Who is Aria Loberti, star of Netflix’s ‘All the Light We Cannot See?’

When he isn’t supporting Netflix’s flagship series, Stranger Things, or directing Deadpool 3, Shawn Levy is still extremely busy. While the latter has been delayed due to the AMPTP’s inability to come to terms with SAG-AFTRA, the filmmaker will release another television series — All the Light We Cannot See, the four-part miniseries covers interlinking storylines during World War II.

Based on the critically acclaimed book by Anthony Doerr, the story is a fictionalized version of a true story. After Germany invades Paris, a blind French girl, Marie-Laure LeBlanc, takes refuge in Saint-Malo, where the real-life battle commences. The Netflix series will tell the story throughout four episodes, demonstrating the characters’ perseverance during incredible odds. Carrying this show on her shoulders is the relatively unknown Aria Mia Loberti in the role of Marie-Laure. Though this is her first official onscreen credit, she has an interesting story to tell.

Filmmakers decided on a fresh face

When casting started for All the Light We Cannot See, Levy had an open mind but quickly realized there was only one way to portray Marie-Laure. The female lead of the story is blind, a significant aspect of the character. Levy told CBS News that it soon became apparent that applying sensitivity to the material was the correct direction.

“I had this gnawing suspicion that the right way to do this and the best way to do this was to do it with an actress, or a non-actress who is new to acting, but who brought the experience that Marie, the character, lives with. And that meant a low-vision or blind candidate. And we saw hundreds and hundreds, and Aria rose to the top.”

Loberti was new to acting but sent in an audition on video, and the rest is history. At the time, she had been pursuing a career in academia but felt something was missing. Having a career in the arts did not seem practical since there were not many roles for people who were blind. But when she learned about the audition, she threw her hat in the ring. Not necessarily believing she would get the part, she would soon be surprised. She was what they were looking for and brought authenticity to the project, telling Netflix that she “wanted this character to be an authentic portrayal of a young girl growing up to become a young woman who’s blind — that’s important for me to bring to the screen.”

But the most important point is that being blind isn’t the definition of who the character is or who Loberti is either. Despite what she had been led to believe — that being in Hollywood wasn’t possible — she defied everyone’s expectations. And though Marie-Laure is in the middle of a warzone, she doesn’t let being blind define her either.