Whatever happened to Sofia Vassilieva?
Happy birthday to Sofia Vassilieva, who turns 22-years-old today, October 22. What is she doing to celebrate her big day? Well, it's hard to say. In fact, it's hard to find out anything about what Sofia has been up to lately. Since today is her birthday, let's take a look back.
Early modelling shots
Born in Minnesota to Russian immigrant parents, Sofia got her start in modeling. In 2000, she won first runner-up for Child Model of the Year at the International Modeling and Talent Association in New York City, which launched her acting career. After small roles in two TV movies, The Agency and The Brady Bunch in the White House, Sofia got her big break when she beat out Dakota Fanning for the title character in Eloise at the Plaza and its sequel Eloise at Christmastime, both based on classic children's books. She was nomiated for Young Artist Award for this role but lost to Katie Boland for Salem Witch Trials. In 2004, at age 11, she was cast in her longest-running role, as the oldest daughter on the TV drama Medium, which won her Young Arist Award in 2006.
Age 14 at the 2007 BAFTA/LA Tea Party
In 2009, after eight years of acting, Sofia got her star-making role. After Dakota and Elle Fanning dropped out of My Sister's Keeper (supposedly because Dakota refused to shave her head), Sofia and Abigail Breslin were cast in their places. Now, it's hard to imagine anyone else doing Sofia's role so well. Playing a cancer-stricken teen - and bravely shaving her head for the role - 2009's My Sister's Keeper brought Sofia to a new level of celebrity. Everybody was buzzing about her performance, with many even praising it as Oscar-worthy. The spotlight hit Sofia at the perfect time: at 16, she was free of awkward stage and had grown into her uniquely-shaped face and lips.
Age 16 at the 2009 New York City premiere of My Sister's Keeper
But after getting the attention that so many young starlets crave, Sofia did something unexpected. Instead of immediately signing another big role, she did the opposite and began acting less. She started studying at Columbia University in 2010, at age 17, and has not done a theatrical film since then (only one TV movie, Call Me Crazy, and a few other projects). She did continue her work on Medium until the show wrapped in 2011, but she asked for less screentime so that she could focus on her studies. "I've been very lucky with the show, because they've always let me pursue academics," she said in 2010. "It’s funny - I came to Columbia, and the girls on my floor recognized me from Eloise, not from Medium or My Sister's Keeper. Somebody came up and said, 'I don't know if anybody's ever told you, but you look a lot like Eloise.'"
Age 19 at the 2013 premiere of Call Me Crazy
This was one of Sofia's last public appearances to date
Sofia graduated from Columbia in May 2014, with an Honors degree in linguistics (she is trilingual in English, Russian, and French) and a special concentration in business management. But she hasn't rushed back into acting since her getting out of school. In fact, neither her official website or Twitter page has seen an update in years. Clearly, whoever manages Sofia's career is not concerned with keeping her in the public eye... which is an incredibly rare, refreshing thing these days. (After all, these days, even 7-year-old Aubrey Anderson-Emmons has her own Twitter account.) Like Mara Wilson and a few others, Sofia might simply decide to walk away from acting and do something different as an adult. Or maybe she'll return to the screen and become even bigger than she was in '09. Only time will tell. After all, she's still just 22.
Filming My Sister's Keeper with Abigail
Early modelling shots
Born in Minnesota to Russian immigrant parents, Sofia got her start in modeling. In 2000, she won first runner-up for Child Model of the Year at the International Modeling and Talent Association in New York City, which launched her acting career. After small roles in two TV movies, The Agency and The Brady Bunch in the White House, Sofia got her big break when she beat out Dakota Fanning for the title character in Eloise at the Plaza and its sequel Eloise at Christmastime, both based on classic children's books. She was nomiated for Young Artist Award for this role but lost to Katie Boland for Salem Witch Trials. In 2004, at age 11, she was cast in her longest-running role, as the oldest daughter on the TV drama Medium, which won her Young Arist Award in 2006.
Age 14 at the 2007 BAFTA/LA Tea Party
In 2009, after eight years of acting, Sofia got her star-making role. After Dakota and Elle Fanning dropped out of My Sister's Keeper (supposedly because Dakota refused to shave her head), Sofia and Abigail Breslin were cast in their places. Now, it's hard to imagine anyone else doing Sofia's role so well. Playing a cancer-stricken teen - and bravely shaving her head for the role - 2009's My Sister's Keeper brought Sofia to a new level of celebrity. Everybody was buzzing about her performance, with many even praising it as Oscar-worthy. The spotlight hit Sofia at the perfect time: at 16, she was free of awkward stage and had grown into her uniquely-shaped face and lips.
Age 16 at the 2009 New York City premiere of My Sister's Keeper
But after getting the attention that so many young starlets crave, Sofia did something unexpected. Instead of immediately signing another big role, she did the opposite and began acting less. She started studying at Columbia University in 2010, at age 17, and has not done a theatrical film since then (only one TV movie, Call Me Crazy, and a few other projects). She did continue her work on Medium until the show wrapped in 2011, but she asked for less screentime so that she could focus on her studies. "I've been very lucky with the show, because they've always let me pursue academics," she said in 2010. "It’s funny - I came to Columbia, and the girls on my floor recognized me from Eloise, not from Medium or My Sister's Keeper. Somebody came up and said, 'I don't know if anybody's ever told you, but you look a lot like Eloise.'"
Age 19 at the 2013 premiere of Call Me Crazy
This was one of Sofia's last public appearances to date
Sofia graduated from Columbia in May 2014, with an Honors degree in linguistics (she is trilingual in English, Russian, and French) and a special concentration in business management. But she hasn't rushed back into acting since her getting out of school. In fact, neither her official website or Twitter page has seen an update in years. Clearly, whoever manages Sofia's career is not concerned with keeping her in the public eye... which is an incredibly rare, refreshing thing these days. (After all, these days, even 7-year-old Aubrey Anderson-Emmons has her own Twitter account.) Like Mara Wilson and a few others, Sofia might simply decide to walk away from acting and do something different as an adult. Or maybe she'll return to the screen and become even bigger than she was in '09. Only time will tell. After all, she's still just 22.
Filming My Sister's Keeper with Abigail