Biography for
Sophia Myles More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

18 March 1980, London, England, UK

Birth Name

Sophia Jane Myles

Height

5' 6" (1.68 m)

Mini Biography

Sophia Myles, was born March 18, 1980 in England. A few years later, her brother, Oliver, was born. Her parents names are Peter and Jane. Her father is a vicar, a priest in the Anglican Church who is in charge of a parish and receives a salary but not the tithes of the church. Her mother works in publishing. Sophia lived in Notting Hill until she was 11 and attended Fox Primary School. Her father was later relocated to Isleworth, a suburb west of London.

At 16, Sophia starred in a school production of "Teachers" written by Kevin Godber. Among those in attendance, Julian Fellowes, the Oscar winning writer of Gosford Park (2001). Sophia was subsequently cast in the BBC production of "The Prince and the Pauper" (1996). Julian Fellowes worked on the script. Two years after her role in "The Prince and the Pauper" (1996), Sophia was cast as young "Saffron" in the TV mini-series "Big Women" (1998). In 1999, after recently enrolling in Cambridge University to study philosophy, she got a small part in Mansfield Park (1999) playing "Susan Price". Before heading to school, Sophia was cast as "Agnes Fleming" in the TV series, "Oliver Twist" (1999). (The series also starred Keira Knightley). After which, she dropped out to pursue acting.

After that, Sophia got a number of small parts in movies and television shows. Most notably, she was cast as Johnny Depp's wife in From Hell (2001). She also starred in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (2001) (TV), The Abduction Club (2002), "Heartbeat" (1992) and "Foyle's War" (2002); the latter 2 of which are TV series.

In 2003, Sophia got a supporting role in Underworld (2003) opposite fellow British beauty, Kate Beckinsale (Pearl Harbor (2001)). Up next, Sophia was cast in the thriller Out of Bounds (2003)) as "Louise Thompson", about an awkward young girl in an English boarding school who falls in love with her American art teacher who is married to the headmistress.

Later that same year, Sophia was cast in the big screen version of the English cult hit, Thunderbirds (2004). Though the movie didn't perform as expected, she earned praise for her role as the iconic "Lady Penelope". Soon, Sophia began working on Art School Confidential (2006), directed by Terry Zwigoff (Ghost World (2001)) playing an American who is the muse of a student in art school. Afterwards, she returned to her television roots, starring in Colditz (2005) (TV) as "Lizzie Carter", who is the object of affection and desire for 2 brothers. She then appeared in Marple: Sleeping Murder (2006) (TV) as a young woman who discovers that, as a child, she witnessed a murder.

Sophia was cast in Tristan + Isolde (2006). She played "Isolde", the fiery young Irish princess who is promised to an evil man, that she does not love. In 2006, she returned to television starring "Madame de Pompadour" in "Doctor Who" (2005) as the Doctor's love interest.

IMDb Mini Biography By: twotall525

Trivia

Father is a Vicar.

Quit University to pursue acting.

Has an exceptionally good ear for accents.

Her skills include Horse Riding, Skiing, Skating, Swimming.

Maternal grandmother was Russian.

Was accepted at Cambridge University to study Philosophy after getting straight As at A-level. However she chose to pursue her acting career.

Can speak German and French.

Listens to Tracy Chapman.

Her favorite film is The Goonies (1985).

She was spotted by actor and Oscar-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes in her school play and plucked out to play "Lady Jane Grey" in a BBC production of "The Prince and the Pauper" (1996).

Personal Quotes

I'm just pretending that this isn't real. You've got to continue living your life, otherwise it's so expensive! You've got to take taxis everywhere!

I sometimes think that if someone spoke to me the way I speak to myself, I would kick them. I've always been really ambitious, whatever I do. At school, I always wanted to be the best in the class - no, it wasn't enough to be the best in the class, I'd want to be the best in the country.

James Franco is Mr. Method, very intense. He scoured the globe for every single copy of the original story whereas I sat with a pint of Guinness and my script.

[on Tristan + Isolde (2006)] The funniest scene was where we drag James into the hut. We referred to that scene as the Franco Sandwich, me and Bronagh. When she drops down naked and said the line, "Ah, I haven't been naked with a man in 15 years!", we always used to find that so funny. You know when something kinda gets you and you just can't stop? I'd see him shaking and I'd start laughing... it took about 69 takes to do.

I've spent a lot of time in LA and I love it. A lot of Brits can't stand the place, but I like the west coast attitude and the way people celebrate success.

It's so difficult because, y'know, you're only as good as your last job in this business and sometimes it can take a while to shake a dull one off.

[on her first nude scene in Art School Confidential (2006)] Terrified. I was... I mean I had a no nudity clause for Tristan + Isolde (2006) because I didn't think it was appropriate I didn't think you needed to see anymore than you see to believe that we were in love or making love and quite often you see so much gratuitous nudity in films, especially from women, and my body is a very kind of precious thing to me. So when I was first sent the script and I opened it and flicked through it, and it says 'she enters and she disrobes' I thought no way and threw it across the other side of the room. I didn't really know who Terry Zwigoff was at this point and then it was actually James Franco who told me Terry Zwigoff is really good and you should think about that and I said 'no, no, no, no I couldn't possibly'. Apparently Terry scoured the country and I think other parts of the world... he is very, very picky about his casting and the producer had apparently got him by the throat and said 'look just tell us what you want'. There was about two weeks left before shooting and he said 'I don't know maybe like a young Kate Winslet' and I had met the producer Rus Smith when I was 21 in LA and he said 'okay I know where she is, that is fine' and they tracked me down. It was really when my agent Tony Howard ICM said 'listen you really should take it... you don't not take a meeting with Terry Zwigoff'. So I said 'fine' and they flew me out and we met at the Standard and just hit it off straight away and when I found out the rest of the cast that was attached like John Malkovich, Anjelica Huston, Jim Broadbent, Steve Buscemi...

Where Are They Now

(April 2006) Filming Hallam Foe (2007) in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

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