Leila George D’Onofrio Bio
Leila George D’Onofrio, born on 1 January 1992, is an Australian and American actress whose work spans film, television, theatre, and documentary production. The daughter of acclaimed actors Vincent D’Onofrio and Greta Scacchi, she grew up surrounded by the craft and has carried that legacy into her own career. She is best known to global audiences for playing the young Janine “Smurf” Cody in the crime drama series Animal Kingdom, and she has continued to take on a mix of independent features and stage productions in both Australia and the United States.
Early Life and Background
Leila George D’Onofrio was born in 1992 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, to actor and producer Vincent D’Onofrio and actress Greta Scacchi. Following her parents’ separation, she was raised by her mother in the village of Hurstpierpoint, near Brighton in East Sussex, England, where she spent much of her childhood. Growing up in a household defined by creative professionals gave her early, firsthand exposure to film sets, scripts, and rehearsal rooms.
Her parents’ shared profession meant that acting was part of daily conversation from a young age, and she was often introduced to the discipline behind performances rather than the glamour. The family moved between Australia, England, and the United States, which shaped her bilingual understanding of Australian and American storytelling. This international upbringing became a defining feature of her identity and would later influence the range of roles she pursued on screen and stage.
Path to Acting
Leila George D’Onofrio began formal acting training in 2008, when she took classes at Brighton College while still a secondary school student. The following year, in 2009, she enrolled at Crawley College, her mother’s former school, continuing her education in England. In 2010, she joined the Arts Educational Schools in London, where she refined her classical training and stage technique. These early years gave her a strong foundation in theatre craft before she turned to screen work.
In 2011, she moved to Australia to study at the Sydney Film School, reconnecting with her Australian roots and exploring the technical side of filmmaking. The next year, in 2012, she traveled to New York City to study at the Lee Strasberg Institute, located close to where her father was based. This period of study in both hemispheres prepared her for a career that would require her to move freely between Australian and American productions. Her first professional credit came in 2013, when she worked as an additional camera operator on the documentary The Last Impresario, a behind-the-scenes portrait of a legendary theatrical producer. That same year, she made her stage debut alongside her mother Greta Scacchi in a production of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull for the Black Swan Theatre Company in Perth, taking on the role of Nina opposite Scacchi’s Arkadina.
Leila George D’Onofrio Career
Early Career (2013-2016)
Leila George D’Onofrio’s earliest screen work came through documentary production, including her role as an additional camera operator on The Last Impresario in 2013. She balanced this with stage work, most notably her Perth performance in The Seagull in 2014, which marked her first significant acting role and her first collaboration with her mother. These projects established her reputation as a serious, training-focused performer rather than a manufactured celebrity.
In 2016, she took on the starring role in the television film Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?, which served as her first feature-length television lead. The role introduced her to a wider American audience and gave her the chance to carry a thriller narrative from start to finish. The performance marked a transition from supporting and behind-the-scenes work to leading on-screen roles in the United States.
Breakthrough (2018-2019)
Leila George D’Onofrio’s international profile rose sharply in 2018 when she was cast in the Peter Jackson-produced fantasy film Mortal Engines, based on the novel by Philip Reeve. Working on a large-scale studio production gave her exposure to blockbuster filmmaking and placed her alongside an ensemble of established international actors. The role demonstrated her ability to perform within the visual-effects-driven storytelling of major studio cinema.
The following year, in 2019, she appeared in the western drama The Kid, a film that explored the life of young Billy the Kid. That same year, she joined the cast of the TNT crime series Animal Kingdom, portraying the younger version of Ellen Barkin’s matriarch Janine “Smurf” Cody. The dual presence in both film and prestige television during 2019 cemented her standing as a versatile performer with a foothold in Australian, American, and international productions.
Notable Works and Milestones
Among her most recognized works are the studio film Mortal Engines (2018), the western The Kid (2019), and the television series Animal Kingdom (2019), where her portrayal of the young Smurf Cody became her signature screen role. Her early stage work in The Seagull and her lead performance in Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? remain important markers of her artistic development. Together, these projects trace a career that began in theatre and documentary work and evolved into leading roles across film and prestige television.
Leila George D’Onofrio Family
Leila George D’Onofrio is the daughter of American actor and producer Vincent D’Onofrio and Italian-Australian actress Greta Scacchi, both of whom are well-known figures in international film and television. Growing up in a family of working actors gave her direct access to professional sets and to the discipline required for a long career in the industry. She has continued to honor that heritage through her own commitment to both stage and screen work, and she has appeared alongside her mother in theatrical productions.
Personal Life
Leila George D’Onofrio began a relationship with American actor Sean Penn in 2016. The couple married on 30 July 2020. On 15 October 2021, she filed for divorce, and the divorce was finalised on 22 April 2022. Beyond her acting career, she has engaged in philanthropic work, including co-producing a celebrity fundraiser in support of long-term conservation following the 2019-2020 Australian bushfires, an event hosted by the Los Angeles Zoo.
