Sophie Nélisse is making waves in the film industry — not just for playing teenage Shauna in Showtime’s hit series Yellowjackets, but also in multiple upcoming projects that her fans are highly anticipating. And somehow, the 25-year-old actress is doing all this while still managing to work on her personal growth. (Talk about goals, right?) So, how does she do it all? Her Campus spoke with Nélisse at Her Conference 2025, where she served as a keynote speaker, to get the behind-the-scenes tea.
In case you somehow missed it, the renowned actress has been in the industry from a very young age, as her stardom began with the Oscar-nominated film, Monsieur Lazhar, before becoming super well-known for roles like The Book Thief and, of course, Yellowjackets. But before she was a screen star, Nélisse actually pursued a different passion: gymnastics. As a kid, Nélisse had dreams of being an Olympian, and although she ended up going a different (yet still highly successful) route, Nélisse says she carried on that competitive athlete’s spirit. “I’ve always liked to be molded by and learn from people around me and my coaches, and work really hard,” Nélisses tells Her Campus. “I think I’ve definitely conveyed that into acting.”
Nélisse has certainly learned a lot from her Yellowjackets co-stars, a cast which mostly comprises women. “I think we’re all so different as humans, which is very fun because I get to learn a little bit from everyone,” Nélisse says. “But also it’s important to know where you stand and to be able to not cross anyone’s boundaries.”
Nélisse gives major props to her Yellowjackets co-star, Courtney Eaton, who plays teenage Lottie, calling her one of the biggest inspirations in her life. The two quickly became best friends and have lived together in Vancouver while shooting the show. “She’s the kindest, most generous, sweet person I’ve ever met,” Nélisse says. “And she’s so strong and independent. [She] is the person that will shape my 20s and the woman that I will become. I look at her and all the spheres of her life that she handles with such grace.”
Not for nothing, Nélisse is handling her own life with grace as well. With Yellowjackets heavily exploring the theme of trauma and its lasting impact, Nélisse admits filming can affect her personal life at times. “If I look at the week when we shot, like the birthing episode, it was just so heavy that I feel like I was just exhausted when I got home,” she explains. However, Nélisse has figured out how to cope in those moments. As a film fanatic, she enjoys watching something entertaining to get her mind off a long day. She also enjoys taking a hike or a walk around the beach in Vancouver, where Yellowjackets is filmed.
Nélisse also has a love for self-development. “I think it’s something that you can never get tired of,” she says, naming financial literacy, the Spanish language, and politics as a few of the topics she’s dedicating time to these days. “You can always be a better version of yourself, and you can always evolve or get to know yourself a little better.”
Of course, she still has plenty of time for work, as she prepares for a new project with her bestie Eaton: an adaptation of Kathleen Glasgow’s BookTok-famous Girl in Pieces, in which she will be both acting and producing. “To be able to bring that vision to life myself, I feel very privileged,” she says, calling her new venture into producing “a bit scary, but very exciting.”
Fans can also look forward to Nélisse’s upcoming horror film, Whistle, involving a misfit group of teens who stumble upon an ancient and cursed Aztec Whistle. Despite often being surrounded by gore in Yellowjackets, Nélisse admits that she’s actually terrified of horror movies, but is “excited to see the final results” of this film.
Whether she’s acting, producing, or just trying to learn a new language, Nélisse is proof that you can chase your dreams and stay true to yourself. Honestly? We love to see it.