Leila George D’Onofrio Overview
Leila George D’Onofrio (born 1992) is an Australian and American actress. She has worked in stage productions, feature films, television and documentary production roles while training at institutions in the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States. She is the daughter of actors Vincent D’Onofrio and Greta Scacchi, and her work spans stage and screen with credits in both independent and studio projects.
Early life and education
Leila George D’Onofrio was born in 1992 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She holds Australian and American citizenship and was raised by her mother in Hurstpierpoint near Brighton, East Sussex, United Kingdom.
Her formal training began in the United Kingdom, where she took acting classes at Brighton College in 2008 and attended Crawley College the following year. In 2010 she studied at the Arts Educational Schools, London, and in 2011 she returned to Australia to attend Sydney Film School. In 2012 she studied at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York City.
Career
George’s early professional work included documentary production, where she served as an additional camera operator on The Last Impresario in 2013. She transitioned to stage acting in 2014 when she appeared with her mother in Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull for the Black Swan Theatre Company in Perth, performing in the role of Nina opposite Greta Scacchi’s Arkadina.
Her on-screen acting career expanded with a starring role in the 2016 television film Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?, which marked her first feature television lead. She later appeared in feature films, including Mortal Engines (2018) and The Kid (2019), contributing to her presence in both genre and dramatic projects.
Television and recurring roles
In 2019 George began a recurring role on the television series Animal Kingdom, portraying the younger version of Janine “Smurf” Cody as part of the show’s structure to explore character backstory. That role broadened her visibility on serialized television and linked her to ensemble storytelling in a long-running drama.
Stage and film work
George’s stage work demonstrates classical training and an interest in theatrical texts, as reflected in her casting in The Seagull. Her film credits include both independent and studio projects; roles in Mortal Engines and The Kid show a range from mainstream adaptations to character-focused films. Her early documentary work also indicates experience behind the camera as well as on stage and screen.
Personal life
Leila George has publicly documented relationships that intersected with her professional life. She began a relationship with actor Sean Penn in 2016 and the two married on 30 July 2020. George filed for divorce on 15 October 2021, and the divorce was finalized on 22 April 2022.
Beyond acting, she engaged in philanthropic activity following the 2019–20 Australian bushfires, co-producing a celebrity fundraiser hosted by the Los Angeles Zoo to support long-term conservation of affected areas. That event reflects an interest in conservation and community response to environmental crises.
Professional approach and training influence
George’s training across multiple institutions informed a professional approach that includes stage discipline, on-camera technique and documentary production skills. Time at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York and formal study at Sydney Film School and Arts Educational Schools in London provided a foundation in method approaches, screencraft and theatrical practice.
Notable collaborations and family background
Coming from a family of actors, George has collaborated directly with her mother on stage and maintains a professional profile informed by both parental influences. Her father, Vincent D’Onofrio, and her mother, Greta Scacchi, are both established performers whose careers provide a public context for her own work without defining her independent credits.
Selected highlights and trajectory
Key highlights of George’s career include leading a television feature in 2016, stage work in a high-profile Chekhov production in 2014, camera work on a 2013 documentary and screen appearances in films released in 2018 and 2019. Her recurring television work on Animal Kingdom added serialized drama to her resume and expanded her exposure to U.S. television audiences.
Summary
Leila George D’Onofrio is an actress with training and credits across stage, film and television. Her career includes documentary production experience, classical theatre performance, a starring television film role and parts in feature films and a recurring television series role. She remains a working performer with a background that connects training in three countries to professional work on stage and screen.
