Sofia Boutella (Arabic: صوفيا بوتلة; born 3 April 1982) is an Algerian actress, dancer and model. Born in Algiers, she immigrated to Paris at the age of 10. Shortly thereafter, she started rhythmic gymnastics, joining the French national team at the age of 18. She began dancing in film and television shows, as well as in commercials and concerts. She was one of Madonna's backup dancers for six years, performing in numerous music videos and at the 2012 Super Bowl. As an actress, her breakthrough role came in 2012 in the British film StreetDance 2.
She went on to appear in the well-received films Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), Star Trek Beyond (2016), Atomic Blonde (2017), Climax (2019), Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021), and the Rebel Moon duology (2023, 2024), among others. In 2017, she portrayed the titular character in the American fantasy action-adventure film The Mummy. As a model, Boutella has featured in a series of Nike ads and videos, choreographed by creative director Jamie King.
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Early life
Sofia Boutella was born in the Bab El Oued district of Algiers, Algeria, to an architect mother and a jazz musician father, Safy Boutella. Her brother, Seif, works as a visual effects artist in the entertainment industry. Her surname means "the men of the mountains". She was raised in a household that cultivated artistic expression and creativity. Boutella described her childhood as a happy one, stating that she was "blessed to be born into a family that allowed me to express myself, to be myself and let out all sorts of colours that were living in my imagination and in my heart."
