On her first day on the set of Nine Network drama Love Child, a nervous Sophia Forrest came face-to-face with strict Matron Frances Bolton.
Daunted? You bet she was. The actress had just graduated from drama school weeks earlier and this was her first television job. Then, Matron – aka actress Mandy McElhinney – opened her mouth and Sophia’s heart sank.
“We have fresh meat now!” she growled.
Of course, Mandy was only joking. Sophia says she and the rest of the cast were very welcoming of the season-four newbies, which included her co-stars Danielle Catanzariti and Darcie Irwin-Simpson.
“I was very intimidated to come on board Love Child,” Sophia, 22, recalls. “But they [the cast] made quite a scary transition so much fun.”
The actress is thrilled her first TV role has brought her a TV WEEK Logie nomination for the Graham Kennedy Award For Most Popular New Talent. Sophia played the rebellious Debbie Hampshire in the series – a character that left her mark.
“I’ve had Uber drivers say to me, ‘Where do I know you from? Oh, you’re that complete cow on TV!'” she laughs. “I guess Debbie was a bit of a bully.”
And the roles keep coming for Sophia. Currently, she’s shooting the Aussie film Ride Like A Girl. It centres on Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne, played by Teresa Palmer. In the film, directed by Rachel Griffiths, Sophia plays Michelle’s sister, Cathy.
She’s also in the upcoming superhero flick Aquaman, starring Jason Momoa. In the movie, which was filmed on the Gold Coast in Queensland, she worked alongside Willem Dafoe and Patrick Wilson.
The daughter of billionaire philanthropist Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest, Sophia takes exception to anyone who says she’s had an easy ride thanks to her famous father.
“I’ve worked very hard [to get where I am],” Sophia says. “You can ask my agent – I’m like a dog with a bone when it comes to scripts and chasing down auditions.
“Part of the reason I chose a path in acting was because it has absolutely nothing to do with my family.”
We think it’s safe to say Sophia is on the right track.
