If you've embarked upon Sky Atlantic's addictive new drama Big Little Lies, you can't help but love Darby Camp. Starring as the precocious, music-obsessed Chloe in the starry adaptation of Liane Moriarty's novel, the nine year old actress manages to hold her own alongside on-screen mom Reese Witherspoon, repeatedly stealing scenes from her more experienced colleagues with an eye-roll or a one-liner. This is how she's already become our favourite rising star of 2017 ...
1. She's just nine years old, but she's already worked with the best in the business
Darby was born in North Carolina on July 14th 2007. Feeling old yet? Her first major TV credit came in 2015, aged eight, when she appeared alongside Justin Theroux for one episode of The Leftovers. Thanks to her scene-stealing turn as Chloe Mackenzie in Big Little Lies, she can now name drop the likes of (deep breath) Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Zoe Kravitz and Laura Dern.
2. Her character Chloe is the sassiest child we've seen on the small screen to date
Whether she's getting her mom's attention by shouting 'Woman!' with a level of authority we are yet to achieve personally or professionally, smuggling her smartphone into school hidden in her doll or telling her new classmate that she wants to 'run, like, a major label one day,' Chloe Mackenzie is the sort of sassy you can only get away with when you're a primary schooler with adorably curly hair.
3. She remained ice cool when meeting Reese Witherspoon for the first time
Upon meeting her Oscar-winning on-screen mum Reese, Darby remained nonplussed - because she didn't actually know who she was. 'I told my mom, like, "What is she famous for?" and then she told me like all the stuff that she's been in,' she told Vulture. 'Then me and my mom and my sister [...] watched Hot Pursuit and Legally Blonde. That was really cool, working with her. She was very nice.'
4. Her mom is also one of her best friends
Formerly an aspiring actress herself, Darby's mom Lacy Camp accompanies her on all her shoots, and manages her Instagram and Twitter too (which seems eminently sensible to us).
5. Her fellow Big Little Lies kids are micro squad goals
Just look at them. The little ones of Big Little Lies might not always behave in such an angelic manner on screen, but in real life the pint sized cast (which includes Chloe Coleman, twins Cameron and Nicholas Crovetti, Ivy George and Iain Armitage are the best of mates. Darby's friendship with Iain (also known as BLL's Ziggy, also on Instagram) deserves extra points for cuteness.
6. And she's pals with her co-stars' children, too
While filming Big Little Lies in the Californian coastal idyll of Monterey, she became fast friends with Nicole Kidman's daughters Faith (six) and Sunday (eight). She told Vulture: 'I thought that really cool, not just because famous people live there but because I got to go to my friends' house and they were very nice.' So young, so wise.
7. Her Instagram profile is perfect
For starters, her profile picture shows her posing with an Oscar. Then there's her matter-of-fact bio, 'Kid and Actress.' Then there's the photos themselves, which are by turns cute, star-studded or both at once: Reese Witherspoon messing with her hair on set, or a wrap party snap with Nicole Kidman. Follow her on @darbyecamp.
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