A rising star has been lost too soon.
Sophie Nyweide—who, as a child, acted in movies such as Mammoth, Noah and An Invisible Sign—died on April 14, her loved ones confirmed in an obituary. She was 24.
“Creative, athletic and wise beyond her years, Sophie accomplished so much in the time she danced upon earth,” the obituary read, adding, “literally – she danced as she moved!”
Her loved ones praised Sophie for her dedication to competitive snowboarding, which she began at the of age of 5, and the ease with which she began acting.
“She seemed happiest on a movie set, becoming someone else,” her obituary read. “It was a safe place for her,” acknowledging the casts and crews “who nourished her talent and her well being.”
Sophie’s loved ones noted her ability to see “the good in everyone,” adding her “‘family’ wasn’t just her immediate family,” but instead included the families of her those closest to her.
And while her obituary did not share a specific cause of death, it did acknowledge some of the struggles she’d faced in life.
“Sophie was a kind and trusting girl,” the obituary continued. “Often this left her open to being taken advantage of by others.”
While noting Sophie often drew and wrote about her pain, her loved ones added, “Even with those roadmaps, diagnoses, and her own revelations, those closest to her, plus therapists, law enforcement officers and others who tried to help her are heartbroken their efforts couldn’t save her from her fate.”
Scott Wintrow/Getty Images for NYILFFHer obituary noted she self medicated and that “it resulted in her death.”
In addition to sharing a link to donations in support of RAINN (the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), her loved ones added of her passing, “Sophie. A life ended too soon. May it not be in vain. May we all learn from her brief life on earth and do better. Yes, we must all protect our children and do better.”
Sophie’s mother Shelly Gibson, an actress herself, one shed light on her daughter’s dedication to and fascination with acting during her childhood in Vermont.
As Shelly explained of Sophie in a 2010 interview with The Times Argus, “She grew up in this movie theater and slept in the movie theater and had a little bed in the projection booth and watched many movies.”
LegacyAnd even then, at 9 years old, Sophie had been sure about her calling. “I kept wondering what would it be like if I could see myself on that screen,” she added in the interview alongside her mom. “What would it feel like to be doing this? Would it be hard, would it be easy? I wanted to try it.”
Soon enough, her dream came to fruition. In fact, her performance in 2010’s An Invisible Sign alongside Jessica Alba earned her much praise.
“The film’s best performance comes from a 10-year-old,” film critic Jeannette Catsoulis wrote in 2011. “Playing a near-motherless tyke, little Sophie Nyweide (who looks like a diminutive Emily Watson and already has five films under her belt) should have a glowing future.”
