Ruby Barnhill (born 16 July 2004) is an English actress. She played the lead role of Sophie in Disney's live-action adaptation of The BFG, directed by Steven Spielberg, in 2016.[1][2] She also subsequently provided the voice of Mary Smith in the English dub of 2017's Mary and the Witch's Flower, a film from Studio Ponoc directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi.
Barnhill was born on 16 July 2004 in Knutsford, Cheshire, England. She lives with her parents and younger sister in Cheshire, and she is a member of the local youth theatre.[3]
In 2024, it was confirmed that Barnhill would voice Aurora in the English dub of Studio Ponoc's The Imaginary.[4] Prior to this announcement, Barnhill's acting career seemed to be on hiatus as she had not been in anything since 2019's Princess Emmy, in which she voiced the title character. Back in 2016, Barnhill said in an interview that she was being careful not to let her instant fame go to her head. She admitted: "I'm not sure I want to do anymore films. I like the idea of becoming a director – TV or maybe theatre – or a drama teacher."[citation needed]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The BFG[5] | Sophie | Nominated – London Film Critics Circle Award for Young British/Irish Performer of the Year Nominated – Young Artist Award for Best Young Leading Actress Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor |
| 2018 | Mary and the Witch's Flower | Mary Smith | Voice; English dub |
| 2019 | Princess Emmy[6] | Princess Emmy | Voice |
| 2024 | The Imaginary[7] | Aurora | Voice; English dub |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–2017 | 4 O'Clock Club | Isobel | 14 episodes |
