Sophia Mitri Schloss who stars in Disney+ BIG SHOT was eager to embody her character, Emma. Learning from the cast and growing as an actress, there is no doubt that her experience on the show had a strong impact on her both for her career and personal growth! Close to her family both on and off screen, the young actress is just getting started on her path to success! Make sure to keep reading on and get to know a little more of the beautiful Sophia!!
How are you feeling about your role in BIG SHOT?
I’m so excited about playing Emma in Big Shot. Her role in the show is unique in many ways. She’s not on the basketball team, but she is the daughter of the coach — because of that, she has this interesting outside perspective. Emma knows her father better than anyone, and she’s sometimes the only one who can reach him — I think in that way she holds a lot of responsibility on the show. She’s a bit of a go-between, because she understands what the girls are going through while simultaneously knowing what her dad is thinking about and going through. That puts her in some tricky situations that were very fun to work with on set.
What was your favorite part on set? Who did you connect with the most?
Everyone on the set of Big Shot was so, so kind (not to mention unbelievably talented). My favorite days on set were when John Stamos and I filmed the father/daughter scenes — I love Emma and Marvyn’s dynamic and it was so fun to bring it to life with John! He is such a fantastic actor and genuine person and was very easy to connect with. I think those scenes came together really organically. It was important to both of us that their relationship felt real and relatable.
We’ve stayed in touch since season 1 wrapped — talking about the show, but also about our lives, music, family, etc. He is such a caring person and I feel really lucky to know him so well.
Share with us what it was like playing the daughter of John Stamos. Any lessons learned?
So many lessons learned! John is such a giving actor — he was always throwing something new or fun or interesting into each take of a scene. Going into the show, I wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing, never stepping on toes, but John always wanted my opinion — how does the dialogue feel here, or does this seem realistic, or what do you think about the blocking — and that really pulled me out of that initial intimidation I was feeling and assured me that I was in a place where my thoughts and ideas were valued. I really learned to trust myself, and I am so grateful to John for trusting me to play his daughter!
How did being a daughter help you prepare for this role? Any similarities between the plot and your family dynamic?
Being a daughter helps me prepare for everything, ha! I think I can say with confidence that my relationship with my parents is a bit less rocky than Emma’s relationship with Marvyn, but hopefully, everyone will find something relatable in their dynamic. No matter how much they argue or roll their eyes at each other it’s always abundantly clear that more than anything, they really love each other.
Speaking of family, what is yours like?
My family is so wonderful! I’m an only child and am very very close with my parents. They are both extremely creative people, so pursuing creative things always felt natural. My mom and dad are musicians, so I grew up surrounded by a lot of different genres (and also a lot of live music). My passion for music has been strong since I was little, and completely stemmed from them. We love cooking (we’re proud vegetarians and enjoy finding new recipes), watching movies/shows together (we keep re-watching Barry!), and going on lots of daily walks with our husky-lab Casper.
When did you know you wanted to pursue acting?
If I’m being honest, I don’t really remember a time when I didn’t want to pursue acting — it was never any kind of career choice or even conscious decision, just something I absolutely loved. When I was very young I took classes at the Seattle Children’s Theater and did some local student films, and loved everything about the process. The waiting on set and the dozens of takes and the long days never really bothered me — I was just so curious about everything that was going on. From the time I was tiny I loved being read to, and I loved making up stories with my parents. It wasn’t acting so much as celebrating imagination, and as I got older acting just felt very right.
Favorite show growing up? And why.
I actually didn’t watch TV until I was around ten, but at that age the show I watched with my family was Gilmore Girls. It was cool to grow up watching this smart, slightly older girl on TV grow up alongside me. The dialogue is very clever and fast- paced, and I loved the mother/daughter relationship because their friendship reminded me of my friendship with my parents.
If you could be in any movie, which would it be and why?
I love this question! The thing that comes to mind immediately is not a movie, but a show — I really love The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and I think that would be my first answer. I love the quick dialogue, the humor, the characters, the era, everything.
Favorite part of acting?
Working with such wonderful people. There is always a kind of magic for me, being part of something creative that is larger than myself. Everyone comes together to tell a story. I love that acting is based in connecting with other people — something that is inherently social — while also being very personal and inward. It gives you space to get to know yourself while focusing on collaboration.
What comes next?
I’m currently in the spring of my senior year of high school, so there are quite a few things on the horizon — college, for one, and I would love to work on a new film! I’ve always loved school and have been very serious about academics, and that has remained strong even during filming (the past two years while filming Big Shot full time I was also in school full time!). Having another season of Big Shot would be very exciting, and we’re all waiting to hear about that — but outside of the acting world, I’ve been focusing a lot on music. I’m a singer/songwriter and am also a member of my high school’s jazz choir “The Onions,” which has been such a wonderful community for me over the past three years. This year I’ve spent a lot of time editing audio and video for virtual performances, since we can’t perform live during Covid. Finally, I’m co-writing a TV show with my mom that we’re both very excited about! She is such a great creative partner, and I can’t wait to continue working with her.
@BELLOmag
Talent Sophia Mitri Schloss @sophiamschloss
Photo By Starla Fortunato @starlas_la
Interview Alexandra Bonnet @alexbonnetwrites
