“Sophie was a beloved daughter, granddaughter, sister, friend and new aunt,” the family wrote. “Creative, athletic and wise beyond her years, Sophie accomplished so much in the time she danced upon earth (literally – she danced as she moved!).”

The family noted that Nyweide “seemed happiest on a movie set, becoming someone else.”

“It was a safe place for her and she relish from the casts and crews who nourished her talent and her well being,” the family wrote. “She was an eager adventurer and picked up the customs and even languages of any place she visited.”

Born in July 2000 to former actor Shelly Gibso, Nyweide was just six when she starred in the title role of her first major film, “Bella.”

“She dreamed (more like demanded!) to be an actor, without ever knowing her mother was an actor, so she did that too with an ease we all marveled