For Sofia Boutella, it has been quite a journey from Algiers to Hollywood. After stints as a dancer for Madonna and appearances in Atomic Blonde with Charlize Theron, Boutella now stars as Yasmine in the hit Amazon series “Modern Love.”
Boutella grew up in Algiers’ gritty Bab El Oued neighborhood before moving to France. There, she first attracted attention as a dancer before making the jump to cinema via the film Street Dance 2.
In “Modern Love”, Boutella has joined a star-studded cast. The show features veteran actors including Anne Hathaway, Tina Fey, and Dev Patel. Based on the New York Times column of the same name, the series features short stories about the struggle to find love in 21st Century America.
Sofia Boutella Begins on the Dancefloor
Born to an architect mother and jazz musician father in Algiers, Boutella was encouraged at an early age to learn classical dance. “[I was] blessed to be born into a family that allowed me to express myself, to be myself and let out all sorts of colors that were living in my imagination and in my heart,” she says.
When she was 10, Boutella and her family fled Algeria in 1992 during the Algerian civil war and made a new home in France. Making a new life for herself across the Mediterranean, Boutella explored all sorts of dancing styles and developed a passion for entertainment. By age 18, she made French national rhythmic gymnastics team.
In the midst of her evolving dancing career, Boutella began to dabble in acting. “I started acting when I was 17, ” she explains. “I went innocently to an audition my friend had told me was happening in Paris. It was for a movie called Dance Challenge, or Le défi in French. I ended up booking it…It was musical and I had to dance a lot in it, but I really enjoyed it.”
Dancing with Madonna & Acting With Charlize Theron
Boutella’s career as a dancer took off after she landed an appearance in a Nike commercial. This led her to Madonna’s stage director, Jaime King. “Madonna was releasing Confessions on a Dance Floor and getting ready for the tour for that, so he introduced me to her and they ended up booking me for the tour as well,” Boutella recalls. “It was the first time I ever danced in heels.” She soon became a critical member of Madonna’s dancing crew. Then, she caught the eye of Michael Jackson, then Rihanna and Usher.
At the same time, her acting in France helped her make inroads in Hollywood. She quickly landed a supporting role alongside Charlize Theron in Atomic Blonde. “I loved filming the movie,” Boutella notes. “I think Charlize is phenomenal in the film and it’s a great spy film. It’s very cool to see a strong woman kicking ass the way she does in the film.”
Despite her career opportunities in both France and Los Angeles, Boutella still reveres home. “Algeria is a country that is dear to me, because it is where I’m from, where my family is from, it’s my home, ” she declares. “That will never leave me. I feel worldly. But leaving a place like that when you’re so young doesn’t come without missing a sense of identity and belonging to one place… I’m proud to be Algerian.”
Sofia Boutella in “Modern Love”
Based off a New York Times column of the same name, Boutella’s latest project, Modern Love, depicts complex relationships at all stages of life. It focuses on the challenges of finding love in the ever-changing modern world.
Boutella’s role in the episode titled “At the Hospital, An Interlude of Clarity” takes her to New York City. She plays the beautiful yet self-conscious Yasmine, who agrees to a second date with Rob. The episode follows their chaotic escapades that ultimately land the pair in a comic romantic trip to the emergency room.
The two bond quickly during Rob’s overnight stay in the hospital. In this setting, they open up to each other more than they would have on a normal second date. In the course of the night, the two advance their relationship much more quickly than either had expected. Watch “Modern Love” on Amazon Prime here.
