Sophie Stone has been named one of the 21 rising creatives in the 2026 U.K. BAFTA Breakthrough cohort, a program supported by Netflix. The English actress earned the recognition for her role in the romantic drama Falling, in which she plays Susan, the deaf sister of Catholic priest David, portrayed by Paapa Essiedu. The film centers on David's forbidden love with a devoted nun, Anna, played by Keeley Hawes.
Stone's profile has also risen through her work in Retreat, the feature from fellow BAFTA Breakthrough talent Ted Evans, and the revenge thriller series Reunion. In an email Q&A with The Hollywood Reporter, she reflected on the honor, her career so far and what lies ahead.
Asked what the Breakthrough selection means to her, Stone described BAFTA as a nurturing and celebratory body and said she has long admired the creatives who pass through the program. She said it offers the rare potential to meet people she has watched climb the ranks, and an element of equity for someone who often is not considered in rooms where networking and creative discussions happen. "There’s so much more to discover and this playground is a huge honor to be let into," she said, adding that she hopes to meet some heroes and branch into new fields.
Retreat, she explained, had been gestating for a decade, with Evans writing the character of Mia with her in mind for 10 years. A short film version cast her very differently, as a questioning follower within a cult, before she became the cult's leader in the feature. The character was built around their shared knowledge of deaf and isolated communities, someone viewers would trust yet question. Stone called the film a love letter to her community, describing an underlying sense of desperation, grief and pride that can both protect and suffocate. "The harder we grip, the more we hurt ourselves," she said, adding that playing such weight and nuance also unearthed personal fears and sorrow. She credited casting director Heather Basten as pivotal in assembling the commune's ensemble.
Stone called the experience of working with an all-deaf lead cast rare and beautiful, comparing it to how pearls are formed: complex, with things to wrestle with. Many of the cast, she noted, have known each other since childhood, through the same schools, deaf clubs and communities, and are now leading their own narratives on both sides of the camera. "We’re showing you battle scars, and all the love, pain and glory that came with it," she said. "I’m proud of us."
As for what audiences should take from Retreat, Stone said there is more to be done, and that both her community and the wider world have a collective chance to listen to what deaf people are saying. "There’s so much to gain from difference. The less we know, the more we fear," she said, adding that humans are not all that different: everyone wants acceptance and belonging.
Beyond acting across film, theater and television, Stone revealed she has been writing a play and a sitcom for a few years. She has directed Shakespeare for the theater, written for BBC3 radio, and worked as a script consultant and editor for organizations including West End Theatre, Netflix and the BBC, as well as supporting published books. She said she has spent most of her career supporting other people's projects and hopes to invest more in her own someday.
She said she would love to venture further into screenwriting and finish her stage play so she can see it staged, possibly serving as dramaturg on it. "I have many dreams still, which keeps me hopeful for the next chapter of my life," she said, adding her respect for the underdogs who make it: "It’s not easy, but they shine the brightest for others to see, like a beacon towards land."
