Marie-Sophie Nélisse is a renowned Canadian actress born on March 27, 2000, in Windsor, Ontario.
Of French-Canadian descent, she moved with her family to Montreal, Quebec, at the age of four, where she was raised in a bilingual household fluent in both French and English.
Nélisse initially pursued a passion for gymnastics, training rigorously with dreams of competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics, but her entry into the entertainment world began at age seven through commercials to fund her athletic pursuits.
Siblings
Sophie shares a close-knit family dynamic with her two siblings, an older brother named Vincent Nélisse and a younger sister named Isabelle Nélisse.
Isabelle, born on December 3, 2003, has followed in her sister’s footsteps as an actress, gaining prominence for her lead role in the 2013 horror film Mama and appearances in projects like HBO’s The Tale.
The sisters have collaborated professionally on several occasions, including the TV series Mirador, the film Wait Till Helen Comes in 2016, and the drama Worst Case, We Get Married, showcasing their shared talent and familial bond.
Career
Nélisse’s acting career began modestly at age seven with appearances in commercials, but it gained momentum with her film debut at age 10 in the 2012 French-Canadian drama Monsieur Lazhar, where she portrayed the poignant role of Alice L’Écuyer, a student grappling with grief.
This performance not only introduced her to international audiences but also solidified her reputation as a prodigy.
Her breakthrough came in 2013 with the lead role of Liesel Meminger in the war drama The Book Thief, an adaptation of Markus Zusak’s bestselling novel, where she depicted a young girl’s resilience amid Nazi Germany, sharing the screen with Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson.
Following this, Nélisse portrayed young Joan Fischer in the 2014 biographical film Pawn Sacrifice, about chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer, and took on the titular role in the 2015 adaptation of The Great Gilly Hopkins, a coming-of-age story.
She continued to diversify her portfolio with roles in thrillers like Mean Dreams (2016), where she played Casey Caraway alongside Josh Wiggins, and the sports drama 1:54 (2016), earning her a spot in the Toronto International Film Festival’s Rising Stars program that year.
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In 2018, she starred in the psychological thriller Close, directed by Vicky Jewson, and followed with leading roles in 47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019), a shark thriller, and The Rest of Us (2019), a family drama.
Television work has also been significant, including a recurring role in the Quebec sitcom Les Parents and her portrayal of Mavy Ducasse in the medical drama Transplant (2020).
Her most prominent ongoing role is as the teenage Shauna Shipman in the Showtime series Yellowjackets since 2021, a psychological thriller about a stranded girls’ soccer team that has garnered critical acclaim and multiple Emmy nominations for the show.
More recently, Nélisse starred as Irena Gut in the 2023 historical drama Irena’s Vow, based on the true story of a Polish nurse saving Jews during World War II, and appeared in films like The Kid Detective (2020) and Aller Simple (2023).
In April 2025, it was announced that she and actress Courtney Eaton acquired the film rights to Kathleen Glasgow’s novel Girl in Pieces, signaling her growing influence behind the camera as well.
Throughout her career, Nélisse has balanced French and English-language projects, often attending high-profile events like the Cannes Film Festival in 2016 for Mean Dreams, and she continues to enjoy gymnastics as a hobby when not filming.
Accolades
At just 11 years old, Nélisse won the Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role and the Jutra Award (now known as the Prix Iris) for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Monsieur Lazhar in 2012, making her one of the youngest recipients in the history of these Canadian honors.
Her portrayal of Liesel Meminger in The Book Thief earned her a nomination for the Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actress in an International Feature Film in 2014, along with a win for Breakthrough Performance at the Hollywood Film Festival in 2013 and a Satellite Award for Best Youth Performance in 2014.
These accolades highlighted her ability to convey profound emotional depth beyond her years.
For her work in Yellowjackets, Nélisse submitted for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Season 2 in 2023, though she did not receive a nomination, her performance in episodes like “Qui” drew widespread praise from critics and fans for its raw intensity, with many arguing it deserved recognition.
Additional honors include her selection for the Toronto International Film Festival’s Rising Stars program in 2016, which provided professional development opportunities, and various nominations for films like 1:54 and Close.
Nélisse’s contributions have also been celebrated in Canadian cinema circles, with her work contributing to the cultural spotlight on bilingual talent, and as of 2025, her acquisition of film rights to Girl in Pieces further cements her evolving stature in the industry.
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