Aria Mia Loberti | |
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Born | 1994 (age 29–30) |
Occupations |
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Known for | All the Light We Cannot See |
Aria Mia Loberti (born 1994)[1] is an American actress. She stars as Marie-Laure Leblanc in the Netflix miniseries All the Light We Cannot See. She won her inaugural role from a global search of thousands of actresses.[2]
Biography
Loberti was born and raised in Johnston, Rhode Island. Dissatisfied with her treatment in public school, her parents homeschooled her from the third through twelfth grades.[2]
Loberti attended the University of Rhode Island from 2016 to 2020. She graduated summa cum laude with three majors — Philosophy, Communication Studies, and Political Science — and minors in Ancient Greek language and Rhetoric, and completed the Honors Program.[3][4] She received her master's degree in ancient rhetoric with distinction in 2021 from Royal Holloway, University of London on a Fulbright Scholarship.[5] She started her doctoral studies in ancient rhetoric at Pennsylvania State University in 2021,[6] when she began to question her career path.[7]
Loberti plays the lead role of Marie-Laure Leblanc in Netflix's adaptation of the 2014 novel All the Light We Cannot See. Loberti, who is also legally blind due to a severe form of the genetic condition achromatopsia,[8] landed the part after a global search for a blind or low-vision actor. A fan of the book, she auditioned after learning about the search from a childhood orientation and mobility teacher.[9][10] Despite no acting training, Loberti beat out thousands of submissions to secure the role; it is her first ever acting role and was her first audition.[11][12][13] Director Shawn Levy stated of Loberti: "I didn't know what she had acted in, I didn't know what her training was, all I knew is that there was a combination of intelligence, which was extremely self-evident, and a luminous quality on camera… I later found out that not only was she new to acting—she had never even auditioned before."[14]
Loberti's performance has been universally praised by critics, described as "graceful and affecting",[15] "luminous",[16] "resonant, [and] captivating",[17] and a "radiant…good and pure presence that grounds the series' sense of jeopardy."[18] Her co-star Mark Ruffalo referred to her as "a revelation."[19] She has received a Rising Star Award at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival[20] and an Entertainment Weekly Breaking Big Award at the 2023 SCAD Savannah Film Festival.[21]
In September 2023, it was announced that Loberti would serve as the new face of the beauty and skincare brand L'Occitane en Provence.[22][23] In November 2023, it was announced that she would narrate a new audiobook version of Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.[24]
Loberti is also a human rights activist and began speaking up for her own and others' educational and accessibility rights at just four years old.[25][26] As a child, she advocated in her local community to improve policies for blind and low-vision students.[27] In high school and college, she participated in activities and speaking engagements with the United Nations, UN Women, and other summits.[28] She gave a 2018 TEDx Talk about her background and efforts.[29] At present, she is an active supporter of UNICEF and has traveled with the organization to support educational rights and climate change efforts.[30] In October 2023, Loberti signed an open letter to Joe Biden, President of the United States, of artists calling for a ceasefire of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.[31]
References
- ↑ "Aria Mia Loberti Embraces 'All the Light We Cannot See'". Vanity Fair. November 1, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
- 1 2 "Legally blind Johnston native makes 'authentic' Netflix debut: Aria Mia Loberti is an advocate, scholar, URI graduate and now an actress". February 3, 2022.
- ↑ "Aria Mia Loberti, '20", University of Rhode Island, https://web.uri.edu/artsci/class-of-2020/loberti/
- ↑ "2020–2021 American Postgraduate Award Grantees", Us-UK Fulbright Commission, https://www.fulbright.org.uk/about-us/meet-our-fulbrighters/2020-21-us-uk-fulbright-award-grantees/2020-21-american-postgraduate-award-grantees
- ↑ URI Staff (2020), "Aria Mia Loberti Selected for Fulbright Award to the United Kingdom", University of Rhode Island, https://web.uri.edu/fellowships/aria-mia-loberti-selected-for-fulbright-award-to-united-kingdom/
- ↑ "CAS Directory: Aria Mia Loberti", Penn State, https://cas.la.psu.edu/people/aml7282 Archived July 3, 2022, at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Sara Holzman (November 1, 2023). "Aria Mia Loberti Is Suiting Up". Marie Claire Magazine. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
- ↑ Alberge, Dalya (December 26, 2021). "Untrained blind student lands starring role in Netflix second world war epic". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- ↑ Porter, Rick (December 9, 2021). "Netflix's 'All the Light We Cannot See' Taps Newcomer for Lead Role". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
- ↑ Zorrilla, Monica Maria (December 9, 2021). "Netflix's 'All The Light We Cannot See' Adaptation Casts Aria Mia Loberti as Marie-Laure". Variety. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
- ↑ Petski, D. (2021). "All The Light We Cannot See: Newcomer Aria Mia Loberti, Who Is Blind, Cast As Female Lead In Netflix Limited Series Adaptation". Deadline.
- ↑ Holmes, M. (2021). "Newcomer Aria Mia Loberti Lands Lead Role in Netflix's All The Light We Cannot See". TV Insider.
- ↑ Dugan, K. (2021). "Netflix's All The Light We Cannot See Adaptation Has Found Its Lead". SlashFilm.
- ↑ "How Aria Mia Loberti Landed Her Leading Role in 'All the Light We Cannot See'". Town & Country. November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
- ↑ Travers, Ben (September 10, 2023). "'All the Light We Cannot See' Review: Shawn Levy's Schmaltzy Netflix Adaptation Misses the Mark". IndieWire. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
- ↑ "'All the Light We Cannot See' review: Audiences deserve better". ABC News. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
- ↑ Bianculli, David (November 3, 2023). "All the Light We Cannot See is a heartening and hopeful wartime tale". NPR.
- ↑ Fienberg, Daniel (September 10, 2023). "'All the Light We Cannot See' Review: A Clumsy Netflix Adaptation of Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer-Winning World War II Novel". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
- ↑ "How 'All the Light We Cannot See' Discovered New Shining Star Aria Mia Loberti". Netflix Tudum. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
- ↑ "Industry - Rising Stars". TIFF. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
- ↑ "Breaking Big Panel and Awards | Filmfest". filmfest.scad.edu. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
- ↑ Parsons, Sarah (September 11, 2023). "L'Occitane names blind actress Aria Mia Loberti as new ambassador". Cosmetics Business. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
- ↑ Provence, L'Occitane en. "Rising Star Aria Mia Loberti named Global Brand Ambassador by L'Occitane en Provence". prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ↑ Keslassy, Elsa (October 31, 2023). "Aria Mia Loberti, Breakout Star of 'All the Light We Cannot See,' Narrates New Audiobook of Classic Jules Verne Novel (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
- ↑ "What Challenging Times Have Taught This Young Gender and Disability Advocate". MA Conference for Women. July 7, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ↑ "Aria Mia Loberti". Concordia. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ↑ Schuler, Rory (February 3, 2022). "Legally blind Johnston native makes 'authentic' Netflix debut". Johnston Sun Rise. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ↑ "TWP Interviews: Aria Mia Loberti". thewomxnproject.org. March 22, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ↑ "Aria Mia Loberti: The power of solidarity and silence". Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ↑ "Ahead of Earth Day Aria Mia Loberti visits with children and youth to discuss child rights and climate action in Kosovo". unicef.org. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ↑ "Artists4Ceasefire". Artists4Ceasefire. Retrieved December 11, 2023.