What would Bollywood be without the extravagant songs and dances? In the 2017 Bollywood rom-com Basmati Blues, where she plays a scientist sent to India to sell genetically modified rice, Brie busts out a tune or two. 

Brie’s terrific performance in 2015 indie-drama Room landed her an Oscar when she was only 26. Based on the novel of the same name by Emma Donoghue, the film tells the story of a mother, Joy, and son, Jack, held captive in the eponymous room by her rapist, and their subsequent escape.

The film received critical acclaim worldwide, and Brie also won best actress at the BAFTA’s, Golden Globes, Screen Actor’s Guild Awards, in addition to more than 10 other awards from smaller associations. Watch her Oscar win in the video above.

After hiring trainer to the stars, Jason Walsh (who’s trained Emma Stone, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt and Alison Brie), Larson underwent nine months of intensive upper-body training and weightlifting.

Exercises included pull-ups, push ups with weighted chains around her waist, 97kg deadlifts, 180kg hip thrusts, and box jumps. We can’t wait to see her kick butt in Captain Marvel and Avengers: End Game.

Her real name is Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers (now that’s a mouthful), and Brie has told two different versions of how she came up with ‘Larson’.

In an interview with Glamour, she says she got frustrated with people failing to pronounce her name and adopted Larson, the surname of her great-grandmother.

On the Jimmy Fallon Show in 2015, Brie said she was inspired by the name of an American Girl doll called Kirsten Larson.

“The name of the doll is Kirsten Larson and my last name is French and very hard to say. I was so sick of it, so as a result I was like, ‘I’m changing my name! I’m changing it to Larson so that Kirsten can be in our family!’ ”

While the name Alex Greenwald may seem unfamiliar, the American musician, actor and record producer is the lead singer of Phantom Planet, i.e the band who sang the theme song for The O.C ( Californiaaaaaa, here we come).

The pair had been together since 2013 and got engaged in 2016, but have reportedly broken up as of January 2019.  

“They have taken a step back from their engagement for the time being but they remain close,” said a source to People magazine.

Like many other celebrities, Brie is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan. Here she is holding a plate of “veggie nuggets”!

As with most outlandish superhero backstories, air force pilot Carol Danvers crosses paths with Kree alien superhero Captain Mar-Vell, gaining superpowers after an accident sees her DNA being crossed with that of the Kree.  

Despite some questionable backstories in the earlier runs of the comic, Captain Marvel has since become a strong female character, rather than a side-character helping (or being rescued) by men, with previous writer Gerry Conway kinking Carol’s journey with that of American women at the time, for “raised consciousness, for self-liberation, for identity.”

Brie said taking on the role of Captain Marvel would allow her to push the cause female representation in cinema, through a film series that has mass appeal.

“They’ve been very open to hearing my thoughts and my take on it, which has been great,” she tells me.

“I think that’s why they cast me, I have a lot of similarities to this character. Both are strong women in industries where sexism and gender stereotypes persist, and they want me to bring that into the movie,” said Brie in an interview with Vanity Fair. This is the first time a woman has got top billing in any of the series 21 movies.

Before she struck superstardom in Room, Larson embarked on a solo singing career. Her first EP, ‘Finally out of P.E’ was released in 2005, named after a P.E teacher she disliked. She also went on tour with Jesse McCartney (of “Beautiful Soul” fame).

The fun-loving star often posts her dance routines on Instagram, like the one above. She most recently showed off her moves on The Ellen Show!

It’s obvious that all the fame hasn’t crept into her head. Her Instagram feed is a balanced mix of glamorous red carpet moments, photoshoots as well as personal anecdotes and throwbacks, such as the above when we took part in this year’s viral #10YearChallenge. 

We can’t wait to see her bring her A-game to the Marvel universe!

READ MORE:
10 Strange Facts About Marvel’s Doctor Strange And Actor Benedict Cumberbatch
8 Reasons Why Chinese Actress Dilraba Should Be Your New Obsession
“I Can’t Wait To Watch Kitty Pong Blossom”: Fiona Xie On The Crazy Rich Asians Sequel

Text: Natasha Venner-Pack, HerWorld / Additional reporting: Elizabeth Liew