How Did Sofia Boutella Become Famous?

Sofia Boutella’s breakthrough as a dancer came in 2007 when she was picked for the Jamie King choreography for the Nike Women’s Keep Up campaign, serving as a role model of feminity and hip-hop.

This was a major boost to her career and led to more alongside stars like Madonna, in her Confession Tour, and Rihanna.

Growing up in Paris, Boutella was exposed to many more forms of dance, particularly hip-hop and street dance, which intrigued her for offering more freedom compared to the more disciplined styles of ballet and gymnastics. She joined a group called the Vagabond Crew, which won the Battle of the Year in 2006.

Boutella successfully auditioned for the Michael Jackson This Is It concerts but could not attend due to the extension of the Madonna tour, whose dates coincided with the Jackson tour. She was the main character in the music video for Hollywood Tonight by Michael Jackson in February 2011.

In 2017, Boutella portrayed a French secret agent in the David Leitch film Atomic Blonde, which also featured Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman and Toby Jones. The same year, she played the titular role in The Mummy, along with Tom Cruise, Russell Crow and Annabelle Wallis.