Isabelle Fuhrman

Early life

Fuhrman was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Elina Fuhrman ( Kozmits), a journalist, author, wellness activist, and founder of the vegan soup company Soupelina, and Nick Fuhrman (1963–2024), a one-time Wisconsin primary candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, former Dane County Republican Party chairman and business consultant. Her father, who was of Irish descent, was adopted by a Jewish family. Her mother is a Russian Jewish immigrant from Soviet Moldova. Fuhrman has an older sister who was born in 1993. She and her family moved to Atlanta in 1999 when her mother joined CNN. She attended the Buckley School, a private school in Sherman Oaks for high school. Fuhrman also briefly attended the RADA, and briefly was a student at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta. She graduated from Stanford Online High School in 2015.

Career

Fuhrman's acting career began at age seven, when a casting director from Cartoon Network spotted her while she was waiting for her older sister Madeline and cast her for one of the shows, Cartoon Fridays. Her early credits include Grace O'Neil in the pilot episode of the 2006 television series Justice, and a number of national commercials for such brands as Pizza Hut and K-Mart. In 2007, she made her film debut in the controversial drama feature Hounddog.

Fuhrman's performance as Gretchen Dennis (also known as Girl Ghost) opposite Jennifer Love Hewitt in a 2008 episode of Ghost Whisperer earned her a Young Artist Award nomination. Also in 2008, Fuhrman was cast in the movie Orphan alongside Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard following an exhaustive nationwide search of young actresses to portray the lead in the three-way collaboration between Warner Bros., Appian Way Productions, and Dark Castle Entertainment. It was released in 2009 to commercial success and Fuhrman's acting was praised. She also appeared in comedy skits on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

In 2011, Fuhrman played Angie Vanderveer in the dark comedy Salvation Boulevard (based on the novel by Larry Beinhart), with an ensemble cast that included Pierce Brosnan and Marisa Tomei. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

In 2012, Fuhrman voiced the genetically enhanced assassin Victoria in Hitman: Absolution. In the same year she played Clove, a career tribute who tries to kill the main character, Katniss, in the film The Hunger Games. She originally auditioned to play Katniss, but was too young to play the part; she was 14 at the time. She received a call-back to audition for Clove and got the part. On May 15, 2012, it was announced that Fuhrman would star in the remake of the 1977 horror classic Suspiria; however, it was later announced that the production was stuck in legal woes and that the film would not be made.

On May 24, 2013, Fuhrman was cast as Max in Dear Eleanor (2016), directed by Kevin Connolly. In 2014, Fuhrman was cast in the film Cell, an adaptation by Stephen King. In 2015, she was cast in a "major recurring role" on the Showtime drama series Masters of Sex, playing Tessa, the daughter of Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan). Fuhrman was also cast as the lead in the independent drama Hellbent.

In 2021, Fuhrman starred as Alex in Lauren Hadaway's directorial debut The Novice. Her performance gained critical praise, with critics calling Fuhrman's turn "a Daniel Day-Lewis transformation" and "the year's best performance". For The Novice, she won the Tribeca Film Festival Award for Best Actress, and was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. It was announced in 2020 that Fuhrman would reprise her role as Esther in an Orphan prequel; the film, titled Orphan: First Kill, was released in August 2022, with Fuhrman's performance again being lauded.

In September 2022, Fuhrman joined the cast of the Kevin Costner-directed western film Horizon: An American Saga and Face, a film directed by Justine Bateman.

Fuhrman starred as Charlotte in the leading role opposite Mena Massoud in Julia Stiles' romance drama film Wish You Were Here which was released on January 17, 2025.

Philanthropy

Fuhrman was approached by Save the Children in 2010, to be a celebrity advocate for their "Caps for Good" project. She and several volunteers with Save the Children have helped knit hundreds of baby caps in an effort to reduce the death rate of newborns in developing countries. Fuhrman is on the advisory board of the Love & Art Kids Foundation, a Los Angeles based non-profit organization.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Stage

Awards and nominations

References

References

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2. https://www.wisniewskifuneral.net/obituary/NicolasA-Fuhrman
3. "Madison.com Madison WI news sports entertainment". M.host.madison.com.
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5. Applebaum, Stephen. (August 19, 2022). "'I love playing villains; I try to understand them' says actress Fuhrman". The Jewish Chronicle.
6. Moe, Doug. (October 18, 2001). "She doesn't fear the unknown". Capital Newspapers.
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8. (March 26, 2012). "Isabelle Fuhrman: 'The Hunger Games" Knife Assassin". Yahoo movies.
9. Tishgart, Sierra. (Mar 21, 2012). "Isabelle Fuhrman on Playing Clove in The Hunger Games, Dressing for the Red Carpet, and Pulling Pranks on Set".
10. Block, Jenny. (July 26, 2012). "Isabelle Fuhrman's Sister Madeline Is Kickstarting Her Music Career". [[HuffPost]].
11. Catsoulis, Jeannette. (2008-09-18). "Dreaming of Elvis, Living a Nightmare". The New York Times.
12. Mayberry, Carly. (December 10, 2007). "Warners horror: 'Orphan' adopts young Fuhrman". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
13. "Isabelle Fuhrman- Biography". [[Yahoo! Movies]].
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15. (July 14, 2009). "Warner Bros. Pictures and Dark Castle Entertainment Present ORPHAN". [[Business Wire]].
16. (2009-09-19). "Audiences scream for Isabelle Fuhrman's Orphan".
17. LaPorte, Nicole. (January 29, 2011). "Isabelle Fuhrman Shines in 'Salvation Boulevard'". [[The Daily Beast]].
18. "Hitman: Absolution Cast Revealed".
19. Vary, Adam. (March 23, 2012). "'The Hunger Games': Isabelle Fuhrman on becoming Clove, and what she wants to see in 'Catching Fire' and 'Mockingjay'".
20. Wilkinson, Amy. (March 22, 2012). "'Hunger Games' Actress Isabelle Fuhrman Wanted To Play Katniss". MTV News.
21. (May 15, 2012). "The Hunger Games and Orphan Star Isabelle Fuhrman Set for Suspiria | Horror Movie, DVD, & Book Reviews, News, Interviews at Dread Central".
22. Sara, Castillo. (January 28, 2013). "Looks Like 'Suspiria' Remake Slashed".
23. Tomasi, Rollo. (May 24, 2013). "Dear Eleanor (2014): Isabelle Fuhrman cast in Eleanor Roosevelt Film". FilmBook.
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32. Wax, Alyse. (2022-08-15). "'Orphan: First Kill': Esther's Back and She Hasn't Aged a Day {{!}} Review".
33. DeVore, Britta. (2022-09-06). "Isabelle Fuhrman Joins Kevin Costner's Western 'Horizon'".
34. (2022-09-16). "Mary-Louise Parker, Carrie-Anne Moss, Isabelle Fuhrman & Liana Liberato Set For Justine Bateman's Film 'Face' Based On Her Bestseller".
35. Grobar, Matt. (February 23, 2024). "Julia Stiles Wraps On Directorial Debut 'Wish You Were Here'; Isabelle Fuhrman, Mena Massoud, Jennifer Grey, Kelsey Grammer & More Star".
36. (December 21, 2010). "Teen Star Isabelle Fuhrman: Knitting Caps For Good". Craft Ideas Weekly.
37. "Love & Art Children's Foundation | children's art |".
38. Sneider, Jeff. (September 8, 2011). "Natalia Dyer in final talks for ‘Healer’".
39. Dee, Jake. (9 September 2011). "THE GREAT PETER BOGDANOVICH JOINS SUPERNATURAL THRILLER THE HEALER". [[JoBlo.com]].
40. Miska, Brad. (3 June 2013). "'Orphan' and 'Super 8' Stars Topline 'The Between' Trailer!". [[Bloody Disgusting]].
41. (December 2012). "Isabelle Fuhrman On For After Earth".
42. Sneider, Jeff. (2019-10-03). "Isabelle Fuhrman Joins Taylor Russell, Logan Miller in Escape Room 2".
43. Grobar, Matt. (April 22, 2022). "Isabelle Fuhrman Boards Thriller 'Unit 234' From Director Andy Tennant". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
44. Jackson, Angelique. (2025-02-14). "Catherine Hardwicke Casts Isabelle Fuhrman, Yara Shahidi, Daniel Zovatto and Michael Cimino in 'Street Smart'".
45. Grobar, Matt. (2025-02-14). "Isabelle Fuhrman, Yara Shahidi, Michael Cimino, Daniel Zovatto, Sylvester Powell & More Set For Catherine Hardwicke Drama 'Street Smart'".
46. (July 19, 2011). "30th Annual Young Artist Awards - Nominations / Special Awards".
47. "2009 Fright Meter Awards".