Why Charlotte From Ozark Looks So Familiar
Fans of Ozark have watched Charlotte Byrde grow from a bourgeois teenager living her privileged life on the North Shore of Chicago into a ruthless Missouri extortion artist. Maybe not the best fodder for a college application, but more or less what it takes to stay alive in the Byrde clan.
As confirmed by that shocking finale, season 3 of Ozark was the season where Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) finally dragged his entire family into his criminal underground of con artists, drug cartels, and money-laundering riverboat casinos. As a result, this was the first season where we got to see Charlotte really come into her own as an outlaw — even doing her best Helen (Janet McTeer) impression shaking down unwitting victims. It's been a fascinating journey, made all the more convincing by the young actress charged with portraying this troubled teen. Her name is Sofia Hublitz, and you may have seen her on screen before.
The fresh-faced Hublitz was born on June 1, 1999 in Richmond, Virginia (via IMDb). According to a profile in The Last Magazine, she moved to New York City at the age of 7; there, her mother, an art director for screen, introduced her to the industry at a young age.
Hublitz joined Bateman's southern crime drama when she was only 17 years old. While the role of Charlotte Byrde may have been her big break, it certainly wasn't Hublitz's first rodeo. By the time she reached the Lake of the Ozarks, she'd already made her debut on the small screen in a memorable cooking competition and collaborated with Louis C.K. on two projects.
Sofia Hublitz has spent some time in the kitchen
Hublitz's first turn in front of a camera came in 2013, when she competed as a contestant on seven episodes of Chef Gordon Ramsay's MasterChef Junior TV series. During this run, Hublitz famously became frazzled and broke down in tears after making a mistake in one of her tasks. The typically ill-tempered Ramsay showed his softer side — telling Hublitz not to panic and offering personal assistance to help her rebuild her batter in the correct order.
"Look, I'm here to help you. Please don't get upset! Hey, don't worry. Let's start again, shall we?" Ramsay told Hublitz, who had added ingredients into her stand mixer in the incorrect order. "Don't you worry, my darling [...] We can still do this. We've still got time!"
The 14-year-old Hublitz only made it to episode 4 of MasterChef Junior, but obviously caught someone's eye, because she moved on quickly to scripted television.
Sofia Hublitz had small roles on two series before breaking out with Ozark
If you're a fan of Louis C.K.'s unique brand of dark humor, then you probably remember his off-beat FX comedy series, simply entitled Louie. Fresh off her MasterChef appearance, Hublitz did a two-episode stint on the 2014 sitcom, playing Danielle Hoffman. From there, she was cast on a single episode of C.K.'s Emmy Award-nominated web series Horace and Pete, portraying young Sylvia, and then shipped off to the Ozarks for her first shot at a series regular role.
Hublitz now stars opposite another young talent — Emmy-winning actress Julia Garner, who portrays Ruth Langmore, Marty's erstwhile protégé and sometimes surrogate daughter. Although she hasn't yet enjoyed the same critical recognition as Garner, after her captivating performance on Ozark season 3, it's clear that Hublitz's future in the industry is bright.
What's next for Sofia Hublitz
Proof of Hublitz's Hollywood star continuing to rise is what's next on her docket: What Breaks the Ice. Directed by Rebecca Eskreis, the former assistant of The Silence of the Lambs director Jonathan Demme who's gone on to become a filmmaker in her own right, What Breaks the Ice is billed as a coming-of-age thriller centered around a pair of teenage girls whose unlikely friendship faces the ultimate test. Hublitz portrays Sammy, while Madelyn Cline, who's appeared on series like The Originals and Stranger Things, plays Emily. The duo, who "hark from different worlds," intend to have a summer to remember — but it turns dark when they "become accidental accomplices in a fatal crime."
Eskreis once said of What Breaks the Ice, "The film remembers a teenage experience that may never exist again — one in which, absent [of] technology, connection was intense, pure and evanescent, with the possibility of reconnection so uncertain. Ultimately, the film explores the liminal space of female adolescence, where the realization of lost innocence transforms into the painful and beautiful empowerment of growing up" (via Screen Daily).
From the sounds of it, What Breaks the Ice will be intense in a ton of different ways. Good thing Hublitz has plenty of experience on a project exactly like that.