Suzanna Son Biography
Suzanna Son landed on the big screen thanks to a lucky break – director Sean Baker spotted her in a movie theater in 2018 and invited her to join his upcoming film. The aspiring actress had to wait two years for the chance to work with the filmmaker. And her debut role turned out to be quite the challenge – "Red Rocket" featured explicit scenes that required her to appear nude.The indie drama, originally conceived as a small project, brought success to its creators. In 2021, the film screened at Cannes, and Son received several film awards. Just months later, the actress got an invitation to join the HBO series "The Idol," which rapper The Weeknd helped create.
Childhood and Family
Suzanna Son was born in Hamilton, Montana, on October 31, 1995. Pretty soon, she moved with her parents to Washington. Her father worked at a private company, while her mom worked at restaurants and took care of the kids – Suzanna has an older brother.Son grew up as a very shy girl, but she was drawn to creative pursuits from an early age. She played piano, studied ballet, competed in dance competitions, and started performing in high school musicals during her senior years.
Breaking Into Film
Suzanna started by creating a YouTube channel where she posted recordings of her original songs. Around the same time, she moved to Los Angeles, drawn to the idea of acting.Just days later, fate intervened: Son went on a date to the movies, where director Sean Baker spotted her. He walked up and invited Suzanna to audition for his film.
He just said, 'I like the way you look—have you ever acted in movies before?', Suzanna recalled.
During that time, Son supported herself teaching private piano lessons while sending self-tapes to talent agencies, hoping one would finally offer her representation. It wasn't until late 2020 that Baker's new film, "Red Rocket", finally went into production, with the director offering Suzanna one of the lead roles. Turns out, he'd kept tabs on her social media, watching her music videos and melancholic songs.
On her very first day of shooting, Suzanna had to film explicit sex scenes. Even more nerve-wracking was the scene where she played a cover of NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye" on guitar—completely naked. The band approved the use of their song, so clearing the rights was quick. Son's cover was later released on streaming platforms as part of the film's promotional campaign.
Being naked was easy. But singing naked felt incredibly vulnerable. That was hard, the actress said in an interview.
In late 2021, it was announced that Suzanna had joined the cast of "The Idol", starring singer The Weeknd and Lily-Rose, daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis. The Weeknd also served as one of the showrunners alongside Euphoria creator Sam Levinson.
The series was conceived as an unflinching look at "the dirtiest love story" in Hollywood. Lily-Rose's character hoped to reclaim her status as a stage star and pop idol with help from a mysterious nightclub owner and cult follower.
It's just super and so insane, I've never seen anything like it before, Son described her experience filming.
Meanwhile, the project became mired in controversy – some Western publications were already criticizing Levinson for excessive focus on violent scenes. Episodes were reshot multiple times, with constant script rewrites. After its release, the series received mixed reviews, and in August 2023, it was announced there wouldn't be a second season. But "The Idol" did give Suzanna a duet with The Weeknd. They performed the song "Family" together.
Suzanna Son's Personal Life
Suzanna's doll-like appearance has earned her devoted fan attention. Admirers were captivated by her youthfulness and innocence, comparing her to Lolita from Vladimir Nabokov's novel.Her character's passionate relationship with Simon Rex's character in Red Rocket naturally sparked speculation about a real-life romance. But in interviews, the actress called her co-star exclusively "an older brother who helps her with work."
Source:
@suzannason
Suzanna Son Now
In March 2024, Suzanna joined the cast of Netflix's "Fear Street: Prom Queen". The horror film, set at a 1988 prom, shot in Toronto from March 25 through May 14.Day one threw her straight into the deep end: Suzanna had to film an arm-severing scene and scream at full volume on camera for the first time. Her character, Megan Rogers, is the classic high school outcast. The film dropped on Netflix on May 23, 2025, but critics weren't impressed—it landed at 27% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Source:
@suzannason
Source:
@suzannason
Fun Facts
- As a kid, Suzanna had a Miley Cyrus poster hanging over her bed.
- To prep for Red Rocket, she watched Steven Spielberg's The Sugarland Express, where Goldie Hawn played a woman from a small Texas town.
- When Son first watched Red Rocket at her LA home, she got anxious before the explicit scenes started. She paused the film and tried to dance off the stress—and broke her toe. Five days later, she had to fly to Cannes, so she rolled through the festival in a wheelchair with a broken foot.
