Suzanna Son

Suzanna Son
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Name:
Suzanna Son
Who is:
Birth date:
(29 y.o.)
Place of birth:
Hamilton, Montana, U.S
Height:
4'11 ft ()
Weight:
99 lb (45 kg)
Birth Sign:
(characteristic)
Chinese zodiac:
Links:

Biography of Suzanna Son

Suzanna Son's Hollywood breakthrough came through a chance encounter when director Sean Baker spotted her at a movie theater in 2018 and invited her to audition for his upcoming film. The aspiring actress waited two years for her chance to work with the director. Her debut role was challenging, as "Red Rocket" included explicit scenes that required nudity.
Suzanna Son
Suzanna Son
What started as a small indie project eventually earned critical acclaim for its creators. In 2021, the film was showcased at the Cannes Film Festival, and Son received several cinematic accolades. Months later, she was cast in HBO's series "The Idol," which also featured The Weeknd.

Early Life and Family

Suzanna Son was born in Hamilton, Montana, on October 31, 1995. Soon after, her family moved to Washington. Her father worked for a private company, while her mother worked various restaurant jobs and focused on raising the kids — Suzanna has an older brother.

Though she was a shy kid, Son showed a strong interest in the arts from early on. She played piano, studied ballet, competed in dance competitions, and performed in high school musicals.
Suzanna Son as a kid
Suzanna Son as a kid
After graduating high school in 2012, Son enrolled at Cornwall College of Arts to study classical music. After a year, she switched to musical theater but eventually dropped out. Son then spent time in New Zealand, where she studied Māori dance. When she returned to the US in 2017, she decided to pursue an acting career.

Film Debut

Initially, Suzanna established a YouTube channel where she began posting recordings of her original songs. Around the same time, she relocated to Los Angeles, drawn to the world of acting.

Just days later, a chance encounter changed everything: Son was on a movie date when director Sean Baker spotted her. He approached her and invited Suzanna to audition for his film. Looking back, Suzanna remembered, "He simply said, 'I like your look — have you ever acted in a film before?'"
Suzanna Son — Birthday Boy
Son had no clue who she'd just met. Sean then informed her of his role as the filmmaker behind movies such as "Tangerine" (2015) and "The Florida Project" (2017). The director left Son a scrap of paper bearing his email address. But the audition and role stayed out of reach for nearly three years while the project fought to get greenlit. Baker was busy with another film that ultimately got derailed by the pandemic.

During this time, Son supported herself teaching private piano lessons while sending self-taped auditions to talent agencies, hoping one would eventually sign her. Finally, in late 2020, filming commenced on Baker's new film, "Red Rocket," with the director entrusting Suzanna with one of the lead roles. Turns out, he'd circled back to casting her after checking out Son's social media and noticing the video clips and wistful, melancholic songs she'd posted.
Suzanna Son in Red Rocket
Suzanna Son in Red Rocket
The debut was a real challenge for the aspiring actress. According to the script, her character, 17-year-old sales clerk Strawberry, works at a donut shop in a small Texas town. Enter adult film star Mikey (Simon Rex), who arrives in town after his career hits a dead end and crashes. Sparks fly between Mikey and Strawberry, driven by mutual self-interest: she wants to escape Texas with his help, while he sees her as a future adult film star.

On day one of filming, Suzanna had to shoot explicit bedroom scenes. Even more nerve-wracking was performing a cover of NSYNC's hit "Bye Bye Bye" on guitar while completely naked. The band approved the song's use, quickly clearing any copyright issues. Later, Son's cover was released on music platforms as part of the film's promotional campaign. "Being naked on camera was easy. But singing nude felt incredibly vulnerable. It was tough," the actress admitted.
Suzanna Son - Bye Bye Bye (Official Audio)
Her efforts paid off. Suzanna received a Gotham Award nomination for Best Breakthrough Performance and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The drama earned rave reviews and competed for the prestigious Palme d'Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. Son accompanied the film's team to represent the movie in Europe.

Suzanna Son's Personal Life

Suzanna's doll-like appearance has captured widespread attention from admirers. Fans marvel at her youth and innocence, likening her to Lolita from Vladimir Nabokov's literary work.

The passionate on-screen chemistry between Son's character and Simon Rex's character in "Red Rocket" naturally sparked rumors of a real-life romance. However, in interviews, the actress has only referred to her co-star as an "older brother helping her with work."
Suzanna Son and Simon Rex
Suzanna Son and Simon Rex
Suzanna is cautious about sharing any personal information on social media, keeping her followers guessing about her relationship status.

Suzanna Son Now

In late 2021, Suzanna joined the cast of the TV series "The Idol," starring singer The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp. The Weeknd also served as one of the showrunners for the project, alongside "Euphoria" creator Sam Levinson. The series promised to candidly depict "the dirtiest love story" in Hollywood. Lily-Rose's character hoped to regain her status as a stage star and pop idol with the help of a mysterious nightclub owner and follower of a certain cult.
Suzanna Son on the set of The Idol
Suzanna Son on the set of The Idol
Six months later, rumors swirled that Son had left the cast, but her supporting character appeared in the series' teaser. In March 2023, it was revealed that Suzanna was still working on set. "It's just super and so crazy, I've never seen anything like it before," Son said about her experience on set.
THE IDOL JUNE 4TH Official Teaser
Meanwhile, the project became mired in scandal – Western publications accused Levinson of focusing excessively on violent scenes. Episodes were reshot several times, and the script was continuously revised.

Interesting Facts

  • In her childhood, Suzanna had a Miley Cyrus poster hanging above her bed.
  • To gain the necessary inspiration for her role in "Red Rocket," Suzanna watched Steven Spielberg's film "The Sugarland Express," in which Goldie Hawn played a native of a small Texas town.
  • When Son first watched "Red Rocket" at her home in Los Angeles, she was very nervous about the explicit scenes. The actress paused the movie and decided to relieve her stress with a quick dance, but ended up breaking her toe in the process. Just five days later, Suzanna had to travel to Cannes, so she appeared there in a wheelchair with her broken leg.

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