Sophie Hunter is an English director of opera and avant-garde theater, playwright, and actor. She is a member of a wealthy British family. After graduating from ‘Oxford University,’ she relocated to Paris and briefly worked as a model for the photographer Michael Roberts. She enrolled at ‘L’École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq’ to pursue avant-garde theater. Subsequently, she received training at the Saratoga International Theatre Institute in New York City under the direction of American theater and opera director Anne Bogart. She debuted on television with a supporting role in the forensic series ‘Midsomer Murders.’ She also appeared in the historical drama ‘Vanity Fair,’ directed by Mira Nair. Hunter co-founded the theater company ‘Boileroom’ and made her directorial debut at ‘Barbican Pit.’ She was awarded the prestigious ‘Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award’ for co-directing the play ‘The Terrific Electric.’ She produced the film ‘The End We Start From’ and released two EPs titled ‘The Isis Project’ and ‘Songs for a Boy.’ She is the wife of the actor Benedict Cumberbatch and the mother of Christopher Carlton and Hal Auden. She has a large social media following.
Youth and Early Life
Sophie Irene Hunter was born in Hammersmith, London, UK, on March 16, 1978, to parents Anna Katharine and Charles Rupert. Her parents eventually divorced, and her father subsequently remarried. She was a native of Hammersmith. She has two junior brothers named Timothy and Patrick and two half-siblings from her father’s second marriage. She is a member of a wealthy British family. Her maternal great-great-grandfather was a politician during World War I, and her maternal grandfather was the monarch of England’s aide-de-camp. She attended Hammersmith’s ‘St Paul’s Girls’ School.
Later, she enrolled at ‘Oxford University’ to study modern languages, focusing on French and Italian. She modeled briefly for the photographer Michael Roberts. She gradually developed an interest in theater. Hunter moved to Paris and enrolled at ‘L’École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq’ to pursue avant-garde theater for two years. She then received training at the Saratoga International Theatre Institute in New York City under the direction of Anne Bogart, an American theater and opera director. Her parents encouraged her to pursue her dream of becoming a theater personality.
A profession Of Sophia
She made her television début in 2004 with roles in the detective series ‘Midsomer Murders and the action comedy ‘Keen Eddie.’ She also appeared in the historical drama Vanity Fair, directed by Mira Nair. Her other noteworthy film roles include ‘The Curse of Steptoe,’ ‘Henry VIII: The Mind of a Tyrant,’ and ‘Torchwood.’ She portrayed Ophelia in Hamlet at the Al Bustaan Festival in Beirut in 2005. In the same year, she appeared in the television movie ‘Friends & Crocodiles.’ She also collaborated with Guy Chambers on a French EP titled ‘The Isis Project’ and appeared in the plays ‘Silverland’ and ‘Macbeth.’ Although she was a versatile performer, theater was always her first passion.
In 2007, Hunter co-directed the play “The Terrific Electric” and was awarded the prestigious “Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award.” Hunter co-founded the theater company Boileroom and won the award for co-directing “The Terrific Electric.” “The Terrific Electric” was also her directorial début. She co-founded the ‘Lacuna Theatre Company’ and served as associate director of the play ‘Enron’ at the ‘Royal Court Theatre’ in ‘West End’ and the ‘Broadhurst Theatre’ on ‘Broadway.’ In 2011, she served as the creative director of the New York City production of “Sleep No More.”
Sophie gained recognition for her avant-garde performances. She directed and performed in theater productions all over Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Her experimental production ’69° South,’ also referred to as ‘Shackleton Project,’ was a huge success. In Northern Ireland, she also directed ‘Phaedra’ at the ‘Happy Days Enniskillen International Beckett Festival’ and ‘The Turn of the Screw’ at the ‘Aldeburgh Festival.’ In 2017, she performed as a narrator alongside Nicholas Daniel in “Music on the Meare” at the “Aldeburgh Festival.” In the same year, she was named producer of the film adaptation of the novel ‘The End We Start From.’ She is a well-known theater personality with a large social media presence.
Major Opera Of Sophia
She directed ‘The Terrific Electric’ (2007), ‘Enron’ (2010), ‘Sleep No More’ (2011), ‘The Forgotten’ (2012), ‘Loma Lights’ (2013), ‘The Turn of the Screw’ (2015), and ‘A Celebration of Shakespeare in Words and Song’ (2016).
She has appeared in ‘Hamlet’ (2005), ‘Silverland’ (2007), and ‘Macbeth’ (2008). ‘Music on the Meare’ (2017) features her as a narrator.
Her notable television appearances include ‘Midsomer Murders’ (2004), ‘Friends & Crocodiles’ (2005), ‘Mumbai Calling’ (2007), ‘The Curse of Steptoe’ (2008), and ‘Torchwood’ (2009). She produced the film ‘The End We Start From.’ She has worked with Armin van Buuren to release the single ‘Virtual Friend’ (2010).
Honors & Accomplishments
In 2007, Sophie Hunter received the “Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award.”
Personal Facts Of Sophia
She had been in a long-term relationship with sculptor Conrad Shawcross since her days at ‘Oxford University.’ However, the couple was never able to make a binding commitment, and they separated in 2010. In February 2015, she married actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Two of their children are named Christopher Carlton and Hal Auden.
She is a close companion of British–Argentinean performance artist Eloise Fornieles and ‘SUNO’ artistic director Max Osterweis. She possesses a talent for languages and speaks French and Italian in addition to English fluently. She plays the piano and has a passion for music. Her additional interests include sailing and tennis.
Estimated Net Worth
Sophia is one of the wealthiest British theater directors. Sophia Hunter has a net worth of $5 million, per our analysis of Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.
The trivial
She is a co-director and dramaturge for marionette and puppetry productions at ‘Phantom Limb Company.’
She was responsible for creating ‘Loma Lights’ in 2013. It was one of New York City’s largest public cultural programs.