AnnaSophia Robb, who played Leslie Burke in the 2007 film Bridge to Terabithia, looks very different nearly 20 years later. The 32-year-old from Denver, Colorado, was a child when she took on the role.
A heartbreaking story
Adapted from Katherine Paterson's 1977 novel, Bridge to Terabithia follows Leslie and Jess as they discover a hidden realm called Terabithia, an enchanted world of monsters, trolls, ogres and giants where they reign as monarchs and fight wicked beings. Their make-believe universe crumbles when Leslie meets her tragic fate, leaving Jess to cope with reality and their mystical kingdom without his best friend.
The death scene became one of the film's most distressing moments, with many audiences saying they were reduced to tears when they first saw it as children.
Fans share their memories
One Reddit user wrote: "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!".
Life after Terabithia
Since Bridge to Terabithia, AnnaSophia continued performing in children's pictures before moving on to television programmes such as The Act. She has also featured in music videos, notably Ed Sheeran's Shivers, and is scheduled to appear in the forthcoming picture I Play Rocky, expected to reach cinemas in early November.
Beyond performing, AnnaSophia balanced her career with her studies, enrolling at New York University in 2014 and completing her degree in 2018.
She revealed her engagement to Trevor Paul on Instagram in 2021, with the pair marrying a year later in a three-day celebration across New York State's Catskill and Shawangunk Mountains.
AnnaSophia also champions Planned Parenthood and has participated in and promoted fundraising occasions in New York. She has used her platform to encourage people to engage in politics by doing their own research and exercising their right to vote.
