The actress who broke a generation’s hearts with her tragic role in Bridge to Terabithia has continued to build an impressive career – but fans may be surprised by her life now
AnnaSophia Robb in Bridge to Terabithia(Image: 172-BTC-48989_27)
She broke the hearts of a generation almost 20 years ago when her character tragically died , but the actress who played Leslie Burke in Bridge to Terabithia is now almost unrecognisable. Actress AnnaSophia Robb cemented her place in children’s memories in 2007 when she played Leslie in the heartbreaking film.
Based on the 1977 novel by Katherine Paterson, Bridge to Terabithia follows Leslie and Jess as they create a secret kingdom called Terabithia, a magical land filled with monsters, trolls, ogres and giants where they spend their free time ruling as king and queen and battling evil creatures. However, their fantasy world is shattered when Leslie tragically dies, leaving Jess to navigate both the real world and their secret kingdom without his best friend.
The death scene became one of the most upsetting moments of the film, with many viewers admitting they were left in tears when they first watched it as children.
‘It left me emotionally bruised’
One Reddit user said: “Bridge to Terabithia is one of those movies that haunts me to this day even now as an adult.
“The first time I watched it, I went to the movie theatre so excited and ready for an epic amazing story and when it happened I was in complete and utter shock.
“I cried, my heart dropped and everything seemed to go silent. The way I felt, the shock of it all, was an absolute brick wall that left me emotionally bruised.”
Another user added: “I don’t remember how old I was when I watched it. I couldn’t even tell you what it’s about anymore. But I vividly remember being upset by it.”
A third user said: “I took my 2 kids to see it, they were 7 and 9, I didn’t know about it, it had good reviews and a good cast.
“My poor 7-year-old son was traumatised, he kept asking, ‘She didn’t really die, did she?’
“I think he fell in love with the actress, so there was a long talk about acting and characters in movies. I felt terrible about it!
“He says now he doesn’t remember being upset, but it taught me a lesson!”
AnnaSophia Robb
However, many fans may have no idea what AnnaSophia has been up to since her iconic role as Leslie.
Following Bridge to Terabithia, AnnaSophia continued to act in children’s films before going on to star in TV series including The Act.
She has also appeared in music videos, including Ed Sheeran’s Shivers, and is set to appear in the upcoming film I Play Rocky, which is due to hit cinemas in early November.
Away from acting, AnnaSophia managed to balance her career with her education, enrolling at New York University in 2014 and graduating in 2018.
She announced her engagement to Trevor Paul on Instagram in 2021, with the couple marrying a year later in a three-day celebration in New York State’s Catskill and Shawangunk Mountains.
AnnaSophia is also a supporter of Planned Parenthood and has attended and promoted fundraising events in New York.
She has also used her platform to encourage people to get involved in politics by carrying out their own research and casting their vote in elections.
