She believes that princesses can have curly hair
Young people of today are living in a very competitive environment where everyone is posting only the best versions of themselves in social media.
These have negative effects on one’s mental health and self esteem. According to a report by Child Mind Institute, “social media affects teenagers' mental health negatively by limiting direct contact with peers and encouraging constant comparison online which can lead to low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.” If this is already happening online, imagine how much more pressure the young ones who are working in entertainment industry are facing?
This is something “The School for Good and Evil” star Sofia Wylie, who played the role of Agatha, opened up during the international press conference for the said Netflix movie.
“I think there are so many wonderful lessons in this movie,” 18-year-old Sofia tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. “Something I’ve learned is, how beauty comes from within. Even though it’s so cheesy, it’s really so true.”
With her brown complexion and curly hair, the American actress admits that before people took notice of her, she had to overcome her own insecurities, especially in meeting the society’s standard of beauty.
"Growing up in this industry where I didn’t necessarily feel like I was the standard of beauty, for all of my life I kind of struggled with accepting myself for who I am and what I look like," she says. "But as Agatha has this journey of self love and self-discovery, I feel like I was also mirroring that journey while were filming too, just as me, Sofia."
While filming of the show, she made sure that she can represent another image for a princess by incorporating her personal input on costumes. Something that the production team fully supported.
“I was able to incorporate a lot of my dream princess desire into Agatha’s princess transition regarding her hairstyles, as well as not allowing her curly hair to become straight,” she says. “I didn’t want that to be any sort of representation of what a princess should be—whether hair becomes straight if it’s curly. Her hair can still be curly and untamed, and that doesn’t take away from any form of princesses.”
Based on the epic international best-selling series by Soman Chainani, "The School for Good and Evil," is directed by Paul Feig, and stars Sophia Anne Caruso, Sofia Wylie, Laurence Fishburne, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Flatters, Kit Young, Peter Serafinowicz, Rob Delaney, Mark Heap, Patti LuPone and Rachel Bloom, with Kerry Washington, and Charlize Theron.
The story takes place in the village of Gavaldon where two misfits and best friends, Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie), share the unlikeliest of bonds. Sophie, a golden-haired seamstress, dreams of escaping her dreary life to become a princess, while Agatha, with her grim aesthetic, has the makings of a real witch.
One night under a blood red moon, a powerful force sweeps them away to the School for Good and Evil—where the true stories behind every great fairy tale begin. Yet something is amiss from the start: Sophie is dropped into the School for Evil, run by the glamorous and acid-tongued Lady Lesso (Charlize Theron), and Agatha in the School for Good, overseen by the sunny and kind Professor Dovey (Kerry Washington).