Oona Laurence (born August 1, 2002)[1] is an American actress. She is best known for the role of Matilda Wormwood in Matilda on Broadway alongside Bailey Ryon, Milly Shapiro, and Sophia Gennusa. She began her career as a New York City-based child actress, with credits in film, theatre, and television.
Oona Laurence | |
|---|---|
 Laurence in May 2015 | |
| Born | August 1, 2002 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2009–present |
Career
editAfter several appearances in regional theatre productions and minor roles in short films and television episodes, Laurence auditioned for the new musical Matilda on Broadway in 2012. Laurence landed the role of Matilda, performing in the show from March 4 to December 15, 2013. She performed alongside Bailey Ryon, Milly Shapiro, and Sophia Gennusa.
After Matilda, Laurence transitioned to film acting, appearing in Tumorhead, A Little Game, The Grief of Others, I Smile Back, Damsel, Lamb, and Southpaw, portraying the daughter of Jake Gyllenhaal and Rachel McAdams' characters.
She has appeared on television in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Orange Is the New Black.
In 2016, she co-starred as Natalie in the film Pete's Dragon,[2] and portrayed Jane Mitchell, the daughter of Mila Kunis' character Amy Mitchell, in Bad Moms.
In 2017, Laurence co-starred opposite Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle Fanning in Sofia Coppola's The Beguiled.
She is the voice of Hedgehog and additional characters in the Cartoon Network series Summer Camp Island. She also performs the theme song.
In 2020, she starred in the Netflix American family dark fantasy film A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting alongside Tom Felton, Indya Moore, and Tamara Smart.
Personal life
editLaurence lives in New York City and has two sisters, Aimée and Jeté, who are also actresses.[3][4]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Wet Cement | Girl | Short |
| Esther | Esther | ||
| 2013 | Penny Dreadful | Little Girl | |
| Correcting. Perplexing. Patrick. | Jessica Barnwell | ||
| 2014 | A Little Game | Becky | |
| Tumorhead | Jean | Short | |
| 2015 | I Smile Back | Daisy | |
| Lamb | Tommie | ||
| Imaginapped | Olivia | Short | |
| Southpaw | Leila Hope | ||
| The Grief of Others | Biscuit Ryrie | ||
| Damsel | Ava | ||
| Vicky & Jonny | Young Vicky | Short | |
| 2016 | Little Boxes | Ambrosia Reed | |
| Bad Moms | Jane Mitchell | ||
| Pete's Dragon | Natalie | ||
| Lily + Mara | Lily | Short | |
| 2017 | The Beguiled | Amy | |
| A Bad Moms Christmas | Jane Mitchell | ||
| 2019 | Big Time Adolescence | Sophie | |
| 2020 | Lost Girls | Sarra Gilbert | |
| What We Found | Holly | ||
| A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting | Liz Lerue |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Celebrity Ghost Stories | Young Phyllis / Phyllis' Daughter | Episode: "Beverley Mitchell/Mark Curry/Donovan Leitch/Phyllis Diller" |
| 2012 | Louie | Spiteful Mean Girl #4 | Episode: "Looking for Liz/Lilly Changes" |
| 2014 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Zoe Harris | Episode: "Glasgowman's Wrath" |
| 2015 | Orange Is the New Black | 10 Year Old Tiffany | Episode: "A Tittin' and a Hairin'" |
| 2016 | Blindspot | Maya Ahmadi | Episode: "Swift Hardhearted Stone" |
| 2018–2023 | Summer Camp Island | Hedgehog / Additional Voices (voice) | Main role |
Theatre
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Matilda the Musical | Matilda Wormwood | Broadway, Sam S. Shubert Theatre |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Tony Award | Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre (shared with Sophia Gennusa, Bailey Ryon and Milly Shapiro) | Matilda the Musical | Won |
| Grammy Award | Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album | Nominated | ||
| 2015 | Hell's Half Mile Film & Music Festival | Best Actress | Lamb | Nominated |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | Best Youth Performance | Southpaw | Nominated | |
| 2016 | Young Entertainer Award | Best Leading Young Actress- Feature Film | Nominated | |
| 2017 | Young Artist Award | Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Teen Actress | Pete's Dragon | Won |
References
edit- ^ "Ahhhhh! Happy birthday Oona banoona!!..." August 1, 2015. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (September 19, 2014). "Disney Finds Its Pete For 'Pete's Dragon' Remake (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
- ^ Lewis, Hilary (July 25, 2015). "5 Things to Know About 'Southpaw's' Oona Laurence - The Tony-winning actress plays Jake Gyllenhaal and Rachel McAdams' characters' daughter". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
- ^ Keddy, Genevieve Rafter (September 12, 2015). "Aimee Laurence, Oona Laurence and Jete Laurence at Broadway Kids Team up For LYRICS FOR LIFE Benefit". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
In honor of World Suicide Prevention Week, this event features 120+ young performers from Broadway, TV & Film, singer/songwriters and award-winning dancers. Proceeds from the event will benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.