Annasophia Robb, who takes on the central role of India Opal Buloni in Because of Winn-Dixie, decided to become an actress when she was three years old. But it took her all the way until age nine to launch her career. She took an acting class for young children and was spotted and signed by a Hollywood agent who saw her in her hometown of in Denver, Colorado in 2002. On her very first professional audition, she won a spot on a national radio commercial. While this marks her professional acting debut, she appeared in a short film titled Daddy's Day by a Denver filmmaker. In May of 2003 she was seen in a national television commercial for McDonald's and Bratz Dolls. The only child of an architect and an interior designer, she turned 10 in December of 2003 and was in the fourth grade while making Because of Winn-Dixie. Annasophia went on to co-star in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.