Sophia Reid-Gantzert | |
---|---|
Born | January 18, 2010 |
Nationality | Canadian |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 2017–present |
Sophia Reid-Gantzert (born January 18, 2010[1][2]) is a Canadian actress. She first gained recognition as a dancer after winning the Vienna International Ballet Experience, a competition in Austria, in the division of solo dancers age seven and under. After several minor roles, Reid-Gantzert played Karen Brewer in The Baby-Sitters Club (2020–present) to critical acclaim. In 2021, she portrayed the lead role of Willa Ward in Netflix series Scaredy Cats, and appeared in the films Psych 3: This Is Gus and 8-Bit Christmas.
Early life
Sophia Reid-Gantzert was born to Kerri-Ann and René Gantzert, the youngest of six children; she is from Port Coquitlam. An aspiring dancer, Reid-Gantzert attended Encore Dance Academy from the age of two.[1] She transferred to Caulfield School of Dance in September 2014 to study jazz, musical theatre, and ballet. At the age of six, she won the Vienna International Ballet Experience, a competition in Austria, in the division of solo dancers age seven and under.[1] Reid-Gantzert has also trained at the Paris Opera Ballet and Danceworks Ballet Academy.[3] Aside from ballet, she also dances modern, acro, tap, and contemporary.[4] Following a viewing of Matilda the Musical, Reid-Gantzert hoped to become an actress.[5] As of 2016, she studied at Meadowridge School in Maple Ridge, British Columbia.[1] After receiving a ballet scholarship in 2018, she moved to London.[6] As of 2020, Reid-Gantzert does distance education, though on set, she is taught in a classroom with a teacher.[7]
Career
At the age of six, a talent agent contacted Reid-Gantzert's parents after seeing a news article about her; subsequently, she took an acting class and received her first audition.[8] Reid-Gantzert first appeared onscreen in 2017 television film The Sweetest Christmas as Harper.[9][10] That same year, she made a guest appearance on Once Upon a Time in "One Little Tear" as young Anastasia.[11] In 2018, she acted in television film Darrow & Darrow: In the Key of Murder and short film Hearts & Minds.[10] For the latter, Indie Shorts Mag praised her portrayal, calling her touching and convincing.[12]
In 2020, she played the recurring role of Karen Brewer, the outspoken and strange daughter of Watson Brewer (Mark Feuerstein), in The Baby-Sitters Club. The performances garnered critical praise, with Reid-Gantzert often recognised for particular acclaim. From The Hollywood Reporter, Robyn Bahr found her to be a theatrical standout,[13] while Screen Rant credited her "fantastic" portrayal to making the character likable;[14] Alexis Gunderson of Paste listed the series' entire cast as one of the best performances of 2020, singling out Reid-Gantzert's "deliciously unhinged take on Karen Brewer, which will haunt [her] (in the best, most hilarious way) for the rest of [her] life".[15] In October 2020, the show was renewed for a second season.[16]
In October 2021, Netflix released Scaredy Cats, where she played the lead role of Willa Ward, a girl who discovers she is a witch on her 12th birthday. Decider's Joel Keller regarded her performance as smart, real, and "slotted right in between precocious and silly";[17] Joly Herman, a Common Sense Media writer, disagreed, considering the acting "less-than-great".[18] That same month, The Baby-Sitters Club's second season was released, to further acclaim.[19] From Paste, Kaitlin Thomas opined that her delivery of dialogue defies her youth and produces interest in seeing more of her.[20] Reid-Gantzert also appeared as Lily Lassiter Psych 3: This Is Gus, released in November.[21][22] Co-star Timothy Omundson enjoyed working with her and called her "terrific" and "lovely".[23][24] Screen Rant said her casting "could not have been any better", stating that the character was enhanced majorly by her "winning portrayal".[25] In the HBO Max film 8-Bit Christmas, she portrayed Annie Doyle,[26] for which Los Angeles Times applauded her "excellent timing".[27]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | The Sweetest Christmas | Harper | Television film |
2017 | Once Upon a Time | Young Anastasia | Episode: "One Little Tear" |
2018 | Darrow & Darrow: In the Key of Murder | Sarah Wylkes | Television film |
2018 | Hearts & Minds | Abby | Short film |
2018 | Santa's Boots | Gigi | Television film |
2019 | Easter Under Wraps | Madison Bailey | Television film |
2020–present | The Baby-Sitters Club | Karen Brewer | Recurring role; streaming series |
2021–present | Scaredy Cats | Willa Ward | Lead role; 9 episodes; streaming series |
2021 | Psych 3: This Is Gus | Lily Lassiter | Television film |
2021 | 8-Bit Christmas | Annie Doyle | Streaming film |
2022 | Two Sentence Horror Stories | Angela Manderley | Episode: "Teatime"[28] |
References
- ^ a b c d Warren, Janis (April 5, 2016). "Port Coquitlam Ballerina Dazzles Vienna". Tri-City News. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- ^ Reid-Gantzert, Sophia [@sophiareidgantzert] (January 18, 2022). "11 years ago today I discovered icing. We've been pretty good friends ever since. Thank you to all of you who have made my birthday so special. You're the icing on the cake! 🎂🥰🥰🥰". Retrieved January 19, 2022 – via Instagram.
- ^ Gibbs, Lynn (July 24, 2020). "The Baby-Sitters Club: 10 Things to Know About the Young Cast". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- ^ Reid-Gantzert, Sophia [@sophiareidgantzert] (August 9, 2020). "Ballet AMA" (Instagram highlight). p. 16. Retrieved October 15, 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ Reid-Gantzert, Sophia [@sophiareidgantzert]. "BSC AMA" (Instagram highlight). p. 6. Archived from the original on November 25, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ Reid-Gantzert, Sophia [@sophiareidgantzert] (August 9, 2020). "Ballet AMA" (Instagram highlight). p. 14. Archived from the original on November 25, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ Reid-Gantzert, Sophia [@sophiareidgantzert]. "BSC AMA" (Instagram highlight). p. 10. Archived from the original on November 25, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ Reid-Gantzert, Sophia [@sophiareidgantzert]. "BSC AMA" (Instagram highlight). p. 2. Archived from the original on November 25, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ "The Sweetest Christmas". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ a b "Sophia Reid-Gantzert Movies". Moviefone. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ "One Little Tear". Once Upon a Time. Season 7. Episode 9. December 8, 2017. ABC.
- ^ "Hearts & Minds Shows the Tell-Tale Journey of an Ex-Army Veteran Dealing with PTSD..." Indie Shorts Mag. November 14, 2018. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ Bahr, Robyn (July 2, 2020). "The Baby-Sitters Club: TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ Arellano-Summer, Noemi (September 8, 2020). "The Baby-Sitters Club: Top 10 Favorite Side Characters". Screen Rant. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ "The 21 Best TV Performances of 2020". Paste. December 14, 2020. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ Anderson, Jenna (October 28, 2020). "The Baby-Sitters Club Season 2 Renewed by Netflix". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ Keller, Joel (October 5, 2021). "Stream It or Skip It: Scaredy Cats on Netflix, a Kids' Series About a Girl Learning to Use Her New Witchy Powers for Good". Decider. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ Herman, Joly (October 6, 2021). "Scaredy Cats". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on November 19, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ "The Baby-Sitters Club: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
- ^ Thomas, Kaitlin (October 11, 2021). "The Baby-Sitters Club Season 2 Remains a Heartwarming Escape". Paste. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ Singh, Prerna (November 18, 2021). "Psych 4 Release Date, Plot and Cast Details". The Cinemaholic. Archived from the original on November 19, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ Thomas, Kaitlin (November 18, 2021). "Psych 3: This Is Gus Review: A Silly Mystery Still Makes for an Emotionally Satisfying Movie". TV Guide. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ Omundson, Timothy (November 13, 2021). "Psych 3's Timothy Omundson Opens Up: 'It's a Pretty Incredible Thing' to Have Lassiter's Journey Mirror My Own". TVLine. Interviewed by Matt Webb Mitovich. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
- ^ Omundson, Timothy; Lawson, Maggie (November 18, 2021). "Timothy Omundson & Maggie Lawson Interview: Psych 3". Screen Rant (Interview). Interviewed by Tatiana Hullender. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
- ^ Daley, Katerina (November 21, 2021). "Psych 3: Every Guest Star, Ranked". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
- ^ "8-Bit Christmas". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
- ^ Ordoña, Michael (November 24, 2021). "Review: Is Christmas the Season of Nintendo or the Opiate of the Masses? Two New Movies Chime In". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
- ^ Leszczynski, Jimmy (January 21, 2022). "Two Sentence Horror Stories S03E04 First-Look Had Us At "Evil Dolls"". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved February 2, 2022.