Photographer: Ben Cope
Styling: Adena Rohatiner
Hair: Hair by Frankie Payne at Opus Beauty using Oribe
Makeup: Makeup by Myxii White at Opus Beauty using NARS
Model : Sophie Dalah
Sophie Dalah is a 24 years old actress that can currently be seen in Brad Baruh & Meghan Leon’s indie feature film NIGHT DRIVE. She grew up dancing and singing and knew that she wanted to be an actress around the age of 15.
She is best known for her lead roles in DEAD NIGHT (2017) opposite Daniel Roebuck, Barabara Crampton, and Joy Osmanski and SATANIC (2016) opposite Sarah Hyland, Justin Chon and Anthony Carrigan. Her first job was in Angelina Jolie/Universal Pictures’ UNBROKEN where she portrayed “Virginia Zamperini”, Jack O’Connell’s character’s younger sister.
Flanelle : Can you tell us a little bit about yourself
Since the age of 5, I was in dance classes and went to my dance school every Saturday. Taking classes throughout the day, I’d start with tap, ballet, jazz, and hip hop. One year I had a really long break between classes and wanted to fill up some of the time, so I decided to take the acting class I really enjoyed it. I kept going with it, deciding to take acting more seriously and took courses at NIDA.
When I booked my first role, I was still in high school and I was deciding what I wanted to do with my life. Getting to shoot a film in my summer holidays ended up being such a pivotal moment for me, getting to experience life on site. I was so sure that pursuing my dream as an actor is what I wanted to do with my life.
What attracted you to begin a career as an actress?
What initially attracted me to acting was the feeling that you experience when you’re up in front of an audience. When you feel truly out of the body. I was so so so shy at my dance school because it was quite competitive and was not the best dancer. I loved dancing, but I certainly wasn’t great at it, so I always felt insecure about that. I still do love dancing! My acting class gave me an opportunity to open up in front of people.
What is your acting process?
Really just trying to understand the character and the journey that she’s going through in the midst of the storyline. I use a range of methods whatever I can do to understand the world of the character.
Of all the roles you have portrayed in the past, which is your favorite ?
It’s hard to say, but I’ve been so fortunate to participate in plays and films where I’ve got to explore such complex characters. I feel like my response always changes with this question depending on how I reflect back on the experience. I had so much fun in Dead Night because I got to work with prosthetics that really feed the character and what she’s going through. There are so many intricate details that the makeup department thinks of helps me add layers to what is happening to my character.
Which was your hardest and why ?
Charlotte from Night Drive, she was the hardest to find the humanity in because she’s presented in a way where you’re kind of against her. But as an actor, I tried to do my best to see that she was just in pursuit of what she needed and she wasn’t gonna let anyone get in her way.
What, or who, has been your inspiration this past year ?
I think just the sheer amount of television that I’ve been watching has really inspired me as an actor and taught me so many things about the world, bout people, and about the complex nature of our existence.
Michaela Cole, the creator and lead actress in the series ‘I May Destroy You’. She so cleverly portrays her story and raises so many important questions. I think she’s truly inspiring and that everyone should watch her show and listen to her talk.
What would be your dream role ?
Any story that I can learn from, that anyone can learn from.
Getting to tell a story that I care about, a place in a project like that would be a dream role for me.
What are your hobbies and interests besides acting ?
I am super passionate about food and cooking.
If you weren’t acting, what career path would you have taken ?
I think that if I wasn’t an actress I would work really really hard at trying to open some sort of food-related business. Maybe a cafe or a Bodega, something like that.
