One to Watch: Sophia Bush

(photo credit: tv.yahoo.com)

Although, Sophia's professional acting debut was in the 2002 cult hit "Van Wilder" starring Ryan Reynolds, Tara Reid and Kal Penn. Her career really took off after landing the role of Brooke Davis on the hugely successful hit show "One Tree Hill" in 2003. Prior to getting the role, Sophia attended the University of Southern California for three years and majored in Journalism with a Theatre minor.

With the popularity of "One Tree Hill" and her character, Sophia's career expanded into more films including the comedy "John Tucker Must Die" starring Jessie Metcalfe, Brittany Snow, Ashanti and Penn Badgley; horror film "Stay Alive" and this year's re-make of "The Hitcher". The fifth season of "One Tree Hill" premieres, January 8, 2008 on the CW Network at 8pm (check local listing). To insure your up-to-date, SOAPnet will air a 13 episode marathon from season 4, January 1st from 11:00am to midnight.

Ms. Bush is not just another pretty face in Hollywood, this California native continues to help out with various charities including the conflict in Darfur, American Red Cross, Clothes Off Our Back and working to protect the environment. She's definitely getting noticed by fans and the industry, she's already received awards for her roles for OTH, "John Tucker" and "The Hitcher".

Her popularity has soared each year, hopefully it will continue to grow. I actually got a chance to speak with her at an event and I found it refreshing that she wasn't taking the whole celebrity thing so seriously and instead is a positive young lady with a good head on her shoulders (which is needed especially now in this industry).