You’ve seen her. You might not have known her name at the time, but you definitely remember the way she moved. Whether it was the eerie, synchronized disco dance in a high-tech bunker or the silent, platinum-haired presence standing behind a dragon-riding queen, Sonoya Mizuno has this way of haunting the frame.
Honestly, she’s one of the most interesting actors working today because she didn't take the "normal" route to Hollywood. No child-star baggage. No messy public drama. Just a world-class ballerina who decided one day to walk away from the barre and into an audition for a small sci-fi film called Ex Machina.
That single choice changed everything.
The Alex Garland Connection: From Kyoko to Civil War
If you’re looking up Sonoya Mizuno movies and tv shows, you basically have to start with Alex Garland. They are one of those director-actor pairings that just clicks, like Scorsese and De Niro, but way more atmospheric and "heady."
Mizuno made her debut as Kyoko in Ex Machina (2014). She didn't have a single line of dialogue. Think about that for a second. To make a massive impact in a movie featuring Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson without saying a word is kind of insane. She used her body—her training from the Royal Ballet School—to convey a sense of "otherness" that was genuinely chilling.
Since then, she’s been in almost every project Garland has touched:
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- She had a brief, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it humanoid role in Annihilation (2018).
- She voiced a police operator in the folk-horror trip Men (2022).
- She played Anya in the intense 2024 drama Civil War.
- Most notably, she carried the lead role of Lily Chan in the FX miniseries Devs (2020).
Devs is where people really started to see her range. As Lily, she wasn't just a physical presence; she was a grieving, stubborn, brilliant engineer trying to outmaneuver a tech giant played by Nick Offerman. It's a slow burn, but her performance is the glue that holds that whole existential crisis together.
Dragons, Crazy Rich Socialites, and Netflix Experiments
It’s easy to pigeonhole her as "the sci-fi girl," but Mizuno has actually jumped across genres more than people realize. Remember Araminta Lee in Crazy Rich Asians? The girl who walked down the water-covered aisle in that massive wedding? That was her. It was such a 180-degree turn from her usual quiet, intense roles. She was bubbly, loud, and looked like she was having the time of her life.
Then there’s the TV side of things.
In Maniac (2018), she played Dr. Azumi Fujita. If you’ve seen it, you remember the oversized glasses, the constant chain-smoking, and the frantic energy. It’s a cult favorite for a reason. She played off Emma Stone and Jonah Hill perfectly, adding a layer of dry, weird humor to a show that was already pretty out there.
And, of course, we have to talk about House of the Dragon.
Playing Mysaria—the "White Worm"—is probably her most mainstream role to date. She’s playing the long game in Westeros, moving from a foreign sex worker to the most powerful information broker in King’s Landing. Some fans were divided on the accent she used in Season 1, but by Season 2, it was clear that she was one of the few people in that show who actually understood the "game of thrones" better than the nobles did.
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What’s Happening in 2026 and Beyond?
If you think she’s slowing down, you’re wrong. 2026 is actually a massive year for her because she’s stepping behind the camera.
The big news is her directorial debut with a film titled Stages. It’s backed by A24 and Film4, which tells you all you need to know about the vibe. It’s reportedly inspired by her own background in the world of professional dance. Alex Garland is producing it, so it’s a full-circle moment for them.
Beyond that, she’s still very much in the acting game:
- House of the Dragon Season 3: She’s set to return as Mysaria, with her character becoming even more pivotal to Rhaenyra’s war efforts.
- Deep Cover: A 2025/2026 release where she plays a character named Shosh.
- Eternal Return: A romance project that’s been in the works, showing she’s still looking to break out of the sci-fi mold.
- Terminator Zero: She provided the voice for Eiko in this animated series, proving she’s even got the "voice acting" box checked off.
The "Secret" to Her Screen Presence
People always ask why she feels so "different" on screen. It’s the ballet.
Most actors are "top-heavy"—they act with their faces and their voices. Mizuno acts with her entire skeleton. There’s a precision to how she stands and moves that feels intentional. Even when she’s just sitting in a chair in Devs, there’s no wasted energy.
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It’s also worth noting that she’s incredibly selective. You don’t see her in generic sitcoms or mindless action sequels just for a paycheck. She seems to pick projects that are a bit "off-beat" or intellectually challenging. That’s probably why her filmography is so consistently high-quality.
How to Catch Up on Her Work
If you want to do a proper Sonoya Mizuno marathon, don't just watch the hits.
Start with Ex Machina to see the physical stuff. Move to Maniac for the character acting. Then hit Devs for the heavy lifting. If you want something lighter, Crazy Rich Asians or the indie film Shortcomings (directed by Randall Park) are great choices. Shortcomings in particular shows a much more "human," grounded side of her as Meredith.
She also did a music video for The Chemical Brothers called "Wide Open" back in 2016. It’s basically a one-take shot of her dancing in a warehouse as her body slowly turns into a 3D-printed lattice. It’s one of the best music videos of the last decade, and it’s probably the purest expression of who she is as an artist.
Keep an eye out for Stages later this year. Transitioning from dancer to actor is hard enough, but moving from actor to A24 director is a whole different level of ambitious. If her past work is any indication, it’s going to be something people are talking about for a long time.
Go watch Devs on Hulu or catch up on House of the Dragon on Max to see her in action right now. You’ll see exactly what the hype is about.