Actress and former child star Sophie Nyweide, best known for her roles in the films “Mammoth” and “An Invisible Sign,” has died, according a statement from police. She was 24.
Nyweide died April 14, according to police and an obituary published on Legacy.com April 17. A cause of death was not disclosed and a preliminary, non-certified death certificate indicated she was pregnant.
“This is a fluid investigation and we are still waiting on final autopsy and toxicology reports from the Vermont Office of Chief Medical Examiner,” Paul Doucette, the chief of police for Bennington, Vermont, where Nyweide’s body was found, said in a statement to USA TODAY April 23. “Investigators are investigating this as a possible unintentional overdose.”
Doucette said authorities were called to a “wooded area along the banks of the Roaring Branch River” after someone reported an unresponsive female. They attempted life-saving procedures before pronouncing Nyweide dead shortly before 5 a.m.
That same person, who called 911, was present at the time of death and is cooperating with authorities, police said.
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Nyweide’s mother, fellow actress Shelly Gibson, confirmed her daughter’s death to The Hollywood Reporter and TMZ on April 22.
“Sophie. A life ended too soon. May it not be in vain,” Nyweide’s obituary said. “May we all learn from her brief life on earth and do better. Yes, we must all protect our children and do better.”
Representatives for Nyweide were not available for comment at the time of publication.
Although the circumstances surrounding Nyweide’s death are unclear, the obituary statement acknowledged some of the actress’s personal struggles.
“Sophie was a kind and trusting girl,” the obituary stated. “Often this left her open to being taken advantage of by others. She wrote and drew voraciously, and much of this art depicts the depth she had, and it also represents the pain she suffered. Many of her writings and artwork are roadmaps of her struggles and traumas.”
Despite the interventions of Nyweide’s loved ones, along with “therapists, law enforcement officers and others who tried to help her,” the actress reportedly succumbed to self-medication to “deal with all the trauma and shame she held inside, and it resulted in her death,” the obituary continued.
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The death notice does not specify the traumas Nyweide may have suffered, with the obituary noting, “She repeatedly said she would ‘handle it’ on her own and was compelled to reject the treatment that might possibly have saved her life.”
The obituary concluded with a request for the public to donate to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, an anti-sexual violence organization, in lieu of giving gifts or flowers.
Sophie Nyweide finds child stardom with ‘Mammoth,’ ‘An Invisible Sign’
Nyweide made her acting debut at 6 years old in the 2006 romantic drama “Bella,” playing the title role alongside Eduardo Verástegui, Tammy Blanchard and Manny Perez.
“I really, really wanted to be an actress, and I kept begging my mom,” Nyweide told
The Barre Montpelier Times Argus in a January 2010 interview. “She thought it was funny because before I was born, she was an actress.”
Following appearances in the late-2000s films “And Then Came Love,” “Margot at the Wedding” and “New York City Serenade,” Nyweide landed the role of Jackie Vidales in the Michelle Williams and Gael García Bernal
-starring “Mammoth,” released in 2009.
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Nyweide’s next breakout role came in 2010’s “An Invisible Sign,” a coming-of-age dramedy in which Nyweide played the student of math teacher Mona Gray, portrayed by Golden Globe-nominated actress Jessica Alba.
“She seemed happiest on a movie set, becoming someone else,” Nyweide’s obituary stated. “It was a safe place for her, and she relished the casts and crews who nourished her talent and her well-being.”
Nyweide’s acting career slowed following “An Invisible Sign.” She performed in a couple of short films as well as had a minor role in Darren Aronofsky’s 2014 religious epic “Noah.”
According to Nyweide’s IMDb page, her final role was a 2015 appearance on the ABC hidden-camera reality show “What Would You Do?”
If you or someone you know needs help battling a substance abuse addiction, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español
