The Stunning Transformation Of Sophie Thatcher

Sophie Thatcher is one of stars of the compelling hit series "Yellowjackets," and has appeared in films like "Prospect," "Heretic" and 2025's sci-fi thriller "Companion." She is also a talented musician with years of musical training under her belt and an EP she debuted in 2024. At the time of writing, Thatcher has already accomplished so much, and the praise she's received feels well-earned given the dedication and focus she has brought to each of her projects. From her early experiences in musical theater to her first foray into film, Sophie Thatcher has always taken her work seriously.

Born into a large family, Thatcher was raised in the Church of Latter-Day Saints as a Mormon, but her religion was not as restrictive as some might believe. She and her siblings were all artistically-inclined, and Thatcher's mom was fully on board with her daughter's acting aspirations. While Thatcher left the church when she was 12 years old, she would later draw from her childhood experiences when playing a Mormon missionary in "Heretic."

From her earliest roles, Thatcher was aware of honing her craft and looked up to her co-stars, taking note of their performances and behavior. The result was Thatcher growing into a thoughtful, intelligent, and empathetic performer who approached her work with care. Thatcher's star was still on the rise in 2025, and she had come a long way from feeling like the odd girl out as a child. Read on to learn more about the stunning transformation of Sophie Thatcher.

Sophie Bathsheba Thatcher was born in 2000 in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. While it might seem as though Thatcher was an overnight success due to her breakout role in the hit series "Yellowjackets," she actually began acting at very young age. Thatcher's interest in acting came from watching her older sister perform, and it was also a way for her to overcome her social awkwardness. "...I was just a little bit uncomfortable being in my own skin, and I learned pretty quickly how to put on different characters," the actor explained to Hunger.

As for why she felt uncomfortable in social situations, Thatcher cited the fact that having a twin kept her from making connections with other kids. "...you're less inclined to hang out with friends because you have your twin," she said. "I think that kind of made me more weird." Improv classes helped Thatcher feel more at ease, and she found she was a natural performer. She kept her focus on acting throughout middle school, taking classes at Actors Training Center, where she encountered other students with whom she felt a kinship. "It was really special to find other kids who took [acting] as seriously as I did," she shared with The Daily Northwestern. 

Sophie Thatcher delivered a stellar performance in the 2024 thriller "Heretic" while playing a Mormon missionary, but what the directors of the film didn't know when they cast her was that Thatcher actually grew up Mormon. It was something that she felt alienated her from her peers, as there were not a lot of other Mormon families in her town. "I grew up expecting everyone to be Mormon and nobody was," she revealed to Hunger. "It isolated me and my twin even more so ..."

Thatcher's budding acting career prevented her from attending regular church services, but she didn't mind at all. "I despised going to church. I absolutely hated it," she admitted, adding, "Working was a good way to get out of going to church." But it wasn't only Thatcher's dislike of religious services that led to her leave the Mormon faith behind, it was also the older siblings' influence.  They made the choice to leave when Thatcher was still a tween. While she didn't agree with her siblings' feelings that the religion was "evil," Thatcher felt that Mormonism just wasn't right for her anymore.

Years later when Thatcher was filming "Heretic," she found she had a lot of personal experiences to draw from when fleshing out her character. The actor pulled from her memories of her youth in order to make the role of Sister Barnes authentic. "I just thought of myself when I was younger: how I held myself, how I presented myself, and just thinking about my family..." Thatcher told Entertainment Weekly.

When Sophie Thatcher was growing up, she was lucky enough to be part of a family who valued the arts. Her mother was a big fan of the theater and was willing to drive the actor to her performances far from home. Thatcher sang in the church choir as a child and her mom played the piano, and her extended family was musical as well. But it was Thatcher's siblings, her older sister, Emma, her older brother, Alexander, and her twin, Ellie, who had the largest part in helping her develop her tastes.

Ellie is a visual artist who Sophie has always admired greatly, telling Story + Rain, "Whenever they make a painting, or anything, I'm like, 'Why the f*** didn't I do that?!" Both Sophie and Ellie were influenced by their older brother, a war journalist, who seemed to be the epitome of cool. "Growing up, my older brother was the ultimate hipster," the actor told The Cut. "...[he] would show Ellie and I a lot of Eastern European art." And then there was Sophie's older sister, whose acting inspired her when she was very young. Emma continued acting and also became a photographer and filmmaker who has won many awards on the indie film circuit. Sophie told Hunger that she'd love to collaborate with her siblings on a project at some point saying, "I honestly have the most talented family, and I think that's rare."

Sophie Thatcher stunned audiences with her intense portrayal of young Natalie on "Yellowjackets," and has continued to shine in films like "Heretic" and "Companion." While she has enjoyed a lot of success on TV and the big screen, she got her start acting in musical theater productions. At the age of 11, Thatcher appeared in a production of "The Secret Garden," an experience that had a deep impact on her. "It really made me feel like this is exactly what I want to do," she told the Chicago Sun Times.

A few years later, when she was 14 years old, Thatcher landed a coveted role, performing in "Anne Frank," a show which had an eight-month run. The show coincided with Thatcher transitioning from middle school to high school, but she chose professionalism over socializing. "It was when all of my friends were starting to party and go out at night and I was like, 'nope, I have a show tomorrow,'" Thatcher shared with Rose & Ivy.

As Thatcher's star has continued to rise, she hasn't forgotten her theater roots, and has made a point to see a play whenever she returns to her native Chicago. Thatcher also has Broadway aspirations, but expressed needing to work on a key element first. "...I don't keep up with vocal training and everyone on Broadway has that high belt," she told Rose & Ivy.

Sophie Thatcher made the transition from the stage to the screen with appearances in TV shows such as "The Exorcist" and a Chicago P.D. episode you probably forgot about. However, it wasn't long before she landed her first film role in the 2018 sci-fi thriller "Prospect." The movie, which featured Jay Duplass and "The Last of Us" star Pedro Pascal, was a great introduction to the film world, according to Thatcher. "... I think I started with the perfect experience," she shared with Rose & Ivy.

Thatcher also credited the role with helping her brush off the teen angst she'd been experiencing and reminded her why she loved performing. "...it just brought back this like passion that I guess I had when I was younger when I was doing theater, but doing movies is like a different, more immersive experience..," she explained on "Collider Ladies Night."

Thatcher was also happy to get the chance to work with actors who she admired and who were willing to give her some useful advice. She recalled something Duplass said that helped assuage her anxiety: "He kept telling me to not give a f***, those were his exact words," she told Rose & Ivy. As for Pascal, Thatcher learned a lot by observing him filming his scenes. "...just watching him I was always in awe," she shared on "Collider Ladies Night."

"Yellowjackets" is a thrilling drama series about a girls' soccer team who survives a plane crash and resorts to extreme measures to stay alive in the wilderness. The show toggles back and forth from present-day to the past, with a different set of actors playing the high school versions of their adult counterparts. Sophie Thatcher stars as young Natalie, a disaffected teenager who takes on a leadership role thanks to her hunting skills.

In the present-day timeline, Natalie is played by Juliette Lewis, who got emancipated at 14 and was an idol of Thatcher's from whom she learned a lot. Lewis inspired Thatcher to follow her instincts without fear of judgement, and she led by example. "Juliette has helped me with that — just watching her and seeing how she never goes for the obvious choice," Thatcher shared with the New York Times.

Thatcher was also very impressed by another of her co-stars, Melanie Lynskey, whose complete evolution into stardom started at 14 and who plays Shauna in the present-day "Yellowjackets" timeline. The young actor saw how Lynskey interacted with the cast and crew of "Yellowjackets" and saw her as someone to emulate. "...she's just lovely and she makes everyone feel like equals," Thatcher explained on "Collider Ladies Night." She also noted that she would follow Lynskey's example once she found herself as the lead in a series. "...if I'm ever going to be number one in a show you treat everybody, everybody with respect."

Sophie Thatcher began playing Natalie on "Yellowjackets" in 2021 when the series premiered, and she quickly became a fan favorite. It wasn't only viewers who felt for Natalie, though; Thatcher grew more and more attached to her character as well. Ahead of the show's Season 3 debut, Thatcher spoke with deep affection for Natalie, telling Vanity Fair, "I love my character more than anything in the world, and I don't know if I'll ever feel this again."

Fans of the show know that at the end of Season 2, Juliette Lewis' version of Natalie met a shocking and violent end, making Thatcher's portrayal even more poignant. Young Natalie's experiences have grown darker and darker over time as well, which drew a lot of empathy from Thatcher. "I'm so protective of her, and that just makes for a really beautiful, intense experience," she shared.

That intensity can make it difficult for an actor to embody a role, and while Thatcher has spent time working on other projects between filming seasons of "Yellowjackets," she found she couldn't quite shake Natalie. "Something about Natalie haunts me, and going back is always daunting," Thatcher revealed to Variety.

While Sophie Thatcher continues to gain success and became one of the most sought-after young actors in the industry, she has also managed to make time for her personal life. The actor began dating Slow Hollow musician Austin Feinstein in 2022, and the way the pair met is very sweet. It all started when Thatcher starred in the band Pavement's music video for their song "Harness Your Hopes." Feinstein was a Pavement fan and messaged Thatcher on Instagram after seeing her in the video.

At the time of writing, Thatcher and Feinstein have kept their relationship pretty private, but haven't been shy about posting cute selfies together on social media. Feinstein joined Thatcher in Vancouver where she was filming "Yellowjackets" second season, and they moved in together soon after. "I've built myself a home, in Silver Lake, and my boyfriend just moved in officially," the actor revealed to Story + Rain in a 2023 interview, adding, "It's awesome."

In addition to sharing a home, Thatcher and her boyfriend have also shared a love of music, which inspired them to collaborate. "Yeah, I've been making music with my boyfriend and it sounds good," Thatcher told Metal. "It's DIY and kind of nonchalant..." Feinstein revealed that Thatcher was something of a muse for him, leading him to pen songs for her that were featured on Slow Hollow's album "Bullhead." "There are a lot of songs that are about her," the musician told VMAN. "I mean 'Soap' is completely about her. It's her nickname as well."

Sophie Thatcher has shown herself to be the kind of actor who brings a deep authenticity to each of her roles through a combination of natural talent and ierce dedication. To prepare for her role as Sister Barnes in "Heretic," the actor worked hard creating a backstory for her character, making a mood board on Pinterest and a playlist to help inspire her.

It was important for Sister Barnes, a Mormon missionary, to be a fully fleshed-out character rather than a caricature due to Thatcher's roots in the religion. The actor's mother was still a part of the Mormon faith, and even after Thatcher made the decision to leave, the members of the church continued to treat her with kindness. "Once you're in that community, they're very loving and very giving," she shared with Vanity Fair. Although she didn't want to disrespect her former religion, Thatcher did use her childhood experiences in the church to bring small details to her character.

Thatcher was also very careful when it came to her performance, creating what she called a "fear map" to help temper her emotions onscreen. "It's about going through the script and finding the moments you have to build to," she told The Cut, explaining that she'd have to save her biggest screams and most intense crying for the scariest moments in the film. "Working against the instinct to cry created interesting layers," Thatcher said, showing her interest in perfecting her craft.

Although Sophie Thatcher parlayed her musical theater beginnings into an enviable TV and film career, she has always stayed true to her musical roots. Having taken voice lessons since the age of 9, Thatcher continued to make music as a hobby, playing around with melody on her omnichord and using programs like Ableton to create unique sounds. "I would reverse everything and record noises in my house," she told Under The Radar.

Her keen ear and musical training eventually led to a full-fledged project, an EP titled "Pivot & Scrape" that dropped in October 2024. The album had pop roots but defied genre, as Thatcher herself had a hard time categorizing it. "I think the safest way to describe it would be experimental pop because it's very melody-driven," she said to Under The Radar. "Pivot & Scrape" came into being by luck, as Thatcher described it. She shared some demos with a friend who gave them to a producer, who was impressed and wanted to work with Thatcher. "Trusting the producer is crucial," she expressed. "It's like that with acting too—if you don't trust the director, you're f***ed."

Thatcher, whose musical tastes have run the gamut from Elliott Smith to Jun Konagaya, isn't one to gatekeep when it comes to her tunes. When asked about the audience for "Pivot & Scrape" by Interview, Thatcher said, "Anyone who would like to listen. I don't like the idea of having a target audience."

In 2025, Sophie Thatcher starred in the sci-fi thriller "Companion," alongside Meg Ryan's gorgeous son Jack Quaid. In the film, she plays a robot named Iris who becomes self-aware. While the premise aligns with sci-fi tropes, the film dives deeper into themes of toxic relationships and abuse. Thatcher, who was no stranger to horror between the survivalist themes in "Yellowjackets" and the creepy vibes of "Heretic," was nonetheless intimidated when she first read the script for "Companion." "I remember being scared at first," Thatcher told Variety. "I didn't think I would be able to pull it off because I knew it was going to be technically challenging."

Technical challenges aside, Thatcher also felt vulnerable shooting the film's beginning scenes in which her character is blindly devoted to her boyfriend, Josh, played by Quaid. But like a pro, Thatcher made her emotions work for her, and leaned into the awkwardness she felt to make Iris and Josh's toxic connection all the more believable. Maybe even too believable, as Thatcher admitted the scenes for difficult for her to watch. "Watching it the first time I was embarrassed for myself, because the character just wants to be loved," she explained.