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Sofia Boutella

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Sofia Boutella
Boutella in 2017
Born (1982-04-03) 3 April 1982 (age 43)
Bab El Oued, Algiers, Algeria
Alma materBerklee College of Music
Occupations
  • Actress
  • dancer
  • model
Years active1998–present
FatherSafy Boutella

Sofia Boutella (Arabic: صوفيا بوتلة; born 3 April 1982)[1] is an Algerian-French actress, dancer and model.[2][3][4][5][6] Born in Algiers, she emigrated to Paris at the age of 10. Shortly thereafter, she started rhythmic gymnastics, joining the French national team at the age of 18. She began dancing in film and television shows, as well as in commercials and concerts. She was one of Madonna's backup dancers for six years, performing in numerous music videos and at the 2012 Super Bowl.[7] As an actress, her breakthrough role came in 2012 in the British film, StreetDance 2.

She went on to appear in the well-received films Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), Star Trek Beyond (2016), Atomic Blonde (2017), Climax (2019), Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021), and the Rebel Moon duology (2023, 2024), among others.[8] In 2017, she portrayed the titular character in the American fantasy action-adventure film The Mummy. As a model, Boutella has featured in a series of Nike ads and videos, choreographed by creative director Jamie King.[9]

Early life

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Sofia Boutella was born in the Bab El Oued district of Algiers, Algeria,[10] to an architect mother and a jazz musician father, Safy Boutella.[11] Her brother, Seif, works as a visual effects artist in the entertainment industry.[12][13] Her surname means "the men of the mountains". She was raised in a household that cultivated artistic expression and creativity. Boutella described her childhood as a happy one, stating that she was "blessed to be born into a family that allowed me to express myself, to be myself and let out all sorts of colours that were living in my imagination and in my heart."[14]

With her family's encouragement, Boutella started classical dance education when she was five years old. In 1992, at the age of 10, she left Algeria with her family in the midst of the Algerian Civil War and moved to France.[4] Shortly thereafter, she started rhythmic gymnastics, joining the French national team at age 18. She later graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.[15][16][17][18]

Dancing career

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Growing up in Paris, Boutella was exposed to many more forms of dance, particularly hip hop and street-dance, which intrigued her for offering more "freedom" compared to the more disciplined styles of ballet and gymnastics.[14] She joined a group called the Vagabond Crew, which won the Battle of the Year in 2006, and participated in a spin-off group called "Chiennes de Vie and Aphrodites".[citation needed] She has cited Fred Astaire, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Bob Fosse as artistic influences.[19]

Her breakthrough as a dancer came in 2007, when she was picked for the Jamie King choreography for Nike Women's "Keep Up" campaign, serving as a role model of femininity and hip-hop.[20][14] This was a major boost to her career and led to more work alongside stars like Madonna, in her Confessions Tour, Sticky & Sweet Tour, Super Bowl XLVI and Rihanna.[17][20] She credits her work with Madonna for helping her learn English.[21]

Boutella successfully auditioned for the Michael Jackson This Is It tour, but could not attend due to the extension of the Madonna tour, whose dates coincided with the Jackson tour.[22] She was the main character in the music video for "Hollywood Tonight" by Michael Jackson in February 2011.[23][22]

Acting career

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Boutella in 2018

Beginning at age 17, Boutella rehearsed with famed Spanish choreographer Blanca Li. She began dancing in film and television shows, as well as in commercials and concert tours.[17][20]

She played the lead character Eva in the drama film StreetDance 2 (2012),[24] the sequel to StreetDance 3D (2010).

In 2014, after 12 years as a dancer, Boutella sought a career in acting. Initially, she purposefully avoided auditioning for lead roles, wishing to play supporting characters so as to learn from more experienced actors.[3] In 2015, she appeared in her first major film, Kingsman: The Secret Service, which jump-started her career as an actress.[25] One year later, she appeared as the alien warrior Jaylah in Star Trek Beyond, released on 22 July 2016.[26]

In 2017, she portrayed a French secret agent in the David Leitch film Atomic Blonde, which also featured Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman and Toby Jones. The same year, she played the titular character in The Mummy, along with Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe and Annabelle Wallis. Also that year, GQ called her "the best new action star of 2017" while Vanity Fair said she was "this season's breakout action star."[27]

Beginning in 2018, Boutella's profile rose, and she began to appear in more central roles. That year, she appeared in the Gaspar Noé dark psychological horror film Climax, starred alongside Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon in the HBO drama film Fahrenheit 451,[28] and portrayed French contract killer 'Nice' in the near-future action crime thriller Hotel Artemis, alongside Jodie Foster, Jeff Goldblum, and Dave Bautista.

In October 2019, she starred in episode 5 of the first season of Amazon Prime's Modern Love.

In November 2021, Boutella was cast as the lead in the sci-fi adventure film Rebel Moon directed by Zack Snyder for Netflix.[29]

Boutella played the fictional female Free French spy Eve Mansour in SAS: Rogue Heroes in 2022 and reprised the role for the second series released in 2025.[30]

Personal life

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Although she has lived mostly in France since age 10, Boutella maintains strong ties to her Algerian roots and identity. In an interview she stated:

Algeria is a country that is dear to me, because it's where I'm from, where my family is from, it's my home. That will never leave me. I feel very worldly. But leaving a place like that when you're so young doesn't come without missing a sense of identity and belonging to one place. I think I've been blessed with the ability to travel, because I'm fearless to go anywhere, but I miss a sense of home, which was originally Algeria. But I feel Algerian, I'm proud to be Algerian and I carry that with me wherever I go.[14]

From March 2014 until October 2018, Boutella was in a relationship with Irish actor Robert Sheehan.[31][32]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Tile Role Notes Reference
2002 Le Défi [33]
2005 Permis D'Aimer Lila [34]
2006 Azur et Asmar La Fée des elfes Voice role [35]
Megatánc (Megadance) [36]
2007 The Confessions Tour: Live from London Dancer [37]
2012 StreetDance 2 Eva [38]
2014 Kingsman: The Secret Service Gazelle [39]
2015 Tiger Raid Shadha [40]
2016 Star Trek: Beyond Jaylah [41]
2017 The Mummy Ahmanet [42]
Atomic Blonde Delphine Lasalle [43]
2018 Climax Selva [44]
Fahrenheit 451 Clarisse McClellan [45]
Hotel Artemis Nice [46]
2021 Settlers Ilsa [47]
Prisoners of the Ghostland Bernice [48]
2023 Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire Kora [49]
2024 The Killer's Game Maize Arnaud [50]
Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver Kora [51]
Argylle Saba Al-Badr [52]
2026 DreamQuil Rebecca Post-production [53]
TBA Tower Stories TBA Post-production [54]
Moral Capacity Andrea Post-production [55]
Basics of Philosophy Rebecca Richards Post-production [56]
Only What We Carry Charlotte Levant Post-production [57]

TV Series

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Year Title Role Notes Reference
2004 Les Cordier, juge et flic Maya Episode: "Temps mort"
2007 Supermodelo
2010 Dancing with the Stars Episode: "Macy's Stars of Dance"
2019 Modern Love Yasmine 2 episodes [58]
2022 Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities Dr. Zahra 1 episode [59]
2022–2025 SAS: Rogue Heroes Eve Mansour 12 episodes [60]

Music videos

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References

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  1. ^ "UPI Almanac for Wednesday, April 3, 2019". United Press International. 3 April 2019. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2019. dancer/actor Sofia Boutella in 1982 (age 37)
  2. ^ AlloCine. "Sofia Boutella". AlloCiné.
  3. ^ a b "How Sofia Boutella Is Redefining Her Action Stardom". The Hollywood Reporter. 8 June 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Sofia Boutella Is the Best New Action Star of 2017". GQ. Condé Nast. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  5. ^ "Introducing Sofia Boutella, Your Newest Mummy". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  6. ^ "La Momie: Sofia Boutella, une danseuse franco-algérienne adoptée par Hollywood". 14 June 2017.
  7. ^ "Sofia Boutella: From dancing for Madonna to Mummy dearest". Time Out Melbourne. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  8. ^ "Sofia Boutella | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  9. ^ Edwards, Shanee (25 July 2016). "17 things to know about Sofia Boutella, 'Star Trek Beyond's' breakout star". SheKnows. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  10. ^ Lachichi, Mohamed-Chérif (21 August 2016). "Sofia Boutella, de Bab El-Oued à Hollywood / Sofia Boutella, from Bab El-Oued to Hollywood". Liberté (in French). Algeria. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2019. Née le 3 avril 1982 à Alger, dans le quartier mythique de Bab El-Oued... / Born April 3, 1982 in Algiers, in the mythical district of Bab El-Oued...
  11. ^ "Sofia Boutella, l'Algérienne qui a conquis Hollywood". TSA (in French). 10 June 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  12. ^ "IndieLondon: Streetdance 2 – Sofia Boutella interview – Your London Reviews". indielondon.co.uk.
  13. ^ Morrow, Brendan (8 June 2017). "Sofia Boutella's Family: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  14. ^ a b c d "Meet Sofia Boutella: Bazaar's June Cover Star". Harper's BAZAAR Arabia. June 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  15. ^ Aktar, Alev (22 May 2018). "How Sofia Boutella went from backup dancer to movie star". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  16. ^ "Sofia Boutella stars in new Foo Fighters music video". Arab News. 11 November 2020.
  17. ^ a b c "Sofia Boutella Biography". Sofia Online. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  18. ^ "Sofia Boutella biography and filmography | Sofia Boutella movies". Tribute.
  19. ^ Gamboa, Shéyen (September–October 2009). Gamboa, Shéyen (ed.). "Sofia Boutella, la force et la beauté" [Sofia Boutella, strength and beauty] (PDF). Juste Debout (in French). No. 24. Paris. pp. 14–18. ISSN 1772-189X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 October 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  20. ^ a b c "Biography of Sofia Boutella". African Success. Archived from the original on 1 December 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  21. ^ "Meet Star Trek's New Warrior". Time. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  22. ^ a b c Vogel, Joe (14 March 2011). "Exclusive: Inside Michael Jackson's "Hollywood"". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 16 March 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  23. ^ "Michael Jackson – Hollywood Tonight". YouTube. michaeljacksonVEVO. 9 March 2011. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.
  24. ^ "All Street Dance Streetdance 2 (3D) Vertigo Films official press release". All Street Dance. 26 May 2011.
  25. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (29 October 2013). "Matthew Vaughn's 'The Secret Service' Gets A Femme Fatale In Sofia Boutella". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013.
  26. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (10 April 2015). "'Kingsman's Sofia Boutella Lands Lead In 'Star Trek 3'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  27. ^ Kilkenny, Katie (8 June 2018). "How Sofia Boutella Is Redefining Her Action Stardom". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  28. ^ "'Mummy' Star Sofia Boutella Joins Michael B. Jordan in 'Fahrenheit 451'". The Hollywood Reporter. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  29. ^ Kroll, Justin (2 November 2021). "Zack Snyder Taps Sofia Boutella To Star In His New Sci-fi Adventure 'Rebel Moon' At Netflix". Deadline Hollywood.
  30. ^ "French Algerian actress Sofia Boutella begins year with 'SAS Rogue Heroes'". Arab News. 4 January 2025. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  31. ^ O'Toole, Jason. "The Full Hot Press Interview with Robert Sheehan". Hot Press. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  32. ^ "Robert Sheehan on girlfriend Sofia Boutella: 'You're staring at five months apart, but it always works out'". Irish Independent. 5 February 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  33. ^ Hadadi, Roxana (4 March 2024). "The Action Sofia Boutella Wants to See". Vulture. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  34. ^ Krim, Rachida (26 October 2005), Permis d'aimer (Romance), Fejria Deliba, Charles Berling, Sofia Boutella, Elzévir Films, France 2 (FR2), retrieved 30 September 2025
  35. ^ Ocelot, Michel; McIntyre, Ian (25 October 2006), Azur et Asmar (Animation, Adventure, Family), Cyril Mourali, Karim M'Riba, Hiam Abbass, Nord-Ouest Films, Mac Guff Ligne, Artémis Productions, retrieved 30 September 2025
  36. ^ Beau McMahon (14 March 2007). Sophia Boutella at Megadance. Retrieved 30 September 2025 – via YouTube.
  37. ^ "Sofia Boutella: Madonna made me dance better | Madonnarama". Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  38. ^ Montreal Gazette (10 April 2012). Former dancer with Madonna, Sofia Boutella. Retrieved 30 September 2025 – via YouTube.
  39. ^ "Sofia Boutella | Actress, Soundtrack". IMDb. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  40. ^ Dixon, Simon (7 October 2016), Tiger Raid (Action, Crime, Drama), Brian Gleeson, Damien Molony, Sofia Boutella, Samson Films, Story, Bord Scannán na hÉireann / The Irish Film Board, retrieved 30 September 2025
  41. ^ Lin, Justin (22 July 2016), Star Trek Beyond (Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi), Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Paramount Pictures, Skydance Media, Alibaba Pictures Group, retrieved 30 September 2025
  42. ^ Kurtzman, Alex (9 June 2017), The Mummy (Action, Adventure, Fantasy), Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella, Annabelle Wallis, Universal Pictures, Dark Universe, Perfect World Pictures, retrieved 30 September 2025
  43. ^ Leitch, David (28 July 2017), Atomic Blonde (Action, Thriller), Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Focus Features, 87Eleven, Chickie the Cop, retrieved 30 September 2025
  44. ^ Noé, Gaspar (15 March 2019), Climax (Drama, Horror, Music), Sofia Boutella, Romain Guillermic, Souheila Yacoub, Rectangle Productions, Wild Bunch, Les Cinémas de la Zone, retrieved 30 September 2025
  45. ^ Bahrani, Ramin (20 May 2018), Fahrenheit 451 (Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller), Michael B. Jordan, Aaron Davis, Cindy Katz, HBO Films, Noruz Films (I), Outlier Society, retrieved 30 September 2025
  46. ^ Now, Ed Symkus More Content. "Sofia Boutella, the mystery woman in 'Hotel Artemis,' danced her way into acting". The Register-Guard. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  47. ^ Rockefeller, Wyatt (23 July 2021), Settlers (Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller), Sofia Boutella, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Brooklynn Prince, Brittle-Star Pictures, Film Constellation, Intake Films, retrieved 30 September 2025
  48. ^ Sono, Sion (17 September 2021), Prisoners of the Ghostland (Fantasy, Horror, Thriller), Nicolas Cage, Sofia Boutella, Nick Cassavetes, Patriot Pictures, Eleven Arts, Baked Studios, retrieved 30 September 2025
  49. ^ "Sofia Boutella Kicks Her Way to a Leading Role in 'Rebel Moon' (Published 2023)". 22 December 2023. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  50. ^ Perry, J. J. (13 September 2024), The Killer's Game (Action, Comedy, Thriller), Dave Bautista, Dmitrij Kalacsov, Mia Rouba M.Kiss, Dogbone Entertainment, Endurance Media, K. JAM Media, retrieved 30 September 2025
  51. ^ "Sofia Boutella Kicks Her Way to a Leading Role in 'Rebel Moon' (Published 2023)". 22 December 2023. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  52. ^ Vaughn, Matthew (2 February 2024), Argylle (Action, Comedy, Thriller), Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Apple Original Films, Cloudy Productions, Marv Films, retrieved 30 September 2025
  53. ^ Prager, Alex, Dreamquil (Horror, Mystery, Thriller), Elizabeth Banks, Kathryn Newton, Juliette Lewis, Brownstone Productions (II), Landay Entertainment, Big Valley Pictures, retrieved 30 September 2025
  54. ^ Greenaway, Peter, Tower Stories (Drama), Dustin Hoffman, Helen Hunt, Sofia Boutella, Facing East Entertainment, Jumpy Cow Pictures, The Family, retrieved 30 September 2025
  55. ^ Anderson, Brad, Moral Capacity (Thriller), Diane Lane, Tim Robbins, Sofia Boutella, Sobini Films, Square Eyed Pictures, retrieved 30 September 2025
  56. ^ Schrader, Paul, Basics of Philosophy (Drama), Dana Delany, Bill Pullman, Sofia Boutella, retrieved 30 September 2025
  57. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (27 October 2025). "Simon Pegg, Sofia Boutella, Charlotte Gainsbourg & Quentin Tarantino Starring In 'Only What We Carry'; QT's Biggest Screen Role In Years". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  58. ^ "Sofia Boutella Stars in Amazon's "Modern Love" - Hayat Life". Hayat Life. 6 January 2020. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  59. ^ "Guillermo del Toro's CABINET OF CURIOSITIES Trailer Unlocks Twisted Frights". Nerdist. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  60. ^ "Sofia Boutella promotes BBC drama 'SAS Rogue Heroes'". Arab News. 16 November 2024. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  61. ^ a b c d e f g "Sofia BOUTELLA" (in French). AgencesArtistiques.com. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  62. ^ a b c Kelly, Juno. "Sofia Boutella : That Welcome Rush of Fear". Flaunt Magazine.
  63. ^ Rigby, Sam (7 September 2017). "Watch Take That's music video for 'Get Ready For It'". Attitude. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  64. ^ Furdyk, Brent (12 June 2018). "Paris Jackson Gets Emotional In Thirty Seconds To Mars' New Video For 'Rescue Me'". Entertainment Tonight Canada. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  65. ^ Nolfi, Joey (26 June 2019). "Madonna features shocking mass shooting scene in 'God Control' music video". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 27 June 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  66. ^ Reilly, Nick (10 November 2020). "Dave Grohl on Foo Fighters' 'Shame Shame' video: "It's darker than anything we've ever done"". NME. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  67. ^ Masini, Patrice (26 February 2020). "Katia the runaway (official video) starring Sofia Boutella". lulu_films, Homemade Productions. Retrieved 13 March 2023.

Further reading

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  • H. W. Wilson (2017). Current Biography Yearbook 2017 (78th ed.). Ipswich, Massachusetts: Grey House Publishing. ISBN 978-1-61925-848-8.
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