It’s hard to find someone as crazy as Sophia Di Martino right now. In just a few months, the Nottingham-born actor has become a global phenomenon, has a huge social media following and is at the top of Google searches in countless countries. Why is that so, you ask? Oh, it’s just because she left and played an important role Loki, the newest mind-blowing, debating Marvel TV show to hit Disney +. No big deal.
As you can imagine, the 37-year-old is still coming to terms with things. “It was a whirlwind,” she muses. “Of course, I couldn’t talk about the show for a while, not even to my family. So it was great to experience the show with everyone else and see how people reacted to it and to the character. ”
The character Sophia is referring to is Sylvie, a “variant” of the title Loki who can travel through time and cause chaos in the process. Sylvie started out as a newcomer to the Marvel scene and quickly becomes a key figure in the series that doesn’t just propel the plot forward the show, but the entire Cinematic Universe, in brave and brave new places. Sophia knew from the start that she was part of something big – but how big was a small shock.
“Kate Herron, the director, told me the whole story and she explained to me that Sylvie is an important character. But I think I didn’t fully understand how important it is, ”she says. “I’m someone who often downplays things and only believes things when I see them. So it was all a nice surprise. ”
I’m so excited when I hear a Nottingham voice on TV so it’s so great to have that Midlands accent in something as big as the Marvel Universe
If Sophia struggled to believe the extent of her situation before filming began, her first time on the Marvel grounds would have felt even more wonderful. With massive sets and massive stars – including Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson and Gugu Mbatha-Raw to name a few – everyone involved, Sophia admits that she had several “twists and turns” when the enormity of things really started.
One special moment later on in the series, involving almost all of the show’s heavyweights (except, of course, alligator Loki) was particularly noticeable. “I remember going to the Time-Keepers ‘Theater with Gugu and Tom,” she explains, “and just thought to myself,’ Oh my god, this is like a real Marvel show. Oh my god what am I doing? ‘ I had to take a few deep breaths and get myself centered again. It definitely crept into me a couple of times, exactly where I was and what I was doing. ”
Despite clashing with some of the game’s biggest stars, Sophia keeps stealing the show, a captivatingly confident and comfortably matter-of-fact approach to her character that wins audiences from the get-go. That shouldn’t come as a surprise – she was great as Amy in the all-unique Channel 4 comedy-drama flower, a show that Sophia says is “still very dear to me,” and has appeared on popular publications such as Yesterday and To the badlands.
Should Sophia return to the MCU in the future, we can imagine that many other cast members will be impressed with her. And what’s even better? She does it all with our accent.
“That was so important to me. I get so excited when I hear a Nottingham voice on TV. When I was a kid there wasn’t really anyone who sounded like me on TV, so it’s so great to have that Midlands accent in something as big as the Marvel Universe, ”Sophia explains before admitting that she still can’t quite believe she got away with it.
The decision to keep her accent wasn’t just about representing different communities – it was a conscious decision to develop a character that would bring something new and unique to Loki’s story so far.
Getting a bag of shiny corn on the cob and filling it with ham and cheese is like my favorite home cooking
“I didn’t want to make Sylvie too posh,” says Sophia. “She did not have an easy life. She didn’t grow up a princess like Loki grew up a prince – she had a very different experience. I really wanted to keep her grounded. ”
Raised in Attenborough, Sophia studied an A-Level in Performing Arts before going to University in Salford. Despite dropping out of school at eighteen, her time in Nottingham was instrumental in her decision to pursue an acting career – and she still feels strongly attached to her hometown.
“I am very proud to be from Nottingham. It was a big part of my childhood and growing up – whether tobogganing in Wollaton Park, on the boats in Highfields or doing shows at the Theater Royal, I really loved my time there, “says Sophia. “I went to college, but before that I did acting in high school and high school. So it’s definitely the city where I first realized that I wanted to play and perform. ”
Sophia’s love for Nottingham is as strong as ever. She speaks of her excitement at being able to chat with her Left lion, the first Notts-based publication that interviews her (soc Nottingham Post), and as the conversation moves to the comfort of home, her eyes light up as she describes her passion for the types of foods only found in the East Midlands.
“I love going to Birds Bakery and getting myself an elephant foot cake full of cream,” she smiles. “It always reminds me to go home. Getting a bag of shiny flasks and filling it with ham and cheese is like my favorite food too. Nowhere else can you find a shiny piston for love or money. ”
There you have it. The Hollywood machine may have big names and big bucks, but does it have shiny pistons? Didn’t think so. One to zero for the East Mids, we think.
Loki can now be seen on Disney +