Before Sophie Thatcher rose to prominence as a scream queen, battling creepy boogeymen and exchanging intense monologues with Hugh Grant, she was already immersed in the world of horror. In fact, her path into the genre seemed almost destined, sparked by early memories of making homemade horror movies with her twin sister, Ellie. It’s clear that Sophie’s love for the genre runs deep—she grew up embracing the thrilling and chilling elements of storytelling that have now propelled her to the forefront of the genre, starring in hits like Heretic, The Boogeyman, and the popular Showtime series Yellowjackets.
As a child, Sophie wasn't just a passive consumer of horror; she was creating it. In fact, on her 10th birthday, she took charge of a zombie film project. With her friends gathered around for the occasion, she assigned roles, dressed them in costumes, and splattered them with fake blood, all in the spirit of a good horror flick. The film, titled Propagation, was something she fondly remembers—even though, as she jokes, she didn’t quite grasp the meaning of the word at the time. The movie still exists in her Google Drive, and Sophie has even shared it with her Yellowjackets co-stars. It's a testament to how early her passion for the genre began to form.
Fast forward to today, and Sophie is not only continuing her horror film journey but is expanding her horizons with Companion, a thrilling, twist-laden horror flick that hits theaters on Friday. In it, she portrays Iris, a young woman who joins her boyfriend Josh (played by Jack Quaid) and his friends for a weekend getaway. Things quickly take a dark turn when Iris discovers she’s not human at all, but instead a companion robot. Playing this role was a challenge for Sophie, particularly because the character requires a delicate balance between being too human and too robotic.
Sophie admits she was initially concerned about whether she could pull off such a nuanced role. “I was really scared I wouldn’t be able to,” she confesses. “I had to figure out how to make Iris seem human enough for the audience to sympathize with, but also robotic enough to maintain that sense of artificiality.” To achieve this, Sophie adjusted her voice and posture, emphasizing a sense of attentiveness to others, as though Iris was always programmed to please. Her background in dance also proved invaluable, as it helped her refine Iris’s physicality. "Dance teaches you how to be aware of your body," she says, and that sense of awareness is something that translated into her performance as Iris.
The uniqueness of the character is evident from the start. Even her voice has a certain smoothness to it, almost too perfect to be real. Sophie describes it as having "charm and warmth, but it's a little too smooth," making it clear from the get-go that there’s something off about Iris. Despite this, Sophie found herself connecting with the character on a deeper level. "I felt her anxieties," she reveals. "I felt her insecurity. I felt her desperate need to please." These emotions weren’t foreign to Sophie—she could relate to Iris’s inner turmoil, having experienced similar feelings in her own life, both as an actor and in personal relationships.
Sophie sees Companion not just as a sci-fi horror movie but as a commentary on relationships, control, and autonomy—issues that resonate with many people today. In fact, she describes it as a "breakup story," one that deals with reclaiming bodily autonomy after being trapped in a toxic situation. "It's about finding yourself after getting lost in a toxic relationship," she explains, adding that the themes of control are incredibly timely. "It feels like, as a woman, you don’t really have control over your own body." For Sophie, playing a character like Iris was cathartic, as she fought for her independence, much like many women do in real life.
Interestingly, the backdrop of artificial intelligence in Companion adds another layer to the conversation about control. With the current uncertainty about AI’s potential impact on Hollywood, Sophie sees the film’s message as a reminder that technology itself isn’t inherently good or bad. It’s all about how humans choose to use it. "AI is just a tool," she reflects. "What matters is how we use it."
Filming Companion came at a time when the Hollywood actors strike was underway, with AI at the center of the conversation. Sophie calls this a "slap of reality," recognizing that the film's themes of control, technology, and power dynamics became eerily relevant in light of the ongoing strike.
Sophie’s journey into acting began long before she ever set foot on a movie set. Growing up in Chicago, she watched her older sister Emma perform in plays, and it was in those early moments that Sophie realized she had a passion for acting. "It just seemed so exciting," she recalls. "A fun way to engage people." This spark of interest quickly evolved into a desire to pursue acting herself. By the age of 11, she was already performing professionally in The Secret Garden, an experience that left her feeling exhilarated and hooked on the craft. "It was like chasing a high after that," she admits.
Initially, Sophie thought she would remain focused on theater, but in 2016, she landed a role in Chicago P.D., which marked her TV debut. However, it was her breakout role as young Natalie in Yellowjackets that truly put her on the map. The show, which alternates between timelines, featured Sophie’s portrayal of a younger version of Natalie, a role originally played by Juliette Lewis. Season 2 of Yellowjackets took a dramatic turn, with adult Natalie meeting an untimely death. Despite this, Sophie continues to portray her as a teenager in Season 3, though filming without the adult Natalie was a major shift for her. "There was freedom, but also pressure," Sophie admits. "I wanted the character to stand on her own, to be interesting in her own right."
Despite the challenges, Sophie finds that the new season of Yellowjackets has moments of "lightness" that she didn’t expect. She teases that this might be the "healthiest" version of Natalie we’ve seen so far, though she also warns that the character doesn’t have much going on in the first few episodes. “There’s definitely more to come,” she assures fans.
Outside of her acting career, Sophie is also a talented musician. In 2024, she released her EP Pivot & Scrape and contributed to the soundtracks of her last two films. For Heretic, she covered "Knockin' on Heaven’s Door" and even added her vocals to Iris's theme in Companion. While shooting Companion, Sophie found that music served as a grounding force during the more intense days on set. "I’d bring my keyboard and work on new music," she shares. "It really helped me unwind." When filming became overwhelming, Sophie would FaceTime her twin sister Ellie, a comforting reminder that she was still human beyond her acting career.
Though Sophie is often associated with horror roles, she’s now looking to diversify her career. She’s hoping to find a project set in a "really grounded setting," where the plot isn’t reliant on any scary elements. Additionally, she’s eager to return to theater, where it all began for her.
For Sophie, the most important thing in choosing new roles is a desire to avoid playing characters who are victims. "I don’t want to play any victims," she says with conviction. She wants to take on roles that empower her and allow her to explore more complex, multi-dimensional characters, much like Iris in Companion.
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