# Brie Larson
**Brie Larson** (born Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers, 1989, in [Sacramento, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/sacramento-california)) is an American actress, filmmaker, and former singer-songwriter who won the 2016 [Academy Award for Best Actress](https://www.edgepedia.org/academy-award-for-best-actress) for *Room* and later played [Carol Danvers](https://www.edgepedia.org/carol-danvers) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.[1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/brie-larson/) • [2](https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/brie-larson-an-american-cinematheque-retrospective/) The Library of Congress authority record lists her fields of activity as acting, singing, and motion picture production and direction.[3](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2006065250.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers, born 1989 in Sacramento, California; "Larson" is a family name from her great-grandmother[1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/brie-larson/) • [4](https://time.com/4239723/oscars-2016-brie-larson-best-actress/) |
| Breakthrough | First leading role as Grace Howard in *Short Term 12* (2013); Best Actress at the Locarno Film Festival and Gotham Awards[2](https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/brie-larson-an-american-cinematheque-retrospective/) |
| Awards peak | 2016 Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG Award for Best Actress for *Room* (2015)[2](https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/brie-larson-an-american-cinematheque-retrospective/) |
| Franchise work | Carol Danvers in *Captain Marvel* (2019), *Avengers: Endgame* (2019), and *The Marvels* (2023); appeared in *Fast X* (2023)[1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/brie-larson/) • [5](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/brie-larson/) |
| Directing | Feature debut *Unicorn Store* premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival; Emmy winner in 2020 as co-producer of *The Messy Truth VR Experience*[2](https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/brie-larson-an-american-cinematheque-retrospective/) |
| Television | *Raising Dad* (2001), *United States of Tara* (2009–2011), and *Lessons in Chemistry* (2023), which received ten Emmy nominations[6](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/brie-larson) • [2](https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/brie-larson-an-american-cinematheque-retrospective/) |
| Music | Single "Go" (2003) and the pop-rock album *Finally Out of P.E.* (2005)[5](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/brie-larson/) • [2](https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/brie-larson-an-american-cinematheque-retrospective/) |
## Early life and name
Larson was born Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers in Sacramento to Heather and Sylvain, both holistic-medicine practitioners.[4](https://time.com/4239723/oscars-2016-brie-larson-best-actress/) • [7](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/04/brie-larson-cover-story) She began pursuing acting at age seven, when her mother brought her to Los Angeles.[8](https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/brie-larson/) The family moved from Sacramento to Los Angeles in the mid-1990s, and she studied at the [American Conservatory Theater](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-conservatory-theater).[7](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/04/brie-larson-cover-story) • [5](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/brie-larson/) Her stage name comes from her great-grandmother's family name Larson.[4](https://time.com/4239723/oscars-2016-brie-larson-best-actress/)
## Child and teen acting, and the music interlude
Her first break came in 1998, in parody commercials for *The Tonight Show with Jay Leno*; the Associated Press likewise records that she broke into show business doing sketches on that program.[7](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/04/brie-larson-cover-story) • [9](https://apnews.com/general-news-movies-0ab97815596e448eb12c240dcf562339) Treccani dates her film debut to *Special Delivery* (1999).[5](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/brie-larson/) She was a regular in the 2001 sitcom *Raising Dad*.[6](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/brie-larson)
**Music.** As a singer-songwriter in the pop-rock genre she began in 2003 with the single "Go," followed by the 2005 album *Finally Out of P.E.*; the American Cinematheque notes she was briefly signed to [Casablanca Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/casablanca-records) before transitioning into acting full time.[5](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/brie-larson/) • [2](https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/brie-larson-an-american-cinematheque-retrospective/) In 2005 she sang on the Barbie Castle float in the Macy's Day Parade and toured with [Jesse McCartney](https://www.edgepedia.org/jesse-mccartney).[4](https://time.com/4239723/oscars-2016-brie-larson-best-actress/) The Associated Press describes the 2005 album as her major-label debut, released while she appeared in several television series.[9](https://apnews.com/general-news-movies-0ab97815596e448eb12c240dcf562339)
She appeared in Showtime's *United States of Tara* (2009–2011), a series with [Steven Spielberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/steven-spielberg) as an executive producer.[7](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/04/brie-larson-cover-story) Supporting film parts followed in *Scott Pilgrim vs. the World*, *21 Jump Street*, *Rampart*, *Don Jon*, *[Trainwreck](https://www.edgepedia.org/trainwreck-film)*, and *The Spectacular Now*.[7](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/04/brie-larson-cover-story)
## Breakthrough and Room
Her first leading role was Grace Howard in [Destin Daniel Cretton](https://www.edgepedia.org/destin-daniel-cretton)'s *Short Term 12* (2013); Cannes also identifies the film as her breakout.[2](https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/brie-larson-an-american-cinematheque-retrospective/) • [10](https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2023/interview-with-brie-larson-member-of-the-feature-films-jury/) The performance earned her Best Actress wins at the Locarno Film Festival and the Gotham Awards.[2](https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/brie-larson-an-american-cinematheque-retrospective/)
**Room.** In Lenny Abrahamson's *Room* (2015), opposite [Jacob Tremblay](https://www.edgepedia.org/jacob-tremblay), she played a young mother held in captivity.[1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/brie-larson/) • [2](https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/brie-larson-an-american-cinematheque-retrospective/) Her physical preparation was specific: "Started working out with a trainer, in order to wear out my body and gain muscle. I had to stay out of the sun for, like, three months before we started shooting," she told [CBS News](https://www.edgepedia.org/cbs-news).[8](https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/brie-larson/) The performance won the Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG Award for Best Actress in 2016; Treccani specifies the Golden Globe as Best Actress in a Drama.[2](https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/brie-larson-an-american-cinematheque-retrospective/) • [5](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/brie-larson/)
## Franchise era: Captain Marvel and beyond
Larson was cast as Carol Danvers after, by her own account in a 2017 *Vanity Fair* profile, some negative online comments; she described the character as a symbol that could bring confidence to young women.[7](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/04/brie-larson-cover-story) *[Captain Marvel](https://www.edgepedia.org/captain-marvel-film)* (2019) was Marvel's first female-led superhero film and broke box office records, and the role carried her onto TIME's 100 Most Influential People list for 2019.[2](https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/brie-larson-an-american-cinematheque-retrospective/) • [6](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/brie-larson) She reprised the character in *Avengers: Endgame* (2019) and *The Marvels* (2023).[1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/brie-larson/)
Her other large-scale work includes *Kong: Skull Island* (2017), which had earned $500 million worldwide by April 2017.[5](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/brie-larson/) • [7](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/04/brie-larson-cover-story) In 2023 she appeared in *Fast X*.[5](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/brie-larson/)
## Directing, producing, and other creative work
Her feature directorial debut, *[Unicorn Store](https://www.edgepedia.org/unicorn-store)*, premiered at the 2017 [Toronto International Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/toronto-international-film-festival).[2](https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/brie-larson-an-american-cinematheque-retrospective/) She has explained the impulse in direct terms: "I've always wanted to be part of the whole process of creating a film. In general, actors don't participate in production meetings; they don't see the full scope of things. Directing is a way for me to express myself on my own terms."[10](https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2023/interview-with-brie-larson-member-of-the-feature-films-jury/)
In 2020 she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Interactive Program as a co-producer of the virtual reality series *The Messy Truth VR Experience*.[6](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/brie-larson) • [2](https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/brie-larson-an-american-cinematheque-retrospective/) She writes and publishes her own social media content without hired curation; as of 2017 she had more than 700,000 Instagram followers and over 500,000 on Twitter.[7](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/04/brie-larson-cover-story) In 2017 she was announced to star as [Victoria Woodhull](https://www.edgepedia.org/victoria-woodhull), the first woman to run for U.S. president, in an Amazon Studios film.[7](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/04/brie-larson-cover-story)
## By the numbers
Her major-award tally for *Room* comprises four Best Actress honors: the Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG Award, all in 2016.[2](https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/brie-larson-an-american-cinematheque-retrospective/) She has one Primetime Emmy, for *The Messy Truth VR Experience* (2020).[6](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/brie-larson) *Lessons in Chemistry* received ten Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Larson as scientist Elizabeth Zott.[2](https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/brie-larson-an-american-cinematheque-retrospective/) Documented box-office figures include *Kong: Skull Island*'s $500 million worldwide by April 2017.[7](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/04/brie-larson-cover-story)
## Lessons in Chemistry and 2023
In 2023 Larson served on the Feature Films Jury at the Cannes Film Festival.[10](https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2023/interview-with-brie-larson-member-of-the-feature-films-jury/) The same year brought *The Marvels* and *Fast X* in theaters, and *Lessons in Chemistry* on television, in which she starred as Elizabeth Zott.[5](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/brie-larson/) • [1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/brie-larson/) • [2](https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/brie-larson-an-american-cinematheque-retrospective/) Cannes describes her career pattern as navigating "with ease between independent cinema and blockbuster roles."[10](https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2023/interview-with-brie-larson-member-of-the-feature-films-jury/)
## References
1. [Brie Larson, Golden Globes](https://goldenglobes.com/person/brie-larson/)
2. [Brie Larson: An American Cinematheque Retrospective](https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/brie-larson-an-american-cinematheque-retrospective/)
3. [Larson, Brie, 1989- , Library of Congress authority record](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2006065250.html)
4. [Who Is Brie Larson: Oscars 2016, TIME](https://time.com/4239723/oscars-2016-brie-larson-best-actress/)
5. [Larson, Brie, Treccani Enciclopedia](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/brie-larson/)
6. [Brie Larson, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/brie-larson)
7. [Cover Story: Brie Larson, Hollywood's Most Independent Young Star, Vanity Fair (2017)](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/04/brie-larson-cover-story)
8. [Brie Larson, CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/brie-larson/)
9. [Brie Larson finds her voice and best-actress Oscar in 'Room', AP News](https://apnews.com/general-news-movies-0ab97815596e448eb12c240dcf562339)
10. [Interview with Brie Larson, member of the Feature Films Jury, Festival de Cannes (2023)](https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2023/interview-with-brie-larson-member-of-the-feature-films-jury/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Kn to La*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license