Exclusive Interview: Sophie Rankin’s Journey From Beauty Queen to Screen Queen

Sophie Rankin’s journey through the realms of modeling, acting, and pageantry is as captivating as the characters she brings to life on screen. Born in England, Sophie’s early passion for gymnastics paved the way for a multifaceted career that has seen her shine on both local and international stages.

After honing her skills in dance, drama, and psychology, Sophie embarked on a journey of self-discovery, traversing continents and immersing herself in diverse cultures. From her breakthrough role as Erica in the popular UK TV series Emmerdale to her captivating performances in feature films like Escape and DarkGame, Sophie’s versatility and dedication to her craft have earned her acclaim both at home and abroad.

Sophie’s adventures have taken her from the glitz and glamour of pageantry to the depths of Kilimanjaro, where she climbed to raise funds for charity. Along the way, she’s lent her voice to causes close to her heart, volunteering in orphanages and serving as a voluntary English teacher in Tanzania.

Now, as Sophie returns to her roots in the UK, she’s poised to make her mark once again with a slate of upcoming projects that promise to showcase her talent and versatility. From historical dramas to supernatural thrillers, Sophie’s commitment to storytelling knows no bounds, and her journey is only just beginning.

In this exclusive interview, we delve deep into Sophie’s extraordinary journey, exploring the challenges she’s faced, the lessons she’s learned, and the dreams that drive her forward. Join us as we uncover the untold stories behind the scenes and discover the woman behind the roles, as Sophie Rankin invites us into her world of passion, perseverance, and boundless ambition.

Love Horror: Your journey from gymnastics to modeling, acting, and pageantry is truly remarkable. How has your diverse background influenced your approach to your craft as an actress?

Sophie Rankin: I think it’s made me very adaptable which has enabled me to be comfortable within working in lots of different environments and with people from all walks of life. It’s also given me more range within my creative skills as Modeling, gymnastics and dance are such useful skills to have within acting in fillm for productions that require such skills. Pageantry also helped me to perfect my public speaking and communication skills which is very important within acting especially when it comes to question and answer panels at premieres and for film interviews etc!

Escape and DarkGame showcase your versatility as an actress, with each role presenting unique challenges. Can you share with us how you approached portraying characters like Lucy and Fay, and what insights did you gain from these experiences?

For Lucy I adapted my character to how I felt I would really react to that type of situation in real life and how I feel I would fight against all odds to survive no matter what. I brought a lot of my own personality into her character to make her more relatable to me and therefore easier to convey. I also allowed myself to delve into real life experiences that I’d had to portray a real sense of deep emotion within the scenes.

For Fay I had to genuinely imagine that I was in that scenario and how utterly terrified I would feel in order to show such an intense portrayal of sheer terror within me!

Your upcoming projects span a wide range of genres, from historical dramas like Bermondsey Tales: Fall of the Roman Empire to supernatural thrillers like Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla. What draws you to such diverse roles, and how do you prepare yourself for the distinct challenges each genre presents?

For me, I feel it’s all about getting into the mindset of the character I’m playing and seeing things through her eyes so I can ultimately become her on screen. So in spite of what genre the film is the biggest thing I do to prepare that I always feel is the most important for the role is character development.

As someone who has worked extensively in both film and television, what differences do you find between the two mediums, and how do you adapt your approach accordingly?

They are both so different and I feel that TV is generally very fast paced so I’d always make sure that I know all my lines inside out ten fold and sometimes everyone else’s lines to in order not to be caught out or slow anything down haha! For film, frequently the pace is a lot slower so I try to bring a lot of patience to set as frequently shoots are slower paced than you’d like them to be haha so you have to take a deep breath and just let it happen lol!

From Emmerdale to Mr. & Mrs. Cruz, you’ve portrayed a variety of characters on television too. Is there a particular TV role that has left a lasting impression on you, and if so, why?

I’d say my TV role for a very popular TV series that I was in called Asawa Karbial Ko which was filmed in the Philippines left quite the impact on me as I had such a brilliant time on set during the filming of that and I was working with such lovely people. I also cherished my time on Emmerdale as I’d grown up watching all of the soap stars on TV so it felt amazing to actually get to act with some of them!

You’ve also ventured into producing and directing with projects like the fashion show fundraiser for the British Heart Foundation. What inspired you to explore these roles behind the camera, and how do they complement your work as an actress?

So with that particular project my goal was just simply to raise money for the charity but eventually I would like to possibly delve into film production when I have more spare time but currently my focus is more on acting.

What do you feel has been your most impactful role in film to date (and why)?

I personally think my role in Escape movie directed by Howard J Ford playing Lucy has been my most impactful role so far as she begins as a victim and quickly turns things around and almost turns into some kind of real life superhero fighting against all of the bad guys fighting to survive against all odds no matter what! I do my own stunts in this film as well so I feel that all the martial arts and stage combat as well as some of the insane things you will see my character do makes the role extremely impactful! Some of the scenes I am im are also certainly very hard to forget about, that’s for sure haha!

Throughout your career, you’ve traveled extensively and immersed yourself in different cultures. How has this global perspective enriched your life and informed your approach to storytelling?

This has definitely helped me massively within acting and within all aspects of my life! I feel that it’s given me a huge amount of life experience beyond my years and maturity that I wouldn’t of necessarily of developed as young as I did if I hadn’t of traveled independently as much as I have done. I’m incredibly grateful for all of the opportunities I’ve had to travel round the world. It’s also given me a wider understanding of other people and different cultures which has helped me a lot especially when it’s come to filming across the globe! I think it has also made me more relatable as a person to more people. And I believe it’s given me a lot of confidence, depth and more self belief in knowing I can conquer my goals…like if I can’t travel round the world by myself I’ve got this haha!

Charity work seems to be an integral part of your life, from climbing Kilimanjaro for No More Malaria UK to volunteering in orphanages. How do you balance your career with your philanthropic endeavors, and what motivates you to give back?

Thank you so much, yes charity has always been very important to me and I feel if everyone can help a tiny bit in which ever way they can ( if they can) it can go a long way! I think when ever I’ve done various charity missions my motivation is just wanting people to be happy and to have a slightly easier life so if I can help to put a smile on someone’s face that is very rewarding to me.

Winning ‘Miss Harmony World’ in Bali, Indonesia, must have been an incredible experience. How has your success in pageantry influenced your career in modeling and acting, and what lessons have you learned from your time on the pageant stage?

Yes winning that title was pretty awesome as the finals were held in Bali so the whole experience was really amazing! I think the biggest thing pageantry helped me with is public speaking skills and confidence! I also worked as a public speaker in China for a while and I think if I hadn’t of already been used to talking on stage with pageantry I wouldn’t of had the confidence to embark on that job! Pageantry also helped my acting and modeling CV rather a lot because in Asia beauty queens are very much ‘celebrities’ so this platform helped to land me a lot of modeling contracts world wide and more great roles in TV shows and in films.

Your upcoming film Ouija Castle sees you playing the leading role of Princess Sofia. Can you tell us more about this project and what excites you most about bringing this character to life?

Yes I’m so so excited about this movie! My character in this is a very spoilt little brat with a real psychotic selfish edge! She’s a pure villain who’s very much under the influence of her even more villainous mother- Queen Velma! I was very excited to get this role as usually I’m cast as the good character so to get the opportunity to play a villain and someone thankfully very different from myself haha was actually so much fun!

With such a busy schedule, how do you maintain a sense of balance and self-care amidst the demands of your career?

I write my self to do lists which I find helps with my time management skills haha and I also try to eat healthily and workout. Usually if I have time I’ll do a power walk/run for an hour a day in the fresh air as I feel this helps to clear your head and keep you focused!

Your journey from Hampshire to Manila and back again is nothing short of extraordinary. What advice would you give to aspiring actors and actresses who are embarking on their own path in the industry?

Thank you so much! I would say to be open to new opportunities that may come your way as you never know what paths will open for you through keeping your mind open to new adventures! I would also say to stay true to yourself, never do something you are not comfortable with and to try to build a life for yourself that enables you to act whilst also not relying on it.

As someone who has experienced success both locally and internationally, what do you hope to achieve next in your career, and what legacy do you hope to leave behind?

Thank you so much, what a lovely question! Next for me career wise, I plan to continue doing as many films in different genres as I can as I just love film acting! I hope to always leave a positive mark on the industry and for people to think after each production I work on that…..she was fun to work with and we’d like to hire her again haha!

Finally, where do you see yourself in the next five years, both personally and professionally, and what goals are you striving to accomplish during this time?
I see myself doing more films, more traveling and possibly more filming abroad! I have a lot of business goals as well which I also hope to conquer!