AnnaSophia Robb

AnnaSophia Robb

Robb at the July 2006 ComicCon
Born AnnaSophia Robb
December 8, 1993 (1993-12-08) (age 17)
Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Occupation Actress, singer, model
Years active 2004–present
Website
http://www.annasophiarobb.com/

AnnaSophia Robb (pronounced /ˌɑːnəsoʊˈfiːə ˈrɒb/;[1] born December 8, 1993) is an American film and television actress. She gained prominence in 2005 with starring roles in Because of Winn-Dixie and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and subsequently starred in the 2007 film Bridge to Terabithia and the 2009 film Race to Witch Mountain.

Contents

Personal life

Robb was born in Denver, Colorado, the daughter of David and Janet Robb. She was named after her maternal great-grandmother, Anna Sophie, and her paternal grandmother, Anna Marie.[1] She enjoys singing, snowboarding, rafting, and reading, particularly the Harry Potter series and historical fiction.[2]

Robb competed in dance and gymnastics for four and a half years, but quit in order to focus on acting.[1] She attends a public high school in Centennial, Colorado,[3] and she plans to attend college afterwards.[1] Robb is a Christian.[4][5]

Robb has said that she is of English, Scottish, Danish, Swedish and Irish descent.[6]

Career

After starring in a commercial for McDonald's, Robb made her acting debut in 2004; she had a small role in the episode "Number One Fan" of the television series Drake & Josh (her character informs Josh that the group only joined the Campfire Kids so they could hang out with their friends and eat free food). Her first major role was as the title character in the television special Samantha: An American Girl Holiday. Her hair was dyed dark brown for the part.

Robb's two big-screen appearances in 2005 were both adaptations of popular children's books. She starred as Opal in Because of Winn-Dixie and as the competitive and rude gum-chewer Violet Beauregarde in Tim Burton's remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The latter was a major box office success worldwide, and helped escalate Robb's popularity among preteen audiences. She became friends with many of her co-stars, including Julia Winter and Missi Pyle (who played her on-screen mother, Scarlett), and enjoyed working with Johnny Depp. She requested that the scene of Violet hugging Wonka in the factory's entrance hall be included in the film.

In 2005, Robb was the face of Trad Clothing, helping to design and model a fashion line for girls. In 2006, she had a guest role on the cartoon show Danny Phantom as the voice of Danielle "Dani" Fenton but was replaced.

Robb played Leslie Burke in Bridge to Terabithia, which opened in U.S. theaters on February 16, 2007. She recorded a song for the soundtrack titled "Keep Your Mind Wide Open", and the accompanying video received rotation on the Disney Channel.[1][7] The song appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 at #90 during the week of March 1, giving Robb her first charting single.[8] Robb was a fan of the book before being cast in the role, saying that it "touched me in a way I hadn’t been touched by a book before."[2]

Robb went on to appear in The Reaping, along with Spy School, Jumper (in which she played the younger version of Rachel Bilson's character Millie) and the drama Have Dreams, Will Travel. Robb's performance in the film Sleepwalking garnered praise; Time film critic Richard Schickel said, "There is a wonderful range to Robb's work...this is extraordinarily mature acting from someone this young and she wins our sympathy without once begging for it."[9]

Robb starred alongside Dwayne Johnson in Race to Witch Mountain, which was released in March 2009.[10] She is also set to star in Garry Marshall's Dear Eleanor with Spencer and Abigail Breslin, and will voice Periwinkle in Tinker Bell: A Winter Story in 2011.

Earlier in 2010, she filmed The Space Between with actress Melissa Leo. She also recently finished filming Soul Surfer in the role of Bethany Hamilton, who continued to surf after losing her arm in a shark attack.[11]

Awards

On March 30, 2008, Robb won her first career award when she was named Leading Young Actress at the Young Artist Awards for her role in Bridge To Terabithia. The film itself won a Young Cast award.[12] On 24 April 2009, she received the Horizon Award at the 14th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival. She was awarded the Rising Star Award at the Denver Film Festival on November 12, 2009.[11]

As actress

Year Film Role Notes
2005 Samantha: An American Girl Holiday Samantha Nominated - Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special - Leading Young Actress
2005 Because of Winn-Dixie India 'Opal' Buloni Nominated - Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film (Comedy or Drama) - Leading Young Actress
2007 Bridge to Terabithia Leslie Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actress
Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Ensemble Cast
Nominated - Critics' Choice Award for Best Young Actress
2009 Race to Witch Mountain Sara Kids Pick Flicks award for Best Kid Actress

Other

Year Group Award Result
2009 Palm Beach International Film Festival Horizon Award Won
Denver Film Festival Rising Star Award Won

Filmography and TV

Year Title Role Notes
2004 Drake & Josh Liza episode "Number One Fan"
Samantha: An American Girl Holiday Samantha made-for-television; aired on November 23
2005 Because of Winn-Dixie India 'Opal' Buloni released on February 18 Based on The Novel.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Violet Beauregarde released on July 15
2006 Danny Phantom Danielle (Dani) Phantom voice episode "Kindred Spirits"
2007 Bridge to Terabithia Leslie Burke released on February 16
The Reaping Loren McConnell released on April 5
2008 Jumper Young Millie released on February 14
Have Dreams, Will Travel
(also called A West Texas Children's Story)		 Cassie Kennington Cannes Film Festival premiere on May 21, 2007. Official release TBA.
Sleepwalking Tara released March 14
Spy School
(also called Doubting Thomas or Lies And Spies)		 Jackie Hoffman made-for-television, aired on August 13 (US) and now available on DVD (UK)
2009 Race to Witch Mountain Sara released March 13
2010 The Space Between Sam post-production
Soul Surfer Bethany Hamilton in production
2011 Tinker Bell: A Winter Story Periwinkle voice, In production
Dear Eleanor Upcoming

Chart history — singles

Year Single Album Chart position
U.S.
2007 "Keep Your Mind Wide Open" Bridge to Terabithia OST 90

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lee, Michael J. (2007-02-05). "AnnaSophia Robb". Radio Free Entertainment. http://www.radiofree.com/profiles/annasophia_robb/interview02.shtml. Retrieved 2007-02-13. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Roberts, Sheila (2007-02-12). "AnnaSophia Robb Interview, Bridge to Terabithia". Movies Online. http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_11262.html. Retrieved 2007-02-12. 
  3. ↑ "Actress tries to live normal life". Arapahoe Herald. 2009-03-13. http://my.hsj.org/Schools/Newspaper/tabid/100/view/frontpage/schoolid/806/articleid/267893/newspaperid/782/Actress_tries_to_live_normal_life.aspx. Retrieved 2010-04-05. 
  4. ↑ Grace, Rebecca (2005-02-21). "An Interview with AnnaSophia Robb, 11-Year-Old Star of Because of Winn-Dixie". ChristiansUnite.com. http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion02301.shtml. Retrieved 2007-02-21. 
  5. ↑ Landes, Jeremy (2005-02-18). "Encouraging Kindness". Christian Spotlight on the Movies. http://www.christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2005/becauseofwinndixie2005-interview.html. Retrieved 2007-02-21. 
  6. ↑ Spáčilová, Tereza (June 4, 2009). "Hvězda z Karlíka a továrny na čokoládu Robbová: Johnny Depp mě nebavil". iDNES.cz. Archived from the original on September 1, 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5sQ0Emedv. Retrieved September 1, 2010. 
  7. ↑ CBS4 (2007-03-03). "Denver Actress Stars in 'Bridge To Terabithia'". CBS4Denver.com. http://cbs4denver.com/local/Colorado.News.Entertainment.2.556919.html. Retrieved 2009-12-17. 
  8. ↑ Hasty, Katie (2007-03-01). "Mims' 'This Is Why I'm Hot' at No. 1 on Hot 100". M&G. http://music.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1271569.php/Mims_This_Is_Why_Im_Hot_at_No._1_on_Hot_100. Retrieved 2007-03-26. 
  9. ↑ Richard Schickel (2008-03-14). "Sleepwalking: A Jaunt Down Mangled Main Street". TIME. http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1722514,00.html. Retrieved 2008-03-19. 
  10. ↑ Hollywood Reporter Two 'Witch Mountain' vets return: Actors who played kids in original are back for the remake 29 April 2008 Retrieved 30 April 2008
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 www.annasophiarobb.com/News
  12. ↑ 29th Annual Young Artist Awards

External links