Sofia Sanchez (actress)

Sofia Sanchez
Born2009 (age 16–17)
Ukraine
Years active2015-present
Websitehttps://www.sofia-sanchez.com

Sofia Sanchez (born 2009) is a Ukrainian-American actress, advocate, and writer with Down syndrome. She is notable for the 2017 viral video "Down Syndrome Is Not Scary" and portraying the character of Wovey in the 2023 film The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

Life and career

Sanchez was born in Ukraine, and was adopted at 16 months of age by American couple Jennifer and Hector Sanchez through the International adoption agency Reece's Rainbow. She has three adoptive older brothers, the youngest of whom, Joaquin, also has Down syndrome.[1][2] In 2017 at age 7 she received media attention for her viral video "Down Syndrome Is Not Scary", in which she talked about life with the condition with her mother.[1][3][4] She attends Whitney High School in Rocklin, California.[5][6]

Sanchez first acted in a 2015 episode of Switched at Birth.[7][8] In 2023, she portrayed Wovey in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes[9][10][11], as well as portraying the title role in the short film For Paloma.[8]

In 2024, Sanchez gave a TEDx Talk, becoming the youngest person with Down syndrome to do so.[8][5][12][13]

Sanchez has also been the subject of three children's books, which were all written by Margaret O’Hair and illustrated by Sofia Cardoso: You Are Enough, You Are Loved, and You Are Brave.[14][15][16][5] The audiobook for You Are Brave, narrated by Sanchez herself, was honored by the 2025 Odyssey Award.[17] In October 2023, both You Are Loved and You Are Enough were included in a list of 64 books by Scholastic that schools could choose to omit in their Scholastic book fairs.[18][19] The policy was reversed later in the same month.[20][21]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2023 For Paloma Paloma Short film [10]
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Wovey [9][10]

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2015 Switched at Birth Sophie 1 episode [7][10]

Publications

  • O'Hair, Margaret; Sanchez, Sofia (2021). You Are Enough. Illustrated by Sofia Cardoso. Scholastic. ISBN 978-1-338-63074-9.
  • O'Hair, Margaret; Sanchez, Sofia (2023). You Are Loved. Illustrated by Sofia Cardoso. Scholastic. ISBN 9781338850079.
  • O'Hair, Margaret; Sanchez, Sofia (2024). You Are Brave. Illustrated by Sofia Cardoso. Scholastic. ISBN 9781339026442.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Peters, Terry (2017-03-21). "'It's not scary at all': Girl talks about having Down syndrome in viral video". TODAY.com. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  2. ↑ Earl, Jennifer (2016-10-14). "7-year-old girl explains in viral video why Down syndrome is "not scary"". CBS News. Archived from the original on 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  3. ↑ Ready, Lauren. "Girl has strong message about Down syndrome: 'I'm capable'". USA Today. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
  4. ↑ "7-Year-Old Explains Down Syndrome 'Isn't Scary, It's Exciting'". People. Archived from the original on 2022-08-11. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  5. 1 2 3 "Rocklin's shining star: City honors student actor/advocate and lover of life". goldmountaincanews.com. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  6. ↑ "Celebrating Uniqueness: Advocacy, Dreams, and Glittery Goals with Sofi". Kibou. 2024-11-18. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  7. 1 2 Perry, David M. (2015-09-08). "Down syndrome, the "new front in the abortion wars": What ABC Family's "Switched at Birth" gets right — and wrong — about families like mine". Salon.com. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  8. 1 2 3 Foundation, Global Down Syndrome (2024-07-18). "Hunger Games Actress Sofia Sanchez and Other Celebrities Sign on to Raise Critical Funds for Global Down Syndrome Foundation". Global Down Syndrome Foundation. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  9. 1 2 Papadatos, Markos (2023-12-14). "Sofia Sanchez talks about 'Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes'". Digital Journal. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  10. 1 2 3 4 D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 28, 2022). "'Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes': Six Join Prequel's Growing Ensemble Of Tributes & Mentors". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 20, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  11. ↑ Shapiro, Nell (2024-11-18). "Celebrating Uniqueness: Advocacy, Dreams, and Glittery Goals with Sofia Sanchez". Kibou. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  12. ↑ TEDx Talks (2024-05-06). The Power of Bravery | Sofia Sanchez | TEDxReno. Retrieved 2026-06-13 – via YouTube.
  13. ↑ "TEDxReno: Spreading ideas, inspiring action, and building community". University of Nevada, Reno. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  14. ↑ YOU ARE ENOUGH | Kirkus Reviews.
  15. ↑ YOU ARE LOVED | Kirkus Reviews.
  16. ↑ YOU ARE BRAVE | Kirkus Reviews.
  17. ↑ "ALSC/Booklist/YALSA Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production | Association for Library Service to Children". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  18. ↑ Ray, Leann (2023-10-24). "Scholastic needs to take a stand against book censorship • West Virginia Watch". West Virginia Watch. Retrieved 2026-07-16.
  19. ↑ "Scholastic book fairs, a staple at U.S. schools, accused of excluding diverse books - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2026-07-16.
  20. ↑ Beeck, Nathalie. "Scholastic Apologizes, Will End Controversial Book Fair Policy". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2026-07-16.
  21. ↑ Johnston, Rich (2023-10-25). "Scholastic Reverses "Segregation" Policy That Included Black Panther". bleedingcool.com. Retrieved 2026-07-16.
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