Georgie Henley won hearts around the world with her portrayal of Lucy Pevensie in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. She was fearless and curious as she discovered the magical world of Narnia through a wardrobe.
Although she was just 8 years old, she nailed the role, earning curtain calls for the next two films in the series.
Henley didn’t stop acting after the trilogy wrapped, but she didn’t have time for many roles. The biggest role she had after the Narnia movies was as Beth Anderson in Perfect Sisters. In this high-strung thriller, she and her sister plotted to kill their mother.
One of the reasons Henley didn’t have as many roles during this period is that she was attending college at the University of Cambridge. The prestigious school has a rigorous curriculum, so acting on the side would have been difficult.
Fortunately, because she was studying theater she was able to create her own roles for school credit. She wrote and directed a short film called Tide during her tenure at Cambridge. The film focuses on a young lesbian couple living in a seaside town.
Henley said that she had been kicking the idea for the film around ever since she was 15 years old, when she had gone on a vacation to Lytham St. Annes and inspiration struck.
Besides successfully completing Tide, Henley had numerous stage roles at Cambridge. She performed in many famous plays, such as Woody Allen’s Play it Again, Sam and A Clockwork Orange.
Henley graduated from the University of Cambridge in June 2016 and is now on the hunt for new roles. She recently wrapped up filming for Access All Areas, in which she plays Natalie. In the film, Natalie and her friends run away to an island music festival for the party of a lifetime.
Recent photos show that Henley has come a long way since playing Lucy in the Narnia films. She is now 21 years old and is as beautiful and stylish as you would expect. But it’s her philanthropy and strong commitment to social justice that are most striking.
Henley has long considered herself a feminist, but has more recently become involved with even more causes. She officially supports SOS Children’s Villages, a nonprofit organization that assists abandoned and destitute children around the world.
The group provides approximately 65,000 children and young adults with permanent families each year. Children who have lost their families to war, disease, or other reasons rely on support from the organization.
SOS Children’s Villages is just one of many causes that Henley voices support for on Twitter. She has been vocal about the Syrian civil war, basic human rights for all, and LGBTQ issues.
Henley also likes to share poems and other works of art she’s come across. With a Cambridge education, she’s well equipped to recommend worthwhile literature and films.
Of course, like any other 21-year-old on Twitter, she posts throwback photos of silly Halloween costumes and random funny gifs. She’s definitely stayed grounded even after being in films that were seen by the entire world. We can’t wait to see where her career takes her next.