Meet Phillipa Soo, star of Disney+ hit film Hamilton – and vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter campaign and the LGBT community
The leading lady in the smash hit cultural phenomenon Hamilton, Phillipa Soo stole hearts and managed to blow us all away in her role as Eliza Hamilton – so what comes next?
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that the hit musical Hamilton has been reprised as a film for Disney+; and unless it’s a really, really big rock, you’ll have heard that Phillipa Soo – who plays Eliza Hamilton née Schuyler – stole the show and the Internet’s collective heart.
Now, you may know why #Hamilfilm is trending, or you may even be part of #HamFam, but how much do you really know about 30-year-old Soo? Here are just a few reasons why she’s not throwing away her shot.
She’s all about representation
Soo’s father is a first-generation Chinese-American, whose parents came from China; her mother is European-American, born and raised in Illinois. Her multicultural heritage was brought to the fore on July 6 when she saw – and shared – a video of a young Asian girl’s reaction to Soo’s performance.
Jenna, fabulous in a pink unicorn shirt, pointed to Soo as she sang Helpless in Act 1 of the Hamilton film, saying “It’s me”.
“Little Jenna here is exactly why #representationmatters,” Soo says. “I am so grateful for this show, that so many young people can watch this show and say 'It’s me.'”
The singer has also supported the LGBT community, having previously posted a photo of herself standing in front of a rainbow background – the rainbow being a widely known symbol of the community.