Sophia Bush

Actor

About

Also Known As

Sophia Anna Bush

Birth Place

Pasadena, California, USA

Born

July 08, 1982

Biography

Filmography

The Incredibles 2 (2018)

Voice

Acts of Violence (2018)

Marshall (2017)

The Narrows (2009)

Table for Three (2009)

The Hitcher (2007)

Biography

A stunning former beauty queen and journalism student, Sophia Bush made a name for herself as the seductive vixen Brooke Davis on the long-running teen drama series, "One Tree Hill" (The WB, 2003-12). She sparked a press frenzy with her real-life marriage to "Tree" co-star Chad Michael Murray - and their subsequent divorce only five months later. Although she was replaced as the female lead in "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" (2003) by Claire Danes, Bush did earn some big screen success in the horror and teen genres, with the successes "Stay Alive" (2006), "John Tucker Must Die" (2006) and "The Hitcher" (2007). Though often cast as the flirtatious bad girl, Bush's down-to-earth persona and intelligence grounded her on the big and small screens, adding a deeper layer to many of her characters and hinting at a potential which fans believed she would fulfill.

Born July 8, 1982 in Los Angeles to Charles, a photographer, and Maureen Bush, a photography studio manager, Sophia Anna Bush attended Westridge School for Girls in her hometown of Pasadena, CA. As a freshman, she developed a penchant for acting and became involved in school theater productions. In 2000, the senior was crowned Queen of the Tournament of Roses Parade. After graduation, she attended the University of Southern California for three years with a journalism major and theater minor - serving as social chair of her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma - before leaving college to pursue an acting career. Her first screen role found her playing a college student in the Ryan Reynolds/Tara Reid comedy, "National Lampoon's Van Wilder" (2002). She followed that with a small role in the HBO arsonist thriller, "Point of Origin" (2002), starring Ray Liotta and John Leguizamo.

Soon Bush was cast in her first major role opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger and Nick Stahl in the highly anticipated action sequel, "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" (2003). Though the actress began principle photography on the film, director Jonathan Mostow changed his mind and deemed her too young for the role of Stahl's love interest, replacing her with the more experienced Claire Danes. Despite losing such a high-profile role, Bush continued auditioning and honing her craft, landing small roles on notable television shows "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" (ABC, 1996-2000; The WB, 2000-03) and "Nip/Tuck" (FX, 2003-10), as well as a role in the forgettable film "Learning Curves" (2003).

Bush finally won a role that would make her famous: flirtatious cheerleader Brooke Davis on "One Tree Hill" (The WB, 2003-12), a character who deepened over the series' run into a well-rounded, strong young woman. Bush left USC and her Southern California roots behind to shoot the series in Wilmington, NC. The teen drama premiered in the fall of 2003 and quickly developed a loyal following, much like its flashier competition, "The O.C." (FOX, 2003-07). The buzzworthy series attracted substantial attention for the newbie actress, and she began landing many endorsements deals, as well as multiple magazine covers. While working on location, Bush began dating her co-star and onscreen love interest, Chad Michael Murray. The attractive pair's storybook courtship was closely followed by the press and fans alike. The couple tied the knot to much fanfare on April 16, 2005, only to announce their separation five shockingly short months later. The same media outlets that followed the courtship with near-religious fervor, utilized the same approach in pinpointing the cause of the split - rumored infidelity on his part - and its unavoidable fallout on the set.

While continuing her popular "One Tree" role, Bush returned to the big screen in 2005, playing love interest to Steve Howey in the motorcycle action film "Supercross." In 2006, Bush continued to land big screen roles, taking a stab at horror with the supernatural video game chiller "Stay Alive," which was a moderate success at the box office, and "John Tucker Must Die," a revenge-themed comedy about a group of girls (Brittany Snow, Ashanti, Bush, Arielle Kebbel) who seek vengeance on the handsome cad (Jesse Metcalfe) who broke their hearts. The movie was a surprise hit, as was her next film, a remake of the cult horror classic "The Hitcher" (2007), which saw Bush doing battle with a mysterious, malevolent hitchhiker (Sean Bean). For "John Tucker" and "The Hitcher," she collected a handful of teen-oriented awards.

The actress continued to expand her resume during "One Tree Hill" hiatuses, moving on to the indie films "The Narrows" (2009) and "Table for Three" (2009), though neither made much of an impact. Bush continued to appear in magazines and countdowns as one of the hottest women in Hollywood, but also became more active politically, making college appearances to support Barack Obama during the 2008 U.S. presidential election, and appearing in a parody of an anti-gay marriage video for the influential website "Funny or Die" alongside Jane Lynch, Sarah Chalke and Alicia Silverstone. Her personal and professional lives continued to overlap, with her embarking on relationships with "One Tree Hill" co-star James Lafferty in 2008 and Austin Nichols in 2010. By this time, wounds had healed and Bush and ex-husband and co-star Murray could spoke publicly about how they were able to move beyond the past and respect each other's new relationships.