Sophie Reynolds is a 17-year-old actress and dancer. As feisty gamer Ashley Parker on Disney XD’s Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything, Reynolds feels that her character is important because she challenges the notion that gaming is a “boys’ club.” Here, we also discuss her love of dance, what she considers the highlights of her year, and what, in her opinion, makes filming television more special than film.
Cliché: I’ve heard that you’re a dancer. What do you like most about dancing? How did you learn?
Sophie Reynolds: My favorite thing about dancing is performing. I love being able to share emotions and feelings with an audience through this universal language of movement; it’s a very freeing feeling. My mom first put me into dance class when I was 3 years old and I just fell in love with it. I trained hard, performed, and competed for over 13 years, and I still like going to class today.
What was your first dance experience?
Besides dancing around my house, it was my first dance class at 3 years old! Of course, I don’t remember it that well, but my mom always tells me I was so excited to go to class. There’s this photo of me going to my first class wearing my pink leotard and tights with my ballet slippers on and a huge smile on my face. I’m so grateful my mom put me in that class because it truly was how it all started for me. I was very, very shy when I was little and it brought me out of that.
Tell us a little about your show, Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything, and your role in it.
The show follows four teenage gamers who have a professional gaming team. I play Ashley on the show, one of the core four, and I am the only girl on our team. The show follows Conor, Franklin, Wendell, and Ashley as we go through the trials and tribulations of trying to balance our gaming careers and high school at the same time.
Ashley is a spitfire for sure and has such a good heart. She really fights for her friends and what she believes in. I love playing her because I get to represent the girl gamers. The gaming world is often considered to be a “boy’s club,” so I love getting to break that stereotype by playing Ashley.
Do you have a favorite video game?
I would say my favorite video game is probably Just Dance! As I said, I’m a dancer, so that’s a fun one for me. Plus I love being active, so games where I can move are always fun for me.
I love being able to share emotions and feelings with an audience through this universal language of movement.
What’s been your favorite thing to film so far?
Every filming experience is unique and great in its own way, but I would have to say my favorite has definitely been Gamer’s Guide. The set has become like a second home to me and having that familiarity is such a blessing in this industry. I love getting to help shape Ashley as a person and get to be a part of her evolution over the years. That’s definitely a special experience that comes with doing a television show over years versus a movie, where the evolution of a character is much quicker.
What were some of your favorite Disney shows?
Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, That’s So Raven, and Suite Life of Zack and Cody were some of my top favorites, but there were so many that I loved and watched growing up.
What would you say was the highlight of 2016 for you?
It’s been such a great year for me, but I would say that professionally it was probably the release of my movie Mostly Ghostly: One Night in Doom House. That was a big moment for me because that was the first feature film I’ve worked on and it definitely felt like a big step for me in my career. Personally, my highlight was a fantastic trip to the Cayman Islands with my family. I’d never been there and I really love to travel. I love the beach, so it was amazing!
Do you have any New Year’s resolutions?
I’m not really big on New Year’s resolutions because I love to set goals for myself all year. Waiting until the new year to set a goal isn’t really my thing, but I will say that the new year is always good for self-evaluation. I always try to reflect and ask myself how I can change my daily actions to keep them in line with my personal and professional goals.
What do you have planned for 2017?
I’m planning to focus on bettering myself as an artist and as a person and to really focus on living in the moment. I feel really thankful to get to do what I love and hope I can do it forever.
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Gaming with Disney XD’s Sophie Reynolds: Photographed by Quavondo
