Anja Sommavilla grew up bilingually in Munich as the daughter of Italian parents, where she also attended Gymnasium. Beginning in 1996, she appeared in various television productions, including traffic safety videos with Michael Schanze (1996), *Auweia* (1998), *Kein Geld der Welt* (a dance performance, 1998), and *Unser Wasser* (an educational film for schools, 1999). She rose to fame in 2001 for her role as Pony Hütchen in the film *Emil und die Detektive*. Alongside her acting career, she competed in hip-hop competitions; in 1995, she became the German champion in the group category, and in 2000, she took second place at the German Hip-Hop Championships. She is no longer active as an actress. From 2008 to 2011, she studied psychology at the University of Vienna, and from 2011 to 2013 at the University of Amsterdam.