Brie Larson

A striking young actress gifted well beyond her years, Brie Larson cut her professional teeth with television roles on shows like "Raising Dad" (The WB, 2001-02) and "Right on Track" (Disney Channel, 2003) and scored tween-friendly hits by appearing in the feature films "13 Going on 30" (2004), "Sleepover" (2004) and "Hoot" (2006).

She made the transition from child star to grown-up actress smoothly, earning acclaim for her turns in such movies as "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" (2010) and "21 Jump Street" (2012) and impressed critics with her nuanced turn as Toni Collette's self-destructive daughter on "The United States of Tara" (Showtime, 2009-2011). Critics dubbed her the "It" girl of SXSW 2013 for her flurry of high-profile projects, particularly her raved-about, star-making lead role in the drama "Short Term 12" (2013), which earned her serious award buzz. Two years later, she exceeded those expectations with a subtle performance in the indie drama "Room" (2015), which garnered widespread critical acclaim and a Best Actress Oscar.

One of the rare talents who only improved with age, Brie Larson gave critics and fans ample reason to expect her to reach even greater artistic heights over time, even as she also tackled roles in escapist fare like "Kong: Skull island" (2017) and joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as superhero Carol Danvers in "Captain Marvel" (2019).

Born Oct. 1, 1989 in Sacramento, CA, Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers pursued an entertainment career from a very young age, attending the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco at the age of six and booking sketch appearances on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (NBC, 1992- ) and TV guest spots on "To Have & To Hold" (CBS, 1998) at age nine. Her professional momentum increased when she landed a series regular role on the Bob Saget sitcom "Raising Dad" (The WB, 2001-02), starred alongside Beverley Mitchell as racecar-driving sisters in the made-for-TV film "Right on Track" (Disney Channel, 2003) and landed a record deal at age 13.

Next up, Larson played mean girls in "13 Going on 30" (2004) and "Sleepover" (2004), before landing a more substantial lead role in the eco-comedy "Hoot" (2006).

Aging gracefully, she scored impressive roles with Ben Stiller in "Greenberg" (2010), Michael Cera in "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" (2010) and Jonah Hill in "21 Jump Street" (2012). On the small screen, she impressed with a layered, complex performance as the out-of-control daughter of a woman (Toni Collette) with multiple personalities on the critical darling "The United States of Tara" (Showtime, 2009-2011).

Showing an impressive versatility, Larson won a Sundance Film Festival award for "The Arm" (2011), a comic short she co-wrote, co-directed and co-produced. The actress dazzled, however, with a star-making, dramatic tour-de-force performance as a troubled young woman attempting to run a facility for foster children in the award-winning "Short Term 12" (2013), which helped earn her the title of "It" girl of SXSW.

That year she also had notable roles in the coming-of-age drama "The Spectacular Now," starring Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller, and "Don Jon," an acclaimed dramedy by writer/director/actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt. After co-starring with Mark Wahlberg in the thriller "The Gambler" (2014) and appearing in Joe Swanberg's indie "Digging For Fire" (2015), Larson gained notice for her comic turn opposite Amy Schumer in Judd Apatow's "Trainwreck" (2015).

But it was her starring performance in Lenny Abrahamson's "Room" (2015), based on the novel by Emma Donoghue, that proved to be her breakthrough. As a young mother who spent years imprisoned with her son in a kidnapper-rapist's shed, Larson's complex and powerful performance was rewarded with a Golden Globe and Academy Award. After that triumph, Larson starred in the thriller "Free Fire" (2016) and big-budget adventure sequel "Kong: Skull Island" (2017).

After starring in the indie drama "The Glass Castle" (2017), Larson made her directorial debut with the whimsical comedy-drama "Unicorn Store" (2017). Around this time, the film "Basmati Blues" (2017), which Larson had starred in in 2013, saw a limited release greeted by charges that the India-set film was racially problematic. Larson made her biggest screen splash to date in early 2019 when she starred as pilot turned superhero Carol Danvers in the highly anticipated "Captain Marvel" (2019).