Sophie Stone

(She/Her)

Sophie’s breakthrough project is the TV series Falling.

An unseen fire was lit under Sophie at the age of 12 that has propelled her throughout her career so far and seen her become a champion for authenticity and visibility on screen. The spark that lit that fire was a film and stage production, about disability rights advocate Helen Keller, which inspired her to channel her frustration at stories about lived experience being told through a very particular lenses and performed in ways that didn’t feel authentic into performances that create change.

Sophie’s breakthrough project Falling is all about showing other people’s perspectives. Set in the catholic world of nuns and priests but reflecting on the bigger picture of life and whether we are really free to choose our paths the show sees her use BSL throughout, with the language playing an integral part of how her character and her character’s brother know how to read each other the most.

The first deaf student to win a place at the British drama school Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), Sophie’s route into acting has been one of utter perseverance. She remembers knocking on doors, writing letters to workshops, slipping into adult classes, competitions, drama groups, drama festivals, and “lipreading my way through everything until RADA”. So where does she keep continuing to find inspiration? For her it’s been about teachers who believed in her, people who are open to learning and enriching their practice to enable others to discover or bring their best work, and an admiration of other people’s work and valuing what it took for them to build their craft.

In her own words…

“Sometimes frustration is fuel, not seeing enough investment in people who deserve to be seen or have stories told, makes me want to be part of the change. I’m inspired by what hasn’t been done yet where there is a need to start.

“Every ‘no’ from the industry has only ever made me see the power of that one ‘yes’ – it is the start of a conversation. And every conversation is a new cog in the system. It has built resilience and perseverance, without which I wouldn’t believe in a world where someone like me could survive or thrive in this industry. Visibility is vital, a lifeline for many. I’ve learnt to never underestimate the power of possibility by learning about and from each other. The graft *is* the work sometimes.”