Some performers are practically born into the spotlight. Whether the gifted offspring of Hollywood royalty or the three-year-old acting prodigy predisposed to spectacle, the film industry has introduced us to a variety of young stars, their eventual stardom as glaring as the marquee that would announce their feature debut. Yet, for the rising star of Freakier Friday, Sophia Hammons, the familiar ‘child actor’ origin story was a little different.

Her first brush with acting wasn’t marked by a standing ovation or a breakout performance, at that. Her first memory of the art involved an audition for a production of Les Misérables, one mostly spent in the wings watching with a quiet curiosity. It wasn’t until a perceptive music teacher lent some gentle encouragement that Hammons considered acting. “I really owe it all to him for encouraging me to try something new,” she recalls. That spark ignited further when, at 12, she saw an adolescent Natalie Portman in Léon: The Professional. Soon enough, scripts were read, gigs were booked, and what was once a wide-eyed child reckoning with the big bad world of cinema became a young woman sharing the screen with icons like Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. “Watching Jamie and Lindsay work their magic on set was so inspiring to see,” Hammons tells V. “Jamie really knows how to take control of a room in the most friendly, encouraging, and productive way. She’s a boss. We called her ‘Jamie, Ruler of the Universe.’ And Lindsay is such a professional, it’s insane how she locks in when they call action.”

But Freakier Friday, with its signature blend of body-swap chaos and emotional warmth, demanded more than just imitation. The cast spent weeks before filming immersed in bonding rituals. “We did things like slow dance with one another, look into each other’s eyes for two minutes, write letters to each other as our characters. It was great.” Playing the role of Lily, a British teen thrown into unfamiliar territory, meant mastering a new accent with the help of a dialect coach, yet the greater challenge lay in bringing dimension to a character who, on paper, risked falling into a snobby stereotype. “It was really important to me to humanize her in an authentic way,” Hammons explains, “and find the balance between moments where she can be vulnerable and also moments where she’s more guarded.”

Now, with Freakier Friday behind her and new ventures ahead, Hammons is stepping into other roles, both literally and figuratively. She recently acquired the rights to two books with her father, with plans to adapt them for the screen, and her vision is clear. Echoing the spirit of the film that brought her into the spotlight, Hammons aims “to tell stories that encourage others to have hope, and create inclusive welcoming communities.” And while her career may still be in its early chapters, her clarity of purpose and collaborative spirit suggest a burgeoning longevity.

This story appears in the pages of V156: now available for purchase!

Photography Dana Boulos

Fashion Valeria Semushina

Makeup Anna Kato

Hair Ted Gibson (Exclusive Artists Management) using Ted Gibson

Manicure Olivia de Montagnac (The Wall Group) using Olive and June

Editor / Casting Kev Ponce

Production Long Play Creative

Light Direction Dan Patrick

Digital Technician Ryan Geary

Retouching Maria Smirnova

Location The Kingsley House

Fashion Assistants Lili Mushkudiani, Oksi Belkasemi

Makeup Assistant Yana Kavalerchikyana

Production Assistants Ian Roper, Geoffrey Leslie