She might only be 17 years old, but if Sophia Lillis of the new adaptations of Stephen King's It seems familiar, it's because the young actress has already made her mark in many other projects. From children's films to thrillers for adult audiences, Lillis has already demonstrated a wide range of skills in her short career.
Lillis is also starring in a number of upcoming projects, including the titular role of Gretel in the fantasy-horror film Hansel and Gretel. She will also be starring as a runaway named Ally in Before I Sleep and as Cecilia, a scientist's daughter, in the drama The Burning Season. Naomi Watts will play her mother in the movie.
Rude Elemental, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Director Julie Taymor's 2015 live theatrical adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream was filmed as a one-night event performed at the Theatre For A New Audience in Brooklyn. Lillis's role was a minor one as one of the many rude elementals, but the entire cast is thought to have performed phenomenally in the romantic comedy that scored 100% at Rotten Tomatoes.
Taymor's production has been widely lauded as one of the best adaptations of the work, with her performances frequently selling out, so it's fortunate that those of us who'll never see this version live can see the recorded version.
Nancy Drew, Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase is for sale on DVD racks nationwide right now, and while the movie evened out at a 65% score among both critics and fans at Rotten Tomatoes, Lillis's performance itself was deemed a good one. In this retelling of a Nancy Drew classic, Nancy has to investigate a supernatural presence in the home of an elderly woman.
The movie has some modern updates, including online bullying, and this version of Nancy is quite different from the version played by Emma Roberts in the 2007 film, which also received mixed reviews but was widely considered a cute film by fans.
Debbie Bernstein, 37
While the film 37 explored the true story of Kitty Genovese's assault and murder and themes like the bystander effect, it just wasn't a successful movie overall, flopping among both viewers and critics with respective ratings of 26% and 22% at Rotten Tomatoes. Most agreed that it was a harrowing dramatization but that it just didn't make an effective movie.
Even so, Lillis's minor role as Debbie Bernstein, a youth with mental health issues who lives in the care of her grandparents, was played well. The actors are among the 37 witnesses who saw or heard the attack on Genovese and did nothing to help save her life.
Kristen Bell And Dax Shepard's Daughter, "Santa's Coming For Us" Sia Video
Lillis has starred in so many harrowing roles that her time in Sia's "Santa's Coming for Us" had to be a nice, fun break. The lighthearted holiday video has a cute nostalgic vibe and features two other adorable young stars, Lillis's fellow It star Wyatt Oleff and Caleb McLaughlin of Stranger Things fame.
In the video, Lillis not only gets to goof around with Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard, which is pretty much everyone's celebrity parent fantasy, but she also wears super cute holiday clothes and red and green hair. Her dancing in the video is nothing short of wholesome and we can't help but wish we could have been invited to this party.
Sophia, Tiny Mammals
Tiny Mammals was an interesting fantasy/drama short made in 2017. It's the story of 12-year-old twins who attempt to give Bibles to people in their neighborhood, only to find out that they are left alone during an evacuation due to a storm. The kids, Sophia and Jacob, are played by Lillis and her real fraternal twin, Jacob.
It's a moving tale, particularly for a short, that audiences. With a distinctive Southern style and elements of magic, it puts a new take on a coming-of-age tale. Lucy Walters also stars, and the short itself is narrated by No Country for Old Men's Beth Grant.
Luc, The Garden
Another short that Sohia Lillis has starred in is the 14-minute sci fi mystery/fantasy The Garden, directed by Natalia Iyudin and written by Dmitry Iyudin and Natalia Iyudin. In it, humans mus all be converted into forms of artificial intelligence for their own survival and Lillis, of course, portrays the one young person who would rather give her own life rather than become this inhuman being.
Lillis once again shows how she can cross genres and give a moving performance as a teen actor, and we love how as a rebel she's not against the machine in a traditional sense as a freedom fighter or warrior, but a ballerina.
Dancer/Plant, War On Drugs "Nothing to Find" Video
If you haven't seen the "Nothing to Find" music video by War on Drugs, you'll be pleasantly surprised to notice that Lillis has a starring role as the passenger in the car driven by what can only be described as a plant person. It's a good song and bit of a weird video, and Lillis lip sings the song's lyrics alongside her wacky driver.
There are some adorable moments in the plantmobile, including one where Lillis playfully runs a toy dinosaur along the plant-person's arm. She also dances on top of a pool table, looks out the window pensively and boogies with the plant person outside before the living seed bomb's unfortunate demise. At the end of the video, she discovers that she, too, is turning plantie.
Movie Trivia Schmoedown
If you've ever thought that you saw Sophia Lillis in a game show, it was probably Movie Trivia Schmoedown, a weekly competition where celebrities and industry professionals compete to see who has the most knowledge about movies. Lillis was in the episode "The 'It' Losers Club" with her fellow cast mates from the horror film, Finn Wolfhar, Jaeden Lieberher, Jack Dylan Grazer, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs and Jeremy Ray Taylor.
While Lillis is herself in this role, she's also competing for the win and it's both adorable and hilarious to watch the kids answer questions about Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and other fandoms that you might be surprised they know very little about!
Addie, The Lipstick Stain
Sophia Lillis's first short, The Lipstick Stain, was written and directed by Dagny Looper in 2014. Lillis is the young protagonist who attempts to connect with her father, with whom she is estranged. He also runs the funeral parlor in her hometown.
This little film highlights universal experiences like loneliness and loss. It also pits the sensitivity of youth against the cynicism and coldness of seasoned adults who don't seem to remember what it was like to be young or, to be fair, have let the cruelties they've seen cloud their own compassion. It's not a particularly well-rated film but Lillis still gives the stirring performance that we're becoming accustomed to seeing from this young actress.
Young Camille Preaker, Sharp Objects
Sharp Objects was a masterpiece of a debut novel, possibly even better than Gillian Flynn's other hits like Gone Girl and Dark Places. It's much more than a dark coming-of-age tale but a disturbing horror that followed in the footsteps of other scary stuff on Lillis's resume. Perhaps this award-winning actress will redefine what it means to be a scream queen.
Rotten Tomatoes gave the HBO miniseries a fresh rating of 92%, and while Lillis was only the young Camille in the show she definitely did the character justice, bringing her to life with nuance and maturity.