Brie Larson is not one of the biggest names in entertainment, but she should be. Larson has been an actress since the age of nine and has been active and relevant pretty much ever since. She is the actress that stays in the background of the Hollywood circuit and gets fair recognition for her brilliant roles, but never really reaches the superstardom we see with Jennifer Lawrence or Emma Watson (and they have been on the acting scene for a shorter time and in far fewer roles). Brie Larson is staring in “Room,” a drama about Joy Newsome, otherwise known as Ma (Larson), being held captive in “Room” with her five-year-old son, Jack. This movie already has a lot of positive reviews: it won the People’s Choice Award at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. It also has a 95% (!) on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.5 out of 10 on IMDb. The movie isn’t even set to be released until Nov 6, 2015 (Oct 16 in a limited release for New York and Los Angeles). To highlight how awesome Brie Larson is, and how long she’s been doing her thing, here’s a look back at some of her most popular roles.
Courtney Enders in “Right On Track”
This was only Larson’s second film role and she nailed it! She played the annoying, sometimes bratty and clingy little sister of Erica Enders, a real life professional drag racer (who currently holds the record for most NHRA national event wins by a female driver). The scene that sticks in my head is when she’s getting all the attention at the photo-shoot, totally working that camera.
Liz in “Sleepover”
In this 2004 movie, Larson starred beside many big names like Alexa Vega, Sara Paxton and Evan Peters. She plays Staci’s (Paxton) friend Liz, who was held back a year, so she’s able to drive, which a big deal if you’ve ever seen the film. She doesn’t have much screen time, but she nailed her sassy character.
Beatrice “The Bear” in “Hoot”
Based on the novel by the same name, “Hoot” features Larson as the tough, bully-esque soccer star Beatrice. She befriends the new kid, Roy (Logan Lerman), and they go on to save the burrowing owls along with her stepbrother “Mullet Fingers” (Cody Linley). I remember thinking that Beatrice was so badass and smart. I was really into soccer back then, so I literally wanted to be her.
Envy Adams in “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World”
This movie is definitely for a more selective audience, but I loved it. While it didn’t do that well at the box office, it received mostly positive reviews. Brie Larson played Scott’s (Michael Cera) ex-girlfriend, Envy Adams. Larson shows off her vocal chops in this role as the lead singer of the band The Clash at Demonhead. She’s edgy, sexy and just plain awesome in this one.
Molly in “21 Jump Street”
Anyone who’s anyone has most likely seen the 2012 adaptation of the 1987 TV series starring Johnny Depp. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum were obviously the main focus, but Larson played Hill’s love interest. She’s sarcastic, witty and smart. She goes between hooking up with Eric (Dave Franco) and dating Schmidt (Hill) in a very funny twist on the modern day dating scene.
Kim in “Trainwreck”
This is Larson’s most recent role. She co-stars as Amy (Schumer)’s younger sister, Kim. Kim is the levelheaded “mom” character. She is the complete foil to Schumer; Kim is married and getting ready to have a baby while Amy is allergic to commitment. Although Larson isn’t giving ridiculous one-liners, Kim’s staunch conventionalism just adds to the comedy in the movie.
Ma in “Room”
Now we are back to the role that may give Larson her first Oscar. “Room” is a complete opposite from all the movies on the list. Larson said on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “I have a long history of being cast in movies that I think are dramas, but then when I later find out when the movie comes out are comedies.” “Room” is definitely not a comedy. The trailer alone gave me chills. My friends and I are super excited to watch Brie Larson in her latest masterpiece, and I can’t wait to see how her career unfolds.