Sophia Jane Myles is an
EnglishThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
film and television actress.
Early life
Myles was born in
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. She is the daughter of Jane, who works in educational publishing, and Peter Myles, a retired Anglican
vicarIn the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
in
IsleworthIsleworth is a small town of Saxon origin sited within the London Borough of Hounslow in west London, England. It lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane. Isleworth's original area of settlement, alongside the Thames, is known as...
, west
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Her maternal grandmother was Russian, and she refers to herself as "half-
WelshThe Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
, half-
RussianThe Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
". She grew up in
Notting HillNotting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
, where her father served at the church of St. George the Martyr, and she attended
Fox Primary SchoolFox Primary School is a primary school for boys and girls of age 4 to 11 years, in the Kensington district of London.It is located in [Edge Street], off Kensington Church Street near the junction with Notting Hill Gate....
. At the age of eleven, Myles moved with her family to Isleworth and attended
The Green SchoolThe Green School, also known as The Green School for Girls, is in an all girls comprehensive school located in Isleworth, Middlesex. The schools offers an above-average education with a non-denominational Christian focus...
. Following success at her A-levels, she had been planning to accept a conditional place to study
PhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at
CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, but chose to pursue an acting career after being spotted by
Julian FellowesJulian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, DL , known as Julian Fellowes, is an English actor, novelist, film director and screenwriter, as well as a Conservative peer.-Early life:...
in a school play.
Career
Since 1996, Myles has appeared in a number of both American and British films and television productions. In 2001, she got a small role as
Johnny DeppJohn Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
's wife, Victoria Abberline, in the thriller film
From HellFrom Hell is a 2001 American crime drama horror mystery film directed by the Hughes brothers. It is an adaptation of the comic book series of the same name by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell about the Jack the Ripper murders.-Plot:...
. She had a supporting role in the 2003 film
UnderworldUnderworld is a 2003 action-horror film about the secret history of Vampires and Lycans . It is the first installment in the Underworld series. The main plot revolves around Selene , a vampire who is a Death Dealer hunting Lycans...
and its sequel
Underworld: EvolutionUnderworld: Evolution is the second installment in the Underworld series, following Underworld in 2003...
(in a brief flashback scene). In 2003, she played the schoolgirl lead in the thriller
Out of BoundsOut of Bounds is a 2003 British psychological thriller starring Sophia Myles and Sophie Ward. It is the directorial debut of Merlin Ward, who also wrote the screenplay.-Plot:...
and she also played Lady Penelope in the
ThunderbirdsThunderbirds is a 2004 science-fiction adventure film loosely based upon the television series of the same name of the 1960s, directed by Jonathan Frakes....
. In 2006, Myles co-starred with actor
James FrancoJames Edward Franco is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author, painter, performance artist and instructor at New York University. He left college in order to pursue acting and started off his career by making guest appearances on television series in the 1990s...
in the romantic drama
Tristan and IsoldeTristan & Isolde is a 2006 romantic drama film based on the medieval romantic legend of Tristan and Isolde. It was produced by Ridley Scott and Tony Scott, directed by Kevin Reynolds and stars James Franco and Sophia Myles, with an original music score composed by Anne Dudley...
, playing the role of
IsoldeIseult is the name of several characters in the Arthurian story of Tristan and Iseult. The most prominent is Iseult of Ireland, wife of Mark of Cornwall and adulterous lover of Sir Tristan. Her mother, the Queen of Ireland, is also named Iseult...
.
Myles appeared as
Madame de PompadourJeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, also known as Madame de Pompadour was a member of the French court, and was the official chief mistress of Louis XV from 1745 to her death.-Biography:...
in a 2006 episode of
Doctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, "
The Girl in the Fireplace"The Girl in the Fireplace" is the fourth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 6 May 2006, and is the only episode in the 2006 series written by Steven Moffat...
"; the episode was nominated for a
Nebula AwardThe Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
and won the 2007
Hugo AwardThe Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. She co-starred opposite
Max MinghellaMax Giorgio Choa Minghella is an English actor. The son of film director Anthony Minghella, he has appeared in several dramatic American films, making his feature film debut in 2005's Bee Season and starring in 2006's Art School Confidential...
, playing his love interest in 2006's quirky comedy film Art School Confidential. Also in 2006, Myles appeared in a BBC TV adaptation of
DraculaDracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
; she played
Lucy WestenraLucy Westenra is a fictional character in the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. She is the 19-year-old daughter of a wealthy family. Her father is not mentioned in the novel and her elderly mother is simply stated as being Mrs. Westenra. Lucy is introduced as Mina Murray's best friend. In the 1931...
alongside
Marc WarrenMarc Warren is an English actor, known for his British television roles as Danny Blue in Hustle, Dougie Raymond in The Vice and Dominic Foy in State of Play.-Career:...
,
David SuchetDavid Suchet, CBE, is an English actor, known for his work on British television. He is recognised for his RTS- and BPG award-winning performance as Augustus Melmotte in the 2001 British TV mini-drama The Way We Live Now, alongside Matthew Macfadyen and Paloma Baeza, and a 1991 British Academy...
and
Dan StevensDaniel Jonathan Stevens is a British actor.-Education:Stevens was educated at Tonbridge School, an independent school in the market town of Tonbridge in Kent, in South East England, followed by Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he read English...
. As of 2007, she filmed
OutlanderOutlander is a 2008 science fiction film directed by Howard McCain and starring James Caviezel. Caviezel has described Outlander as a light combination of Braveheart and Highlander.-Plot:...
with
James CaviezelJames Patrick Caviezel, Jr. is an American film actor, usually credited as Jim Caviezel. He is known for the roles of Jesus Christ in the 2004 film The Passion of the Christ, Bobby Jones in Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius, Detective John Sullivan in Frequency, Edmond Dantès in The Count of Monte...
and
Jack HustonJack Alexander Huston is an English actor. Huston had a starring role in Neighborhood Watch and filmed Outlander with James Caviezel and Sophia Myles...
, played the role of Freya.
She was cast in the CBS supernatural television drama,
MoonlightMoonlight was an American paranormal romance television drama created by Ron Koslow and Trevor Munson, who was also executive producer for all episodes with Joel Silver, Gerard Bocaccio, Gabrielle Stanton and Harry Werksman. The series follows private investigator Mick St...
. She has received Best Actress in 2007 for her role in
Hallam FoeHallam Foe is a 2007 Scottish drama film directed by David Mackenzie based on the novel written by Peter Jinks. The film was released in the United States as Mister Foe. The screenplay was written by Ed Whitmore and David Mackenzie....
from the British Independent Film Award committee as well as the BAFTA Scotland Award. Her series, Moonlight, won for Best New Drama in the 2007 People's Choice Awards.
In 2010 Myles joined
SpooksSpooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a...
— the BBC series about a counter-terrorism unit in MI5—for its ninth series playing
Beth BaileyBeth Bailey is a fictional character from the BBC espionage television series Spooks, which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division in MI5. She is portrayed by British actress Sophia Myles. Beth Bailey was introduced in Spooks's ninth series as a private contractor in her...
alongside fellow newcomer
Max BrownMax Brown is an English actor. Max was born in Ilkley, Yorkshire, England, but spent most of his childhood in the town of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, which he refers to as his home....
. .
Personal life
Myles was in a relationship with actor
Charles DanceWalter Charles Dance, OBE is an English actor, screenwriter and director. Dance typically plays assertive bureaucrats or villains. His most famous roles are Guy Perron in The Jewel in the Crown , Dr Clemens, the doctor of penitentiary Fury 161, who becomes Ellen Ripley's confidante in Alien 3 ,...
, who is 34 years her senior, whom she met while working on
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas NicklebyThe Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby is a British movie released for TV in 2001, directed by Stephen Whittaker, based on the novel by Charles Dickens.-Cast:-Awards:...
.
From 2005 to 2007 she dated Scottish actor
David TennantDavid Tennant is a Scottish actor. In addition to his work in theatre, including a widely praised Hamlet, Tennant is best known for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, along with the title role in the 2005 TV serial Casanova and as Barty Crouch, Jr...
, with whom she had acted in
Foyle's WarFoyle's War is a British detective drama television series set during World War II, created by screenwriter and author Anthony Horowitz, and was commissioned by ITV after the long-running series Inspector Morse came to an end in 2000. It has aired on ITV since 2002...
and the
Doctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
episode "
The Girl in the Fireplace"The Girl in the Fireplace" is the fourth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 6 May 2006, and is the only episode in the 2006 series written by Steven Moffat...
".
In September 2010 Myles announced she was engaged to Brent Thomas Funston, a 36 year old entrepreneur from Texas.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1996 |
The Prince and the Pauper |
Lady Jane Grey |
|
| 1998 |
Big Women |
Saffron |
|
| 1999 |
Mansfield Park Mansfield Park is a 1999 British romantic comedy-drama film loosely based on Jane Austen's novel of the same name, written and directed by Patricia Rozema. The film differs sharply from the original novel in many respects. For example, the life of Jane Austen is incorporated into the film and the...
|
Susan Price |
|
| Guest House Paradiso Guest House Paradiso is a 1999 British slapstick comedy film written by and starring comic duo Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson, and directed by Edmondson his directorial debut. The film is semi-officially based on their comedy television series Bottom...
|
Saucy Wood Nymph |
Appeared in dream sequence briefly |
| Oliver Twist Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens, published by Richard Bentley in 1838. The story is about an orphan Oliver Twist, who endures a miserable existence in a workhouse and then is placed with an undertaker. He escapes and travels to...
|
Agnes Fleming |
Television mini-series |
| 2001 |
From HellFrom Hell is a 2001 American crime drama horror mystery film directed by the Hughes brothers. It is an adaptation of the comic book series of the same name by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell about the Jack the Ripper murders.-Plot:...
|
Victoria Abberline |
|
| The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby is a British movie released for TV in 2001, directed by Stephen Whittaker, based on the novel by Charles Dickens.-Cast:-Awards:...
|
Kate Nickleby |
Television movie |
| Heartbeat: "No Hiding Place No Hiding Place is a British television series that was produced at Wembley Studios by Associated-Rediffusion for the ITV network between 16 September 1959 and 22 June 1967....
" |
Heather Conway |
Television Role, Season 11, Episode 10 |
| 2002 |
The Abduction Club The Abduction Club is a British film directed by Stefan Schwartz. Based loosely on real events, the plot centres around a group of outlaws who abduct women in order to marry them. It was written by Richard Crawford and Bill Britten.-Synopsis:...
|
Anne Kennedy |
|
Foyle's WarFoyle's War is a British detective drama television series set during World War II, created by screenwriter and author Anthony Horowitz, and was commissioned by ITV after the long-running series Inspector Morse came to an end in 2000. It has aired on ITV since 2002...
: "A Lesson in Murder" |
Susan Gascoigne |
Television role |
| Bush Bush are an alternative rock band formed in London in 1992 shortly after vocalist/guitarist Gavin Rossdale and guitarist Nigel Pulsford met in a London nightclub. Realising they shared a love for such diverse artists as the Pixies, Bob Marley, The Jesus Lizard, MC5, Nirvana, Hüsker Dü, and Big...
"InflatableGolden State is the fourth studio album by British post-grunge band Bush, released in 2001. Stylistically, it was seen as a return to the post-grunge that Bush became famous for in contrast to their more recent experimental work. However, it ended up being their worst-selling album to date, not...
" |
|
Music video |
| 2003 |
UnderworldUnderworld is a 2003 action-horror film about the secret history of Vampires and Lycans . It is the first installment in the Underworld series. The main plot revolves around Selene , a vampire who is a Death Dealer hunting Lycans...
|
Erika |
|
| Coming Up |
Nina |
Television Season 1 Episode 6 |
| Ronan Keating Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
"Love Won't Work (If We Don't Try)The discography of Ronan Keating, an Irish pop singer contains eight studio albums, one compilation album and twenty-four singles. In addition he has appeared on songs for several other artists.-Studio albums:-Compilation albums:-Box sets:-Singles:...
" |
|
Music video |
Out of BoundsOut of Bounds is a 2003 British psychological thriller starring Sophia Myles and Sophie Ward. It is the directorial debut of Merlin Ward, who also wrote the screenplay.-Plot:...
|
Louise Thompson |
|
| 2004 |
ThunderbirdsThunderbirds is a 2004 science-fiction adventure film loosely based upon the television series of the same name of the 1960s, directed by Jonathan Frakes....
|
Lady Penelope Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward is the London Agent for the secret organisation International Rescue in the hit television series Thunderbirds...
|
|
| 2005 |
Colditz |
Lizzie Carter |
Television role |
| 2006 |
Tristan & Isolde |
Isolde Iseult is the name of several characters in the Arthurian story of Tristan and Iseult. The most prominent is Iseult of Ireland, wife of Mark of Cornwall and adulterous lover of Sir Tristan. Her mother, the Queen of Ireland, is also named Iseult...
|
|
Underworld: EvolutionUnderworld: Evolution is the second installment in the Underworld series, following Underworld in 2003...
|
Erika |
Flashback scene only |
| Art School Confidential |
Audrey |
|
| Dracula |
Lady Holmwood/Lucy Westenra |
Television role |
Doctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
: "The Girl in the Fireplace"The Girl in the Fireplace" is the fourth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 6 May 2006, and is the only episode in the 2006 series written by Steven Moffat...
" |
Madame de PompadourJeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, also known as Madame de Pompadour was a member of the French court, and was the official chief mistress of Louis XV from 1745 to her death.-Biography:...
|
Television role |
ExtrasExtras is a British sitcom about extras working on TV and film sets and in theatre. The series was co-produced by the BBC and HBO, and is created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, both of whom also star in it...
|
Herself |
Television role |
| Covert One: The Hades Factor Covert One: The Hades Factor is a made-for-TV thriller filmed in Toronto that first aired in 2006...
|
Sophie Amsden |
Television role |
| Marple Marple is a British television series based on the Miss Marple and other murder mystery novels by Agatha Christie. It is also known as Agatha Christie's Marple. The title character was played by Geraldine McEwan from the first to third series, until her retirement from the role. She was replaced...
: Sleeping MurderSleeping Murder: Miss Marple's Last Case is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in October 1976 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. The UK edition retailed for £3.50 and the US edition for $7.95...
|
Gwenda Halliday |
Television role |
| 2007 |
Hallam Foe |
Kate Breck |
Numerous wins and nominations |
MoonlightMoonlight was an American paranormal romance television drama created by Ron Koslow and Trevor Munson, who was also executive producer for all episodes with Joel Silver, Gerard Bocaccio, Gabrielle Stanton and Harry Werksman. The series follows private investigator Mick St...
|
Beth Turner |
Regular Television role (16 Episodes) |
| 2008 |
Outlander Outlander is a 2008 science fiction film directed by Howard McCain and starring James Caviezel. Caviezel has described Outlander as a light combination of Braveheart and Highlander.-Plot:...
|
Freya |
|
| 2010 |
Spooks |
Beth Bailey Beth Bailey is a fictional character from the BBC espionage television series Spooks, which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division in MI5. She is portrayed by British actress Sophia Myles. Beth Bailey was introduced in Spooks's ninth series as a private contractor in her...
|
Regular Television role (6 Episodes) |
External links