Captain Marvel's Brie Larson: 10 Things You Didn't Know

Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Brie Larson

We all know that she’s Captain Marvel, but there’s so much more to her. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Brie Larson.

For this list, we’re taking a look at lesser known facts about this Academy Award-winning actress.

#10: She’s Friends with Shailene Woodley

In “The Spectacular Now,” Larson and Shailene Woodley both played women with romantic ties to Miles Teller’s character. The real (platonic) love story took place behind the scenes, however, as the two actresses reportedly became fast friends. In an interview with Vulture, Woodley stated, “In Brie, I immediately recognized another strong female spirit.” Woodley added, “Before ‘¬Spectacular Now,’ I was seriously considering quitting this ¬business. That movie made me want to be creative again, and Brie was very much a part of that time.” Shortly after, Larson won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in 2015’s “Room.” Although Woodley had also been considered for this role, she couldn’t have been happier for her friend’s success.

#9: She’s a Font of Creativity

Some people relieve stress through meditation, yoga, or reading a book. While working on the powerful drama “Short Term 12,” however, Larson calmed her nerves in a rather unconventional matter. Throughout the 20-day shoot, the actress created about three or four different fonts in order to relax between scenes. Larson would grab some graph paper and gel pens, writing out the alphabet until she got a font just right. Typography has been a hobby of Larson’s since her teenage years. Of all the fonts she’s made, her favorite is one where her letters are all modeled after 3D mouse holes. We’d love nothing more than to see some of Larson’s fonts made available online!

#8: She’s a Writer & Director

In 2012, Larson teamed up with Sarah Ramos and Jessie Ennis to co-write and co-direct a short entitled “The Arm.” Examining how texting has affected the dating landscape, the short took home the Sundance Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize for Comedic Storytelling. Larson followed up with another short entitled “Weighting,” which she co-wrote and co-directed with Dustin Bowser. Larson also starred in the four-minute film, which centers on a complicated relationship and was featured at South by Southwest. Larson made her feature film directorial debut in 2017 with “Unicorn Store,” an indie comedy starring herself and Samuel L. Jackson. The “Captain Marvel” actress has even higher aspirations, expressing desire to direct a MCU movie someday.

#7: She Rocks the Mycology

Brie Larson: actress, writer, director, and… mushroom forager? On Reddit, Larson described mycology – the biology of fungi – as one of her “strangest” passions. In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, the Oscar-winner explained that she’s fascinated by mushrooms and not the “psychedelic ones.” She’s even part of a mycological society, and goes scavenging for mushrooms with them just outside of Los Angeles. Larson’s interest in mushrooms stems from her love of cooking, wanting to know more about where certain foods come from. In addition to mycology, she has a general passion for the wonders of our planet, and continues to expand her knowledge through a magazine subscription to Scientific American. Brie Larson is certainly full of surprises!

#6: She’s Kind of a Fangirl

The MCU isn’t the only Disney-owned property Larson has a special attachment to. She’s also a “Star Wars” fan, which gave her and co-star Jacob Tremblay something to bond over while filming “Room.” Larson credits “Star Wars” with helping them break the ice and become close. So, as you can imagine, she fully embraced her inner fangirl upon meeting several cast members from “Solo.” Larson is an avid gamer as well, with the “Mario” and “Zelda” games being among her favorites. Her 15th birthday party had a Nintendo theme and she even dressed as Zero Suit Samus Aran for Halloween in 2018, giving us hope she’ll star in a “Metroid” movie someday. Please!

#5: She’s Taken a Stand for Sexual Assault Victims

Even before the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements erupted, Larson was already advocating for victims of sexual assault. The same night she won the Best Actress Oscar, Larson hugged every survivor who appeared in Lady Gaga’s performance of “Til It Happens to You”. When Larson presented the Best Actor Oscar the following year, she noticeably refrained from applauding when the award went to Casey Affleck, who had been accused of sexual harassment by two women while working on “I’m Still Here.” As a co-founder of The Women of Cinefamily Festival, Larson refused to remain silent when two of the company’s male members resigned due to sexual misconduct allegations, thanking the survivors for coming forward and demanding “further action” to ensure a safer work environment.

#4: She Caught the Acting Bug at an Early Age

Larson attained superstardom during her twenties, but she has been honing her skills since age six when she reportedly told her mother, “I know what my dharma is: I'm supposed to be an actor.” At that same age, Larson became the youngest student ever to attend San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater. Before she was even ten, Larson had landed her first on-screen acting gig in a parody commercial for “Malibu Mudslide Barbie” on an episode of “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” Larson would make a couple more guest appearances on “The Tonight Show” following her 1998 debut, including another fake commercial for “Roadkill Easy Bake Oven.” This of course led to even more prominent work in television and film.

#3: English Isn’t Her First Language

As somebody who was born in Los Angeles, California, one would assume that Larson grew up primarily speaking English. Believe it or not, though, Larson’s first language is actually French. Of course, this isn’t especially surprising when you consider that Larson has French Canadian roots on her father’s side and that she was homeschooled throughout the early years of her life. As Larson got older and started to master the English language, her ability to speak French began to waver. Nevertheless, she still has a solid understanding of her first language, which ties into her love of foreign films. It should also come in handy if Larson ever plays a Parisian or a Québécoise!

#2: Brie Larson Isn’t Her Real Name

Brie Larson might be a household name, but it’s not the one she was given at birth. Larson was born Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers, which almost sounds like a “Game of Thrones” character. In the same vein as Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe, she decided to adopt a stage name that was easier to pronounce. Although we can see how Brianne evolved into Brie, there are varying stories regarding how she landed on the surname of Larson. In a Glamour interview, she claimed that Larson is a family name from her great-grandmother. While speaking to Jimmy Fallon, though, she stated that the name came from an American Girl doll called Kirsten Larson. Either way, Larson admittedly has a more Hollywood ring to it.

Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

She Was in “13 Going on 30”

She Has a Crazy College Party Story

She Loves “The Bachelor”

#1: She Used to Be a Pop Star

Brie Larson played a rocker in “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” a role closer to home than many realize. During her early acting days, Larson also pursued her passion for singing, songwriting and guitar, uploading songs to her website. When she didn’t get the role of Wendy in 2003’s “Peter Pan,” Larson was inspired to write the song “Invisible Girl,” which was played on an LA radio station. Larson even released a pop album entitled “Finally Out of P.E.” featuring singles like “She Said” and “Life After You.” Although the album struggled, Larson’s acting career would soon skyrocket. We’d certainly be interested to see her revisit singing, preferably in a movie musical or a Clash at Demonhead reunion!