Falling star Sophie Stone is one of the 21 rising creatives who are part of the 2026 U.K. BAFTA Breakthrough cohort, supported by Netflix.
The English actress plays Susan, the deaf sister of Catholic priest David, portrayed by Paapa Essiedu, whose forbidden love with devoted nun Anna, played by Keeley Hawes, in the romantic drama.
The deaf Stone has also seen her profile rise with her role in fellow BAFTA Breakthrough talent Ted Evans’ feature Retreat and revenge thriller series Reunion.
In an email Q&A, Stone shared her reaction to being part of the new BAFTA Breakthrough cohort and her career so far and ahead.
How exciting is it to be selected as a BAFTA Breakthrough creative, and what do you hope to get out of the experience?
BAFTA has always been known as a nurturing and celebratory body that recognizes varying roles in the industry and their skillset; I’ve always admired the people that pass through this [program], whether early on or later in their careers. It has meant that there’s the rare potential to meet creatives I’ve admired and watched climb the ranks, earning respect and creating beautiful work. It’ll mean an element of equity and fruitful connections for someone who often isn’t considered in rooms where networking and creative discussions can take place, elevating ideas and dreams into existence.
I am so excited for all the possibilities this might bring and a reminder that it isn’t too late for me. There’s so much more to discover and this playground is a huge honor to be let into. I hope to meet some heroes and branch into new fields of gold to build exciting projects.
You were picked as a BAFTA Breakthrough talent for your role in Falling, but also turned heads before that in Retreat. How much did the latter appeal to you?
Ted Evans had been writing [it] with me in mind for Mia for 10 years. We did a short film version where my role was very different – a questioning follower within a cult – to then becoming the leader of a cult in the feature. We built her around our knowledge of both deaf and isolated communities, making her someone you wanted to trust and feel safe with yet question what we deem as acts of love, for the greater good.
Our community is dying; there’s an underlying sense of desperation, grief and pride that can both protect and suffocate out of a need to survive – this film is ultimately a love letter to us, with a sense of knowing. The harder we grip, the more we hurt ourselves. We wanted to show Mia as someone who metaphorically represents that. It’s an honour to have someone write a role for you with such weight and nuance; the complexity of what one person can represent was exciting to play. But also it unearths a lot of our own personal fears and sorrow.
Heather Basten [who handled casting] was pivotal, working with Ted in bringing in cast members for the commune and team leaders for the dynamics and sense of isolation.
How unusual and cool was it to have an all-deaf lead cast and inclusiveness on set?
Really special. So rare and beautiful, and, like how pearls are formed, also complex and raises things to wrestle with. We’re telling a story about oppressed peoples with oppressed people, so things are going to be weighted and sticky, but it’s all part of our story. We’re showing you battle scars, and all the love, pain and glory that came with it. We’ve grown together, either since childhood from the same schools, deaf clubs, communities or from the industry in our small pool where we creatively come together to make things happen, and now we’re in front or behind the camera showing our worth by leading our own narratives, pushing our own and each other’s potential and making space for our growth where before there were only ceilings. I’m proud of us. I’m proud of who we’re yet to be, I can see us heading there.
What do you hope audiences will take away from Retreat?
That there’s more to be done. Both our community and the wider world have a collective chance to listen to what deaf people are saying and keep growing. There’s so much to gain from difference. The less we know, the more we fear. I hope people will take the time to learn something about us and see that humans aren’t all that different; we all want the same thing: acceptance and belonging.
We have seen you act in film, the theater and on TV. Do you ever think about writing, directing or taking on other creative roles?
I have been writing a play and a sitcom for a few years; I have directed Shakespeare for theater, as well as written for BBC3 radio; I’m also a script consultant and editor for several places, such as West End Theatre, Netflix, BBC, and [have] supported on published books. I’ve spent most of my career supporting other people’s projects and hope to invest more in my own someday.
I’d love to venture more into screenwriting and to finish my stage play, so I can see it put on and maybe dramaturg on it. I have many dreams still, which keeps me hopeful for the next chapter of my life, and I hope there are ways to make them happen – with the people and places that I admire who have grafted to get where they are. I have a lot of respect for the underdogs who make it. It’s not easy, but they shine the brightest for others to see, like a beacon towards land.