Sometimes, it's hard to remember that Brie Larson has been in the industry for so long because of how massively she's been catapulted to stardom in the past few years. She's become a total darling of the film industry thanks to her ability to tackle incredibly complex characters in movies like Room and The Glass Castle, and she continues to stun audiences time and time again. Sure, she's appeared in smaller roles in several comedies as well, such as when she played Amy Schumer's sister in Trainwreck, but meaty dramas are where she truly excels.

And, it seems her fame is going to be taken to an entirely different level yet again thanks to her involvement in the Marvel universe. Brie beat out what was likely hundreds if not thousands of other actresses to play the role of Captain Marvel, and as we've seen with pretty much every other actor who scores a role in the Marvel universe, it's basically a guarantee that you'll be catapulted to superstardom. If anyone deserves it, it's Brie Larson. And, hopefully once she has some Marvel money in the bank, she'll be more than willing to tackle more indie projects because, well, she'll have all the money she needs from Marvel.

Here are 15 things you may not know about the mysterious Brie Larson.

Her Real Name Is Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers

First of all, did you know that her real name isn't even Brie Larson? It's Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers. However, the fact that she uses a stage name isn't the interesting part — it's something that many celebrities do, for various reasons. The interesting part is the story behind how she came up with the name. In an interview with Glamour, she said that Larson was an old family name from her great-grandmother's side of the family. However, she spilled the real deal in a 2015 interview on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, admitting that the real inspiration behind the name was an American Girls doll. "The name of the doll is Kirsten Larson, and my last name is French and very hard to say. I was so sick of it, so as a result I was like, 'I'm changing my name! I'm changing it to Larson so that Kirsten can be in our family!' We have to admit, we're totally charmed by the fact that she's a secret American Girls fanatic. Who knows, perhaps one day she'll be able to voice Kirsten Larson and bring her inspiration to life on the big screen. Stranger things have happened, and goodness knows there are still plenty of American Girls fans!

She's Really Into Mycology, The Study of Mushrooms and Other Fungi

There are plenty of celebrities who have unusual hobbies, but Brie Larson's just may take the cake for the most bizarre hobby we never would have expected a celebrity to have. Apparently, as she revealed in a Reddit AMA, she's totally into mycology, which for those who aren't familiar, is the study of mushrooms and other fungi. That's right — fungi. "I've studied [it] for a few years now, that may seem like the strangest, but I'm passionate about it," Larson revealed on Reddit. We have to admit, her strange hobby just makes us love Brie Larson even more. Some celebrities seem totally into shopping and fashion and make-up, and some dabble in music, but the fact that her hobby of choice is just totally out of left field is kind of charming. Perhaps one day she'll have the opportunity to work with the Discovery channel on a project revolving around mycology — she just might combust from excitement if that kind of opportunity ever presented itself. Or, who knows, maybe a talented indie screenwriter will try to lure her into doing a project by making her character a mycologist. It seems like a pretty unique way to get her on board with your project.

She Grew Up In A Struggling Single Parent Household

Nowadays, Brie Larson is definitely successful by anyone's standards, and likely has enough to help out her family with whatever they need. However, she definitely didn't come from a wealthy family — in fact, her childhood was definitely less than idyllic. After her parents split, Larson, her mom, and her sister ended up moving to Los Angeles as Brie tried to pursue her dream. And it certainly wasn't easy. While talking about her project Room, Brie mentioned to ABC News how it reminded her of her childhood, in a sense. "We lived in just a studio apartment with just a room and a bed that came out of the wall, and my mom couldn't afford even a Happy Meal. We ate Top Ramen. I had no toys, and I had like two shirts, a pair of jeans, and that was it. But I had my mom to myself and I remember it being the coolest period of time. I loved it." We absolutely love Brie's attitude, and we have to give major props to her mom — it was probably a very, very tough time in her life, worrying about providing for her two young children, and it seems like she did it with grace.

She Almost Turned Down Her Marvel Role

Many people might think that being offered a role in a Marvel film is basically a dream come true. After all, it's pretty much a guarantee that you'll be sit for the next several years, at least, between the major pay checks and the various projects that come after a character's big screen debut. However, that level of success also comes with a price — a major loss of privacy as you become a total A-Lister. Brie was outspoken with Vanity Fair about how tough it was to decide, and how she almost turned the opportunity down. "It took me a really long time. I had to sit with myself, think about my life and what I want out of it. Ultimately, I couldn't deny the fact that this movie is everything I care about, everything that's progressive and important and meaningful, and a symbol I wished I would've had growing up. I really, really feel like it's worth it [to give up some privacy] if it can bring understanding and confidence to young women." Talk about a total inspiration! It's definitely not easy to make the transition from primarily indie roles, and smaller roles, to something like a Marvel movie.

She's Besties With Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence — Talk About A Star Studded Friendship

Hollywood is a small world, and many actresses are constantly competing against one another for roles, particularly if they're roughly the same age. While Emma Stone, Brie Larson and Jennifer Lawrence all have successful careers, we have no doubt that they've been up for the same parts at least once or twice, which you might assume breeds animosity — but it turns out the opposite is true. Even though they may compete against each other in other's eyes, amongst themselves, there's nothing but friendship. Larson spilled about her besties to Vanity Fair, saying "that [group of friends] saved my life. I was able to talk with them about everything that was going on in my life, and it was with people who had been through it before and are also hilarious. That support and acceptance was everything. I was home-schooled, so I didn't have friends that had the same interests as me, and I found it to be absolutely incredible." We totally love that these ladies are constantly supporting one another and bringing one another up rather than trying to push one another down. They're all talented, and very different — there's room for all of them in Hollywood, so why not just support one another?

Her First Television Role Was At Just Seven Years Old

It may seem like Brie Larson came out of nowhere, but in reality, she's been in the industry for nearly her entire life, working and trying to make a career in the competitive industry happen. In fact, she got her first television gig when she was just seven years old, in a silly parody skit on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. She spilled about the opportunity to Kidzworld, saying that "it was this Barbie commercial where I got to pour mud all over Barbie dolls and watch the heads pop of. It was so exciting, a lot of fun." Well, that's certainly an interesting first gig! However, it's definitely not uncommon. It seems like many of the celebrities who got their start in commercials have done a lot of cheesy commercials as children, teens, or even adults before eventually progressing to actual on-screen roles where they played characters and had more than a few lines. Still, you have to start somewhere, and even the experience of being on set and learning all the little quirks of what really comes along with being in front of the camera was probably super helpful when she started getting more serious roles in the years to come.

She Was A Pop Star And Toured With Jesse McCartney

Okay, we have to admit, this detail about Brie's past had us a little shook, because we completely didn't remember this period of her life. It turns out that when she was a teen, Brie actually showed off her singing skills more than her acting skills, and had a bit of a career as a pop star. She released an album in 2005 called Finally Out of P.E. (amazing), and though it didn't end up being a huge success and Brie eventually focused more on her acting, it's a pretty cool story. She even ended up having the opportunity to go on tour with '00s dreamboat Jesse McCartney. I mean, that's a pretty crazy story! And while she's not exactly recording pop albums anymore, she's definitely showed off her vocal skills in a few roles over the years, so it definitely wasn't wasted time. And, the story behind the album title is kind of hilarious — she spilled to Kidzworld, confessing that "my P.E. teacher didn't like me at all, which was hard to deal with because I was usually such a teachers' pet. So when I found out I got my record deal, I was like, 'yes, I'm finally out of P.E.'" Hilarious.

She's Engaged To A Rock Star

Brie Larson seems like a super cool chick. Not only is she insanely talented, she also just seems like she'd be fun to hang out with. So, it's no surprise that she's found a guy who absolutely worships the guy she walks on — and he's been with her far before she became the absolute superstar she is today (although she was a big deal, even then). Larson started up a relationship with Phantom Planet singer Alex Greenwald way back in 2013, and since then they've gotten engaged. We're not sure when on earth she would find time to plan a wedding, so it'll likely be a fairly long engagement, but there's nothing wrong with that! Then again, who knows — she doesn't exactly seem like the type desperate to be the centre of attention who would sell her wedding photography rights to the paparazzi, so perhaps she'll end up just eloping with Alex and having a little celebration, just the two of them. Either way, we love that she found someone who completes her — and if you follow her on Instagram, you'll see the vast majority of her adorable photos are taken by Alex while they're seeing the sights and travelling the world together.

Her First Language Wasn't English — It Was French

While it's definitely easier for certain people to make it to the top, there's no denying that Hollywood is a pretty diverse place at this point. There are A-Listers who come from all corners of the globe, and there are plenty of huge celebrities for whom English is a second language. And, though Brie is American, it turns out that English is actually her second language as well — when she was a child, her first language was actually French. She chatted about her linguistic quirks with The Film Stage, saying that "it's something that as I got older and I started learning more English, I started losing more and more of my French speaking. But it is in there and I do know some of it still." Perhaps one day she'll end up taking on a role where she'll need to brush up on her French skills and get them back up to snuff — we have a feeling that if she's as incredible as she is in English, she'd do some pretty amazing work in French as well. Who knows, if the hustle and bustle of Hollywood gets to be too much, maybe she can jet off to France for a while and relax there.

Even Though She's An Award-Winning Actress, She Loves Being Behind The Camera

You would think that, given how talented she is, Brie would want to be in front of the camera at all times, presenting the characters she works so hard on to the world. And, while she definitely seems to enjoy that, she's also a big fan of stepping behind the camera for an entirely different perspective. It's also not a recent passion — she's been doing it for quite a while, co-writing and co-directing a short film called The Arm way back in 2012, where it won the Special Jury Award for Comedic Storytelling at Sundance. Yeah — she's pretty much amazing at everything she does. Sometimes life just isn't fair! And, in her Reddit AMA back in 2013, she responded to a fan that "I can't see myself acting for much longer, at least not full time. I've started fading out of that and moving towards writing/directing." Well, we hope she never gives up acting for good, because she's just too darn good at it, but we also wouldn't mind seeing more of her perspective from the other side of the camera. Especially since she knows what looks amazing on film, we have a feeling she'll be an incredible writer and director. After all, it's just bringing characters to life in a different way.

As A Child, She Attempted To Eat Dinner In The Shower As A Time Saver

During an appearance on Conan O'Brien's show, Brie Larson shared a quirky story from her childhood that had the entire audience laughing. Apparently, Brie has always been a bit of an overachiever, and back when she was younger, she figured out that she'd start eating dinner in the shower because it would be a time saver. She soon found out, though, that it just wasn't really the best idea in the world. The food got all soggy, the entire experience was kind of awful, and she didn't end up saving any time at all because, well, you couldn't exactly shampoo your hair and cut your steak at the same time. We have to admit, though, the story is a hilarious one to share, because it just proves that Brie's personality has been the way it is since she was a kid. She's not afraid to think outside the box, and to do things on her own terms — it's one of the reasons she's ended up becoming so successful. While some actresses might be determined to follow a particular path, she seems open to trying whatever might be a good fit for her, and it's obviously worked out pretty well for her.

She's Really Into Star Wars, And Bonded With Jacob Tremblay Over It

While their performance on camera was absolutely breathtaking and completely shattered everyone who saw the film, it had to have been unusual to just step onto a film set together and start working on a project as intimate as Room. Jacob Tremblay is a mini professional who definitely has far more talent than his small frame should be able to contain, but still — he's a child, and so it kind of fell on Brie to start building a relationship so that they'd get the best possible work out of their experience. And, it turns out, she had a pretty solid opening — Star Wars. Tremblay dished about his co-star to People, saying that "she likes Star Wars, like me. So that's why we're best friends." I mean, how adorable is that? She also made a reference to her fandom during her Reddit AMA a few years back. We have to admit, we sort of love that Brie Larson is secretly a nerd — she's focused on dramas nowadays, but we'd love to see her flexing her muscles in a cult classic based on a fantasy or sci fi book. I mean, can you just imagine Brie Larson as some kind of amazing supernatural being?

She's A Film Connoisseur, And Has Been Since Childhood

Most children like, well, kid's shows and kid's movies, but it seems that Brie Larson has always been a bit of a cinematic savant with a taste for the finer offerings. She wasn't about to just turn on the kids' channel and watch whatever they came up with — she wanted the classics! In fact, according to The Guardian, some of her favourite films by the age of 8 were Fried Green Tomatoes and Gone with the Wind — not exactly your standard children's movies! She also dished about her precocious love of certain films to Buzzfeed, saying that "I'd want to hog the one TV in our house to watch [Jean-Luc Godard's] Masculin Feminin, and one time my mom just snapped at me: 'I don't want to read subtitles all day. I've worked all day, and I want to watch Top Chef, and I don't want you to judge me for it." I mean, that's pretty hilarious. It's no wonder that Brie is able to tackle such intense, meaty roles, despite her young age, if she was basically raised on some of the film industry's best. It's no wonder that she ended up becoming an actress — she's had her passion for the film industry from an early age!

She's Outspoken About What She Believes It — And Isn't Afraid To Show It (We're Looking At You, Casey Affleck)

One of the things we love most about Brie Larson has absolutely nothing to do with her talent (although she is undeniably a major force in the industry). We love that she's not afraid to speak out for what she believes in, even if just in subtle ways. Her behaviour when Casey Affleck ended up winning the Best Actor Oscar despite a lot of buzz about his inappropriate conduct just proves that perfectly. She was the one presenting the Best Actor award the year she won, and when his name was announced, she was a consummate professional — she announced his name and handed him the award with grace. However, many viewers took note of the fact that she did not clap, cheer, smile, or anything like that. She wasn't classless enough to boo, but she made it very, very clear what her stance was. And, when the media came to her afterwards to try to get her story, she simply stated that "what I did on stage speaks for itself." I mean, how amazing is that? It just goes to show that you don't always have to make a huge statement — sometimes it's the small gestures that truly make an impact.

She Loves To Design Fonts

It seems like Brie Larson is creative in all different aspects of her life, including her hobbies! She chatted with The Guardian about a particular hobby of hers — designing fonts. As Larson says, "I made three or four different fonts during Short Term 12 — it was how I'd calm my mind between scenes. I have graph paper and gel pens, and I would do the alphabet: just do 'a' over and over again until I got it perfect, and then go to 'b' and then 'c'; I definitely look like a weirdo with scraps of paper everywhere and the alphabet over and over again. But I can't read a book and then jump into this character, so it ends up being the perfect thing for me: it's creative, it keeps my mind active, and you get something at the end." We'd love nothing more than to take calligraphy or font lessons with Brie Larson — we'd love to get an inside peek at the creations she concocted during those moments between scenes. Knowing how insanely talented she is, they're probably amazing — perhaps if she decides to take a step back from acting, she can become a font designer. Stranger things have happened.

References: vogue.com, entitymag.com, imdb.com