Sofia Espírito Santo was born in Lisbon on January 4, 1975. In 2001, when she was working in the Botanical Garden of Valencia (Spain), she realized that she really wanted to be an actress. She returned to Lisbon and applied to the National Conservatory of Music. In September, she started taking classes and became a professional actor three months later. Thereafter, she studied at the New York Film School in Hollywood and the London School of Music and Dramatic Art.