Sophie Mudd

The Idol had taken over the Internet for the last two months while the five-episode season aired on HBO. Viewers were swept up in the lives of pop-star Jocelyn, played by Lily-Rose Depp, and cult leader Tedros, played by The Weeknd. Amongst the star-studded ensemble cast was a fresh face named Sophie Mudd, who funnily enough, played a character with the same name. Sophie was a part of Tedros’ underground cult and eventually ended up moving into Jocelyn’s house along with the rest of the members. 

Initially, Sophie came on to this project to work as an extra, however, she continued to be asked to come back and was eventually written into the script. Her character even had a hand in the twist at the end of episode four along with singer and actor, Troye Sivan. 

Outside of this project, the California native is a digital content creator with nearly 3 million followers on Instagram. She’s dabbled in modeling, photography, and influencer outreach within fashion companies. All of this has earned her partnerships with brands like Skims, Alo Yoga, and Frankies Bikinis. She has even worked with Yeezy in their showroom during Milan and Paris Fashion Week. 

We spoke with the budding actress about her time on The Idol, curating the perfect Instagram feed, and her future.

Can you tell us a bit about your journey on the Internet and how you grew your massive following?

Yes! So my internet journey began when I was around 17 years old. I was discovered on Instagram by Frankies Bikinis and I only had around a thousand followers. They wanted to do an Instagram photo shoot with me for their new collection, which I had never done before. Crazy enough, I gained around 100,000 followers from the shoot, which was absolutely insane! After that, I got an office job for a clothing brand doing influencer outreach and gifting along with my boyfriend for other influencers. I actually used to borrow clothes from the warehouse we worked at because I couldn’t afford to buy my own. My boyfriend started taking casual iPhone photos of me for fun and we would post them on Instagram. I went from having 100,000+ followers from the Frankies shoot to almost 3 million. It’s been absolutely insane. 

When it comes to curating your feed, do you have any rules you stick to as you pick photos or videos to post?

I actually have a burner Instagram account that I post all my photos on before they go to my main feed! I like to make sure everything looks pretty and the colors all make sense together. This is totally unnecessary [laughs], but it makes me feel calm and happy when everything is aesthetically pleasing. 

How did you stumble upon The Idol?

I didn’t exactly stumble upon it. I was fortunate enough to get an Instagram DM from Sam Levinson, the director, last summer asking if I was available to join The Idol for a day of work. My day of work turned from working on every episode to walking the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. It’s been so amazing getting to know such talented and wonderful people. I feel like we’ve all become so close. 

Can you tell us what was going through your head when you were told you weren’t just going to be an extra, but that you were also going to have your own character and be a part of the storyline? 

I was beyond excited and felt like I was in a dream! I’ve followed Sam’s work and admire his artistic ability and creativity, so I felt honored to be invited back.

Did you find it challenging to slip into the role of Sophie or were you trying to have fun with it as you went along?

I was definitely having fun with it as I went along. I had great direction from Sam and really enjoyed experimenting with a new side of myself. 

Is acting something you want to continue to pursue?

See also

INTERVIEWS

Stephen Sanchez

Most definitely, yes! I love getting out of my comfort zone and trying out new things. I’ve found through my experience working on The Idol how truly passionate I am about acting and that it’s something I want to pursue. I am currently taking acting lessons and am having so much fun with it. I grew up as an extremely shy kid and I’m starting to come out of my shell and do the things I love. I’m honestly really proud of myself!

What was it like being on this busy set, especially that big party scene in episode four?

It was so much fun filming the party scene. I loved watching how the set designers made it look like a real, crazy party. There were a bunch of people on set that day and it was just a great time. We actually filmed that scene over a couple of days and I had a call time of 12 AM. I was so excited and just felt so lucky to be there. The energy couldn’t have been better.

DISCLAIMER: This interview was conducted prior to the July 13th strike before SAG-AFTRA members went on strike.