Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers was born on October 1, 1989, inSacramento, California to Heather (née Edwards) and Sylvain Desaulniers,[1][2]homeopathic chiropractors who ran a practice together. They have another daughter, Milaine.[3][4] Her father isFranco-Manitoban; French was Larson's first language.[5][6] She holdsdual citizenship of Canada and the United States.[7] She was mostly home-schooled, which she believed allowed her to explore innovative and abstract experiences.[3][8][9] Describing her early life, Larson has said she was "strait-laced and square", and that she shared a close bond with her mother but was shy and had social anxiety.[3][8][10] During the summer, she wrote and directed her own home movies in which she cast her cousins, filmed in her garage.[11] At age six, she expressed interest in becoming an actress, later remarking that the "creative arts was just something that was always in me".[3][12] That same year, she auditioned for a training program at theAmerican Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, where she became its youngest student.[4][13] She has said she wanted to become an actress after watchingJennifer Lopez inSelena (1997).[14]
Larson's parents divorced when she was aged seven.[13] She had a dysfunctional relationship with her father, saying: "As a kid I tried to understand him and understand the situation. But he didn't do himself any favors. I don't think he ever really wanted to be a parent."[13] Soon after their separation, Heather relocated to Los Angeles with her two daughters to fulfill Larson's acting ambition. They had limited financial means and lived in a small apartment near Hollywood studio lots atBurbank.[13] Larson described the experience, "We had a crappy one-room apartment where the bed came out of the wall and we each had three articles of clothing."[3] Even so, she has recounted fond memories of this period and credits her mother for doing the best she could for them.[15]
"I was so insecure and so hard on myself back then. But there was a moment when I started doing the math. It took me two hours to get ready every day—hair and makeup, so many clothes, trying to make sure everything matched really well—and I had this intense epiphany. I realized how much time I was spending getting ready for life—I wasn't actually living it. It was the most terrified I've ever been in my life. So I went in the exact opposite way."
Larson developed an interest in music at age eleven when she learned to play the guitar. A music executive encouraged her to write her own songs, and she began self-recording and uploading tracks to her own website.[29][30] After failing to get cast asWendy Darling in the 2003 filmPeter Pan, Larson wrote and recorded a song titled "Invisible Girl", which received airplay onKIIS-FM.[15][18] She soon signed a record deal withTommy Mottola ofCasablanca Records; she andLindsay Lohan were the only artists signed by the label at the time.[15][31][32] In 2005, she released the albumFinally Out of P.E., for which she also co-wrote songs with other songwriters, including Blair Daly,Pam Sheyne,Lindy Robbins, andHolly Brook.[31][33] She titled it after a gym teacher she disliked and has said the songs she wrote were mostly about failed job opportunities.[18][33] One of hersingles, "She Said", was featured on theMTV seriesTotal Request Live, was listed byBillboard in their weekly listings of the most-played videos in the channel, and peaked at number 31 on theBillboard Hot Single Sales.[34][35][36] Larson went on tour withJesse McCartney forTeen People's "Rock in Shop" mall concerts, opened for him during hisBeautiful Soul tour, and also performed in New York City at theMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Even so, the album was not a success, selling only 3,500 copies.[33][37][38] Larson later admitted to being disillusioned with her music career, saying, "I wanted to write all my own songs, and [the recording company] were afraid of that. I wanted to wear sneakers and play my guitar—they wanted heels and wind blown hair."[31]
In 2006, Larson was cast alongsideLogan Lerman andCody Linley in the comedy filmHoot, about young vigilantes trying to save a group of owls. It received poor reviews, but Ruthe Stein of theSan Francisco Chronicle was appreciative of Larson and Linley for bringing "a dash ofIndiana Jones to their roles".[39][40] She had a small part, the following year, in theAmber Heard-starring dramaRemember the Daze, and she launched an arts and literature magazine,Bunnies and Traps, for which she wrote her own opinion columns and accepted submissions from other artists and writers.[30][41] Larson has said she frequently considered quitting acting at that point, as she found it difficult to find much work, blaming it on filmmakers' inability totypecast her.[4] She was particularly discouraged when she lost out on key roles in the filmsThirteen (2003) andJuno (2007).[42] To support herself, Larson worked as a club DJ.[43]
2009–2014: Independent films and breakthrough
In 2009, Larson began playing Kate Gregson, the sardonic teenage daughter ofToni Collette's character, coping with her mother'sdissociative identity disorder, in theShowtime comedy-drama seriesUnited States of Tara.Portia Doubleday was initially cast in the role but was replaced with Larson after filming the pilot episode.[44] Reviewing the first season forThe New York Times,Alessandra Stanley took note of how well Larson played a "real teenager" and Tim Goodman of theSan Francisco Chronicle credited her for finding nuance in her role.[45][46] Larson has said that her character's journey to find meaning in life mirrored that of her own, and she was upset when the show was canceled after three seasons in 2011.[47][48] Also in 2009, she starred alongsideRooney Mara inTanner Hall, a coming-of-age film about four girls in boarding school. Despite disliking the film, Betsy Sharkey of theLos Angeles Times commended Larson for providing "one of the film's funniest bits".[49] In her two other film releases that year, she played a scatterbrained cheerleader inHouse Broken and a popular high schooler inJust Peck.[50]
At theWilliamstown Theatre Festival in 2010, Larson appeared in a stage production ofThornton Wilder's playOur Town.[51] Directed by Nicholas Martin, it featured her in the role of Emily Webb, a precocious young girl. Reviewing the play forThe Boston Globe, Louise Kennedy thought the production had glossed over the play's darker themes and bemoaned the lack of tragic arc in Larson's character.[52] In film, she featured inNoah Baumbach's comedy-dramaGreenberg andEdgar Wright's comedyScott Pilgrim vs. the World.[53][54] A journalist forSlant Magazine opined that these films helped raise her profile, and Larson has said the latter film, in which she played a rock star named Envy Adams, marked a turning point in her career.[3][55] In it, Larson performed the song "Black Sheep" with the bandMetric.[56] Although it did not fare well commercially,Scott Pilgrim vs. the World has since developed acult following.[57][58] She next played the troubled daughter of a corrupt cop (played byWoody Harrelson) in the dramaRampart (2011), an emotionally intense part she found herself unable to detach from.[59] A confrontation scene between Harrelson and her proved upsetting for her; the director was surprised by how well it turned out and tweaked the script to further explore the father-daughter relationship.[60][61]
In 2012, Larson expanded into filmmaking by co-writing and co-directing the short filmThe Arm with Jessie Ennis andSarah Ramos. The film, about societal expectations in the near future, won a special jury prize at theSundance Film Festival.[3][15][29] She featured as a seductive teenager in the critically panned dramaThe Trouble with Bliss,[62] after which she played Molly, a high school student, in21 Jump Street, an adaptation of the 1980s police proceduraltelevision series, co-starringJonah Hill andChanning Tatum. Larson found her acting style to be more rigid than Hill's approach and was challenged by scenes that required her to improvise with him.[63]Dana Stevens ofSlate labeled Larson "a find of major proportions", adding that "she's not only beautiful but funny, with a scratchy contralto voice, and unlike the usual female in a buddy movie, she comes across as a real person".[64] With a worldwide gross of over $200 million,21 Jump Street proved to be Larson's most widely seen film to that point.[65][66]
Following an appearance in the sitcomCommunity,[67] Larson collaborated with Dustin Bowser to co-write and co-directWeighting (2013), a short film about a strained relationship, which was screened atSouth by Southwest.[59][68] Larson's breakthrough came in the same year when she starred inDestin Daniel Cretton's critically acclaimed independent dramaShort Term 12, which marked the first leading role of her career.[6][69] Set in agroup home for troubled teenagers, the film featured her as Grace, the emotionally distressed supervisor of the institution. To prepare, Larson interacted with staff in a children's home and watched online interviews of people with similar jobs.[70] The film had a production budget of under $1 million, and she was pleased with its intimate and collaborative work environment.[71][72] Larson's performance was acclaimed by critics.[73][74][75]Manohla Dargis ofThe New York Times found her "terrific" and "completely persuasive", andIan Freer ofEmpire stated that she "builds into a whirling dervish of a performance, making Grace strong but scarred, damaged but compassionate".[76][77] Jenny McCartney ofThe Daily Telegraph predicted that it would "[mark] her out for a stellar career".[78] Larson received a nomination for theIndependent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead; she later remarked that the film prompted directors to offer her a wide variety of parts, but she turned down roles of the unidimensional love interest.[42][79]
Also in 2013, Larson had supporting roles in two romantic dramas,Don Jon andThe Spectacular Now. In the former, written and directed byJoseph Gordon-Levitt, she played the sister of Don Jon (played by Gordon-Levitt).Peter Travers ofRolling Stone praised the film's exploration of sexual themes and found Larson to be "terrific" in it.[80] InThe Spectacular Now, starringMiles Teller andShailene Woodley, she played Cassidy, the ex-girlfriend of Teller's character. Larson was drawn to the realism she found in the project's depiction of high school experiences.[71] Writing forNew York magazine,David Edelstein called upon viewers to admire "the shading and intelligence she brings to Cassidy".[81] The 2014 crime dramaThe Gambler, based on the 1974film of the same name, featured Larson as a literature student who has an affair with her professor (played byMark Wahlberg), a gambling addict. The directorRupert Wyatt felt the role was underwritten and cast Larson to lend heft to it.[82] Even so,Claudia Puig ofUSA Today wrote that the "talented Larson is given little to do, other than react".[83]
2015–2019: Established actress
Larson had three film releases in 2015. Her first appearance was inDigging for Fire, a largely improvised ensemble comedy-drama featuringJake Johnson in the lead role. Filming took place without a script and Larson made several on-set decisions regarding her character's choices, including the removal of a planned romantic subplot involving her and Johnson.[84] She next played the sister ofAmy Schumer's character in the comedyTrainwreck, which was loosely based on Schumer's own life. Larson modeled her role on Schumer's sister, who served as an associate producer on the film.[85][86] Tim Grierson ofScreen International labeled the film "a deft blend of laughs, romance and poignancy" and found Larson to be "lively, [but] slightly underused".[87]Trainwreck grossed over $140 million against a $35 million budget.[88]
Larson then starred inRoom, a film adaptation ofEmma Donoghue'snovel of the same name. It featured her as Ma, a young woman held in captivity, who bears a child of rape. The role proved physically and emotionally taxing for her, and she modeled it on her mother's struggle as a single parent.[15] A large portion of the film was shot inside a 10 ft × 10 ft shed created in a studio, and Larson prepared herself by spending a month isolated in her apartment.[29] She interacted with specialists on sexual abuse and researched the lack of nutrition that a person in captivity would suffer.[29] To achieve the look, she stayed away from sunlight, modified her diet, and exercised extensively to lose weight.[8] Larson collaborated closely with co-starJacob Tremblay, who played her son, and spent time performing activities that mirrored those of their characters.[89]Room was critically acclaimed, with major emphasis on the performances of Larson and Tremblay.[90]Kenneth Turan of theLos Angeles Times called her performance "astonishing", stating that the "reality and preternatural commitment she brings to Ma is piercingly honest from start to finish, as scaldingly emotional a performance as anyone could wish for".[91] She won several awards, including theAcademy Award for Best Actress, as well as aGolden Globe andBAFTA in the same category.[92]
Following the success ofRoom, Larson played a leading role inFree Fire (2016), an action-comedy about a shootout in a warehouse. She agreed to the project to call attention togun violence.[93] Eric Kohn ofIndieWire noted how different Larson's role was from that inRoom and added that her "businesslike demeanor once again proves her ability to command a scene with a single glare".[94] Commercially, the film failed to recoup its $7 million investment.[95][96] She had filmed a part inTodd Solondz's comedyWiener-Dog, but her scenes were deleted from the final cut as Solondz found her character inessential to the story.[97] The following year, Larson starred alongsideTom Hiddleston andSamuel L. Jackson in the second installment of theMonsterVerse franchise, entitledKong: Skull Island. Shot in Vietnam, the film featured her as a photojournalist in the 1970s.[98] It marked her first mainstream big-budget release, and while she was glad to play a role not defined by her looks, she bemoaned the lack of female co-stars.[2][13]Ann Hornaday ofThe Washington Post praised the film's visual effects and remarked that "Larson manages to hold her own with very little to do".[99]Kong: Skull Island was a commercial success, grossing over $566 million worldwide.[65][100]
Later in 2017, Larson portrayedJeannette Walls inThe Glass Castle, an adaptation of Walls'memoir, which reunited her with Destin Daniel Cretton. It tells the story of a young woman's relationship with her nonconformist parents (played byWoody Harrelson andNaomi Watts).[101] Larson was drawn to the complex depiction of a parent-child relationship and identified with its theme of forgiveness. She collaborated closely with Walls and her siblings and observed their mannerisms.[102]Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian disliked the film's sentimentality but noted that "it is saved, just a little, by the robustness of Brie Larson's presence".[103] Also poorly received was the India-set musical romanceBasmati Blues, a project she had filmed in 2013, which received criticism on social media for itswhite savior narrative.[104][105] The2017 Toronto International Film Festival marked the release of Larson's feature film directorial debut, the comedy-dramaUnicorn Store, in which she also starred.[106] It was later picked for digital distribution byNetflix in 2019.[107] She played a disillusioned art student fascinated with unicorns. Larson had unsuccessfully auditioned in 2012 to star in the film whenMiguel Arteta was attached to direct. After the production was stalled, Larson was offered to direct and star in it.[108] She was drawn to the fanciful narrative and found a connection between her character's journey and her experience as a director.[109] David Ehrlich of IndieWire disliked the film but took note of Larson's potential as a filmmaker.[110]
After a year-long absence from the screen, Larson starred asCarol Danvers / Captain Marvel in theMarvel Cinematic Universe superhero filmCaptain Marvel (2019), which markedMarvel Studios' first female-led film.[111][112] She was initially skeptical about taking on such a high-profile role, but later accepted the part after viewing it as a platform to empower young women and found a connection with the character's flaws and humanity.[2][113] In preparation, she underwent nine months of judo, boxing and wrestling training, and interacted with service personnel at theNellis Air Force Base.[114][115][116]Stephanie Zacharek ofTime wrote that "Larson, a perceptive, low-key actor, carries the whole affair capably" and took note of how much she stood out in the film's quieter moments; David Sims ofThe Atlantic bemoaned the lack of depth in her role, but credited the actress for effectively portraying her character's struggle for independence from authoritarian men.[117][118] Larson reprised her role inAvengers: Endgame, which she had filmed beforeCaptain Marvel.[119]Endgame grossed $2.79 billion worldwide to briefly become thehighest-grossing film of all time, andCaptain Marvel became the first female-led superhero film to gross over $1 billion worldwide.[120][121]
Also in 2019, Larson teamed with Destin Daniel Cretton for the third time inJust Mercy, based onBryan Stevenson's memoir about death row inmateWalter McMillian's wrongful conviction, starringMichael B. Jordan andJamie Foxx. She agreed to take on the supporting part of Eva Ansley, an advocate for theEqual Justice Initiative, to lend her support to Cretton's storytelling.[122]Owen Gleiberman ofVariety took note of how well she channeled her character's "antsy, cigarette-smoking defensiveness."[123]
After a three-year hiatus, Larson returned to acting in the action filmFast X (2023), which marked the tenth installment of theFast & Furious series.[124]Paste's Kevin Fox Jr. opined that she "shines when on screen, but feels wasted in a surprisingly small role".[131] Larson once again played Captain Marvel in the superhero sequelThe Marvels.[132] It received mixed reviews from critics;[133] its receipts were far less than those ofCaptain Marvel, and it emerged as abox-office bomb.[134] She briefly voiced her role as Envy Adams in the animated seriesScott Pilgrim Takes Off.[135] Larson also served as the guest narrator at the 2023Disney's Candlelight Processional atDisneyland.[136]
Larson made herWest End debut in 2025 at theDuke of York's Theatre inAnne Carson's translation of theSophocles playElektra.[143] To play the title role of the vengefulElektra, she got abuzz cut.[144] She said that she accepted the opportunity to engage with "audiences who are not on their phones".[145]Evening Standard's Tim Bano dismissed the production as an "impenetrable slog", but was appreciative of Larson for "bringing layers of bitterness, resentment and desperation to the lines".[146] Writing forThe New York Times, Houman Barekat was more critical, writing, "Larson, for all her energy, has a weirdly perfunctory, one-note intensity".[147]
Advocacy
Larson is agender equality activist and an advocate forsexual assault survivors.[148] She has used her celebrity to speak out on social and political issues, asserting in 2018, "I'd put it all on the line and be an activist for the rest of my life because it doesn't feel right to me to be quiet."[149][150][151] By 2025, Larson became less assertive in expressing such opinions, declining to engage in these topics.[145]
At the89th Academy Awards, she presentedCasey Affleck with the award forBest Actor; she hugged him but did not clap for him during a standing ovation from the audience. When asked if accusations ofsexual harassment against Affleck made her do so, she said that her action "spoke for itself".[150] In 2018, Larson collaborated with 300 women in Hollywood to set up theTime's Up initiative to protect women from harassment and discrimination.[152] Later, at the2023 Cannes Film Festival, where she served as a jury member, she evaded questions onJohnny Depp, whose filmJeanne du Barry was premiering at the festival, and who was accused of abuse by his ex-wifeAmber Heard.[153]
In 2014, Larson teamed withAlia Penner to launch Women of Cinefamily, a monthly program to call attention to films directed by and starring women, for the nonprofit cinemathequeCinefamily, in which Larson served as an advisory board member.[8][154] In the wake of sexual assault allegations against two of the company's male executives, she released a statement in support of the victims and calling for action to be taken against the men.[155][156] Larson joined theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2016, and was later among the finalists for the organization's board of governors.[157][158] In 2017, she was one of several celebrities to raise funds for theMotion Picture & Television Fund, a charity that offers assistance to elderly members of the industry, and co-hosted an event for theWomen in Film organization, during which she urged filmmakers to be vocal againstDonald Trump'spresidency.[159][160] She took part in theWomen's March on Washington and condemned Trump's policies ontransgender rights.[161][162]
At the 2018Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards, where she was honored, Larson bemoaned the lack of diversity among film reporters and called for better representation of minority voices in film criticism.[163] She announced a twenty-percent quota for underrepresented journalists at the Sundance andToronto International Film Festivals.[164] Also in 2018, she became one of the first actors to incorporate aninclusion rider provision in her film and press junket contracts.[113] In a 2019 interview, she remarked upon diversity among film critics and journalists, finding them to be "overwhelmingly white male", and supported diversity in the industry.[165] This comment led totrolling andreview bombing of theCaptain Marvel page onRotten Tomatoes.[166][167] In 2019, she guest-edited an issue ofStylist magazine and used the platform to bring attention to diversity and social inclusion.[168] At theWomen in the World Annual Summit, she spoke out against thegender pay gap in Hollywood.[169] Also in 2019,Variety honored Larson for her work with the Equal Justice Initiative.[170] In 2020, she endorsed the "defund the police" movement.[171]
Larson is reticent to discuss her personal life, and refuses in interviews to answer questions that make her uncomfortable.[4][8] On her desire to be private, she has said she fears being judged for her flaws, and that the privacy allows her to play a wide variety of roles without being typecast.[22][93]
Larson began datingAlex Greenwald, lead singer of the bandPhantom Planet, in 2013; the couple were engaged from 2016 to 2019.[22][172][173][174][175] They had lived together in theHollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles.[2] She credited Greenwald for creating asafe space for her and for empowering her to take risks in her work.[176] In 2019, Larson was in a relationship with actor-filmmakerElijah Allan-Blitz.[177] In 2023, she stated that she was single, indicating that she and Allan-Blitz had broken-up.[124][178]
Describing Larson's off-screen persona, Holly Millea ofElle wrote in 2016 that she "carries herself like an athlete, lean and solid, surefooted [and] yet her energy is warm and familial, literally embracing".[13] The writerAnne Helen Petersen finds her to be "incredibly warm" and adds that she is "a serious nerd, with the endlessly tunneling knowledge of a homeschooler".[22] Jennifer Dickison ofPorter states that Larson's "fully formed" personality made it difficult to categorize her into a conventional slot.[179]The Daily Telegraph's Claire Allfree wrote in 2025 that Larson can quickly transform from being friendly to "prickly and unresponsive".[145]
Larson has said she is interested in films that illustrate the "human condition" and which "make people feel more connected to themselves [and] the rest of the world".[149] She is drawn to roles that differ from her own personality and which involve themes of social activism.[93][180] Fan Zhong ofW magazine has identified a theme of "sex appeal, inner torment, and a quick, playful wit" in her characters, while Allfree believes that she specializes in roles that are "marked by an unmistakable grit".[145][181]Lenny Abrahamson, who directed Larson inRoom, believes that her craft has "none of that showy intensity that sometimes gets all the attention" and has said that her "awareness of tougher lives" empowers her performances.[13] Destin Daniel Cretton, who directed her inShort Term 12 andThe Glass Castle, has praised her ability to improvise, stating, "I never know what's going to happen, and oftenshe doesn't know what's going to happen."[13]
^"Video Monitor".Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. March 5, 2005. p. 60.ISSN0006-2510.Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. RetrievedJuly 21, 2018. "Video Monitor".Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. April 23, 2005. p. 43.ISSN0006-2510.Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. RetrievedJuly 21, 2018.
^"Brie Larson on superheroes, success and her Hollywood sisterhood".Marie Claire. February 7, 2019.Archived from the original on March 9, 2019. RetrievedMarch 10, 2019.About a year ago, I started paying attention to what my press days looked like and the critics reviewing movies, and noticed it appeared to be overwhelmingly white male.... Moving forward, I decided to make sure my press days were more inclusive.
Canadian Film Awards 1968–1978,Genie Awards 1980-2011,Canadian Screen Awards 2012–present. Separate awards were presented by gender prior to 2022; a single unified category for best performance regardless of gender has been presented since.
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