Harlan Drum is an American model and actress. After gaining notice in the popular Netflix series “Sweet Magnolias,” which premiered in 2020, she was considered one of the new young stars in Hollywood to watch out for.
Early Years and Family
Born on 15 October 2002, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, Sophie Harlan Drum hails from a family esteemed in their hometown, her lineage including her great-grandfather Robert Osborne Cox, a distinguished figure who founded Lauderdale Marina in 1948 and served as the Mayor of Fort Lauderdale. Harlan’s upbringing took place in a comfortable home, nurtured by her father, a Securities Portfolio Manager, and her mother Christine Frei Drum, a native of Bulgaria. Her siblings, Olivia, Cole and Clark shared in this warm family environment.
Despite the family’s affiliations with prominent local businesses, such as 15th Street Fisheries, The Shipyard, and Drum Realty, Harlan felt no pressure to become involved in these enterprises. Her mother emphasized that their family recognized Harlan’s destined path in the entertainment industry, noticing her potential from a young age, and taking part in school plays including “Annie,” “Peter Pan,” “Wizard of Oz,” and “Mulan.” They knew that her interest in acting wasn’t merely a passing fascination but a true passion for their daughter.
While navigating the challenges common to most teenagers, Harlan occasionally grappled with insecurities. However, she attributes her resilience and growth to the unwavering support system she had throughout her upbringing—her family, particularly her mother, who played a pivotal role in shaping her journey.
Education
Harlan attended a local private school in Fort Lauderdale for her primary education, then matriculated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School.
Career
According to her mother’s recollections, Harlan’s passion for performing emerged at the age of seven, prompting her to support and guide her through several modeling go-sees.
As a Model
Initially, Harlan’s foray into the modeling world was focused on print, but as time progressed, she expanded her portfolio to include commercial work. Collaborating with renowned clothing brands for teens such as Justice, American Girl, and H&M, Harlan’s modeling journey not only enhanced her comfort in front of the camera, but also provided opportunities to grace the catwalk at a remarkably young age.
Her successful collaborations with these brands garnered attention, paving the way for more partnerships including with Samsung and Burger King. She also secured coveted spots on the covers of prestigious fashion and lifestyle magazines, among them notable publications such as Vogue, Vogue Bambini, and Venice Magazine.
As an Actress
Making connections through those modeling gigs gave Harlan a foot in the door to Hollywood, which was her ultimate dream. Harlan was offered movie roles that were released in 2019, the first entitled “Dear America: A Film by Generation Z,” a short-length movie in which she played the character of Emily, directed by Molly Smith and Sage Croft. The second was the movie “Waves,” but for some reason, she wasn’t credited for it.
It was also in 2019 that she started filming her breakout role as CeCe Matney, a popular high school student pining for one of the main characters, Tyler “Ty” Townsend, in one of the hit series released on Netflix called “Sweet Magnolias.” It premiered in 2020, and Harlan’s performance was noticed, especially during the episode in which a school mock trial unfolded, and she was tasked to be the defense attorney. It’s a recurring role in which she has already appeared in 19 episodes from the first season up to the third season and was renewed for the fourth season.
Harlan was seen in three episodes during the fifth season of the rebooted TV series “MacGyver,” shown in 2021, and appeared in an episode of the crime drama series “Hightown.”
In the same year, she was part of the TV movie “Friendship Never Dies” in which she played the role of Brianna McMillan. In an interview, Harlan said that she was preparing for a role that she thought was the one given to her, so memorized all the lines, so was disappointed when she learned she didn’t get that specific role. Initially, Harlan thought that the director made a mistake, but when filming started realized that she’d been given the right role, so saying ‘I learned that actors should always trust the casting directors because they truly know what they’re doing.’
An independent movie was offered to her entitled “Gracepoint”, in which she played one of the main leads, released in 2023, written and directed by Rory Karpf. She said that she’s fortunate to have worked with a superbly talented cast and crew, which made the filming not only educational, as it’s about a coming-of-age story dealing with addiction and redemption, but also enjoyable.
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Personal Life
As of early 2024 and aged 21, Harlan Drum’s personal life details remain relatively private. There’s no publicly available information regarding her dating history, marital status, or whether she’s borne any children. It isn’t surprising because, in one interview, Harlan said that she prefers to keep her personal matters away from the spotlight, allowing her to focus on her career.
Interesting Facts
- Aside from English, Harlan can converse in other languages, including Bulgarian and Spanish.
- Harlan has been involved in various community service endeavors. Both as a child and an adult, she passionately supports charitable organizations, with a focus on children’s welfare and environmental conservation. Her activism extended to participating in the SAG-AFRA strike in Hollywood in July 2023.
- Harlan has a fondness for exploring the cultural richness of new cities, often indulging her love for museums whenever she visits a new location.
- The actress is a proud owner of a dog named Bugz, showcasing her love for pets.
- Due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Harlan and her class of 2020, experienced disappointment when their school decided not to hold a high school prom.
- According to her mother, Harlan had a “Hannah Montana” moment when her classmates were unaware of her double life as an actress until the release of “Sweet Magnolias” on Netflix.
- Her favorite life quote is by Carl Jung – “Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darkness of other people”.
- She ensures to make time for daily reading, primarily books on philosophy. According to her, this practice helps keep her mind sharp, and positively influences her acting skills.
Social Media Presence
Harlan maintains a relatively low profile on social media, with only one known Instagram account under the username @harlan_drum. Her page is infrequently updated, comprising just 60 posts and approximately 11,000 followers. Fans have expressed curiosity about whether she deleted previous posts from before her recognition as an actress, given that she opened her account in 2012 but apparently only began posting in 2019.
Known for her discreet approach, Harlan refrains from oversharing and seldom adds captions to the photos she uploads on the platform. She hasn’t ventured into creating pages on other platforms, or if she has, she may have adjusted the settings to maintain a private profile.
Appearance
Harlan stands at a height of 5ft 7ins (170cms) and weighs about 121lbs (55kg). Her distinctive features include green eyes and naturally long, curly black-brown hair.
Net Worth
As of March 2024, authoritative sources estimate Harlan Drum’s net worth at close to $1 million.
Reflecting on her own journey in acting, one piece of advice Harlan wishes she’d received early on is to trust herself unequivocally, and forge her own path. She emphasizes, ‘Every actor has a unique story and there’s no blueprint for making it in this industry.’
