After leaving Brighton College, Sophia Barron (Fe. 2017-19) studied a Modern Languages degree at Durham University, before setting her sights on a career in the film and television industry.
What followed was a familiar story to many newcomers attempting to break into the industry: sending countless applications off into the void, cold-emailing professionals, and sitting through fruitless coffee meetings. Then, finally, after much persistence, she finally had her big breakthrough.
Sophia’s first opportunity came in the form of a Production Assistant role on Star Wars: Andor Season 2—a dream start that offered a front-row seat to blockbuster filmmaking. The job offered much more than just a behind the scenes look at the galaxy far, far away, because she also got to meet the entire cast and crew, climb into spaceships, and greet the then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak when he came to tour the set.
From there, Sophia’s journey continued across a number of high-profile productions, including a brief but memorable stint on a Disney project that provided a sobering lesson on the highs and lows of the industry when it was cancelled just two weeks into prep. She also accepted a job behind the scenes on the critically acclaimed The Night Manager Season 2 with Tom Hiddleston. A more unusual chapter came along next with Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2, where Sophia took on the role of Marine Technician.
“I found myself cleaning Tom Cruise’s dive mask between takes, running a nitrox compressor to fill dive tanks, and helping to maintain the 8.5-million-litre water tanks used for filming.” she says.
Recently promoted to Production Secretary, Sophia is now working on The Neuromancer, a new sci-fi series, based on the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning sci-fi legend Willian Gibson's seminal cyberpunk novel. It will premiere on Apple TV+ in late 2026. The role, though more office-based, will be critical to the smooth running of a large-scale production and will provide invaluable experience—managing contracts, onboarding crew, supporting payroll, and ensuring key information is tracked across departments.
Outside of set life, Sophia is building experience in the development side of the industry too, freelancing as a script reader for emerging writers. Her long-term goal is to produce her own films, and no doubt when the time comes, drawing from her wide base of hands-on knowledge across both development and production.
Given the sheer persistence, adaptability, and drive that Sophia has displayed so far, we have every reason to believe she will continue to succeed wherever the industry takes her next.