You can’t deny that actress Sophie Reynolds is going places. At only 18 years old, she has already made a name for herself in Hollywood with her recognizable roles in Disney XD’s Gamers Guide to Pretty Much Everything opposite Cameron Boyce and now YouTube Red’s latest series,Youth & Consequences. Having grown up an accomplished dancer, she’s no stranger to the spotlight and knows how to hold an audience captive. We’re so excited to see where she goes next.
Reynolds took some time out of her busy schedule to chat with Her Campus about her role in Youth & Consequences, her admiration for best friend Cameron Boyce and her inspirations in the entertainment industry.
Her Campus: You made your television debut on Disney XD’s Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything, but now currently star in the YouTube Red original series, Youth & Consequences. How do the two experiences compare? Do you feel like you’ve grown out of the so-called “Disney phase”?
Sophie Reynolds: I have absolutely loved working on both shows. Some of my favorite memories were made on both sets and I’ve been lucky to work with some incredible people on both shows. When I was on Gamer’s Guide I was still in high school, so our work hours were shorter by law and we had to do school on set. Juggling school and work was difficult but it was also a good reminder that even though I was surrounded by adults in this professional environment, I was still young and I should enjoy that. Honestly, the biggest similarity between the two projects was how much I loved both casts. We filmed Youth & Consequences in Utah and I learned nothing brings you closer than being in a small town far from home with a bunch of people who only have each other. We would get together for weekly game nights and frequently went adventuring around Utah together during our free time. The content of the show was definitely more mature and serious than Gamer’s Guide, but we had just as much fun making it.
I suppose you could say I’ve grown out of the “Disney phase,” but I’ve never really looked at it that way. I finished working on Gamer’s Guide at 17 and started Youth & Consequences at 18, so it really felt like a natural transition and I was just growing into more mature content.
HC: You worked extensively with Cameron Boyce in Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything and seem to have gotten extremely close. What do you admire about him as not only an actor but as a person?
SR: Well, Cameron is one of my best friends, so the list of things I admire about him is long! As an actor, he’s really dynamic. Watching him act and acting with him always feels exciting, even if we’ve done the scene ten times already. He’s also incredibly considerate of the crew and always very well-prepared. As a person, he’s one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met. Cameron is always one hundred percent himself and never let’s anything change him. He’s just happy being him and I think that’s such a beautiful quality. His energy makes everyone around him happier and he’s great friend. Like I said, I could go on and on forever!
HC: What was your favorite part about filming Youth & Consequences? Is there anything you didn’t like?
SR: I think one of my favorite parts of filming Youth & Consequences was being on a set surrounded by so many strong women. Anna Akana was not only the star of our female-centric cast, but also served as an executive producer. Every episode of our show was also directed by a woman. Being able to work on a set where women have the strongest voice wasn’t something I’d experienced before, so that was very inspiring for me and was also a great opportunity for me to learn from some amazing women in this industry. I’m very proud to be a part of something that had such strong female representation both in front of and behind the camera. My one complaint is that we only got to do eight episodes for this season and I would have loved to shoot more!
HC: Tell us about your character in Youth & Consequences. Her clique seems to be a bit mean girl-ish.
SR: I play Plain Jane, one of the girls in Farrah’s crew. Jane has a huge heart, which is one of the things I love most about her. Throughout the season, Jane is going through this struggle to find herself and her voice. She loves her friends, but I think she hasn’t always felt like she totally belongs with them. Jane is just trying to figure out who she is and get past her own insecurities, and I think that’s something most people have gone through at some point in their lives and so they can relate to that.
I think one of my favorite things about our show is how Plain Jane and the other “popular” girls at school are really strong, but they aren’t actually mean. You don’t have to be a bully to be admired. I think a lot of teen shows have that stereotypical mean girl queen bee of the school, and it’s been really exciting to be on a show that isn’t feeding into that stereotype. Farrah, the leader of the group, actually fights against social injustice throughout the show. Plain Jane might be popular, but she’s also a good person, and I hope that she can be an example to young people.
HC: How has your extensive experience with dance helped you as an actress and vice versa? Do you prefer one performance art over the other?
SR: Dance is the reason I’m acting now. I don’t think I would have found acting if it wasn’t for dance because that’s what taught me how much I love self-expression through art and it’s also what gave me such a strong work ethic. I definitely prefer acting now, but it all started with my love of dance and my true love of performing from a very young age.
HC: Who in the entertainment industry do you admire? Is there anyone you’d love to shadow for a day?
SR: There are so many people in this industry that I admire. To name a few I’d say Emma Stone, Meryl Streep, Greta Gerwig, Reese Witherspoon, and the list goes on. I think if there was someone I’d love to shadow right now it’d probably be Reese Witherspoon. The work she does not only as an actress, but as a producer is inspiring. Her production company has given female-centric stories a chance to be heard, and as a young woman in this industry I am thankful for that.
HC: You’re at an age when many young women are finishing up their first year of college. Did you ever think about attending college? If so, where and what would you want to study?
SR: I have definitely thought about attending college many times and if I weren’t an actress, I would be in school now. If I ever do attend college, I want to be able to give it all my focus, which would require a long break from working as an actor and I’m not quite ready for that. I think I would study film if I did go. I think education is valuable and I know that college is always an option I can choose. I don’t have any current plans to attend, but who knows what the future holds!