky Brewster

Soleil started her acting journey in 1982 with a TV movie called Missing Children: A Mother's Story. In 1983, she had a role in another TV movie, Who Will Love My Children?.

In 1984, Soleil auditioned for the main role in the new NBC show Punky Brewster. She was chosen out of more than 3,000 girls! The show began in September 1984. Even though it was on at the same time as a very popular news show, kids really loved the character of Punky. Soleil also voiced Punky in the cartoon version of the show, It's Punky Brewster.

The show was popular with kids aged 2 to 11, so NBC decided to keep it for a second season. In the second season, Punky Brewster talked about more serious topics, like CPR and the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. NBC canceled the show in 1986, but it was quickly picked up by other TV channels and aired for two more years, ending in 1988.

After Punky Brewster

After Punky Brewster finished, Soleil continued to act. She appeared in many TV shows as a guest star, including The Wonder Years, Saved by the Bell, and Friends. She also lent her voice to characters in cartoons like Tiny Toon Adventures, The Ren & Stimpy Show, and the pilot episode of Johnny Bravo.

From 2000 to 2003, Soleil played Roxie King in the last few seasons of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. She worked with her friend Melissa Joan Hart, who was also a producer on the show. During this time, she also became the voice of Zoey Howzer in the Disney Channel series The Proud Family and its movie. She returned to voice Zoey in the new series The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.

Soleil has also voiced the character Jade in the Bratz movies and TV show. In 2021, she returned to play Punky Brewster again in a new show on Peacock.

Directing and Other Projects

Behind the Camera

In 1996, Soleil moved to New York to study at The New School. She directed her first movie, Wild Horses, in 1998.

In 2004, Soleil directed her second film, a documentary called Sonny Boy. This movie followed a two-week trip she took with her father, Virgil, who had a memory illness. Sonny Boy won the Best Documentary award at the San Diego Film Festival.

In 2021, Soleil directed Kid 90, a documentary that used old home videos she filmed in the 1990s. The famous actor Leonardo DiCaprio was one of the producers for this film, which was released on Hulu.

Other Ventures

In 2007, Soleil and two friends opened a children's clothing store in Los Angeles called The Little Seed. It focused on eco-friendly products. The store later became an online business in 2012.

In 2010, Soleil and her friend Melissa Joan Hart started a campaign called "Better Together" for the detergent brand Gain.

Soleil has also written books. In 2011, she released Happy Chaos: From Punky to Parenting and My Perfectly Imperfect Adventures in Between. In 2013, she released a party-planning book called Let's Get This Party Started. She also hosted a web series and writes a blog on her website, both of which talk about parenting and topics important to women.

In 2014, Soleil co-founded a company called P.S. XO, which sold party decoration kits. It later changed its name to MoonFrye and expanded to include DIY kits for families. The company then joined with Seedling, which makes "activity kits."

Personal Life

In 1998, Soleil Moon Frye married TV producer Jason Goldberg in a Jewish ceremony. Soleil's mother is Jewish, and so is Jason. They have four children: two daughters born in 2005 and 2008, and two sons born in 2014 and 2016. They renewed their wedding vows in 2008. After 22 years of marriage, they separated in 2020 and their divorce was finalized in 2022.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Video Games

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Soleil Moon Frye para niños