Brie Larson by Camilla Akrans for Porter Magazine #23 Winter 2017

Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers (born October 1, 1989), known professionally as Brie Larson, is an American actress and filmmaker. Initially noticed as a teenager for her supporting work in comedies, she has since expanded to leading roles in both independent dramas and film franchises, receiving such accolades as an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe.

Born in Sacramento, California, Larson was homeschooled. At age six, she became the youngest student admitted to a training program at the American Conservatory Theater. She soon relocated to Los Angeles and began her acting career in 1998 with a comedy sketch in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She appeared as a regular in the 2001 sitcom Raising Dad and briefly dabbled with a music career, releasing the album Finally Out of P.E. in 2005. Larson subsequently played supporting roles in the comedy films Hoot (2006), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), and 21 Jump Street (2012), and appeared as a sardonic teenager in the television series United States of Tara (2009–2011). Her breakthrough came with a leading role in the acclaimed independent drama Short Term 12 (2013), and she continued to take on supporting parts in the romance The Spectacular Now (2013) and the comedy Trainwreck (2015). For playing a kidnapping victim in the drama Room (2015), Larson won the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 2017, she starred as a photojournalist in the adventure film Kong: Skull Island, which emerged as her highest-grossing release.

As a filmmaker, Larson has co-written and co-directed two short films, The Arm (2012), which received a special jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and Weighting (2013). She made her feature film directorial debut in 2017 with the independent comedy-drama Unicorn Store. Larson is also an advocate for sexual assault survivors and is vocal about social and political issues.