Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers (born October 1, 1989), known professionally as Brie Larson, is an American actress, director and singer. Born in Sacramento, California, Larson was home-schooled before she studied acting at the American Conservatory Theater. She began her acting career in television, appearing as a regular on the 2001 sitcom Raising Dad, for which she was nominated for a Young Artist Award.
As a teenager, Larson had brief roles in the 2004 films 13 Going on 30 and Sleepover. Her performance in the comedy film Hoot (2006) was praised, and she subsequently played supporting roles in the films Greenberg (2010), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), and 21 Jump Street (2012). From 2009 to 2011, Larson featured as a rebellious teenager in the television series United States of Tara.
Larson's breakthrough role came with the independent drama Short Term 12 (2013), for which she received critical acclaim. Further success came in 2015 when she starred in Room, an acclaimed drama based on Emma Donoghue's novel of the same name. She won several awards for her portrayal of a troubled mother in the film, including the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Critic's Choice Award, Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress.
Larson was born in Sacramento, California, the first daughter of Sylvain and Heather Desaulniers. Her parents were chiropractors who ran a practice together. Her parents divorced when she was a child, and she moved to Los Angeles with her mother and her sister. She studied acting at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Before that she was home-schooled.
Brie stated in an interview with Glamour that she chose "Larson" as her stage name from her Swedish great-grandmother's maiden name, as her surname was too difficult to pronounce. She stated on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that she took her stage name from Kirsten Larson, an American Girl doll she received as a child.