Tessa Thompson

Tessa Lynn Thompson, born October 3, 1983, in Los Angeles, California, to a musician father of Panamanian and African American descent and a mother of European descent, is an American actress of striking intelligence, natural command, and structural versatility who has built one of the most interesting and varied careers among performers of her generation, moving from acclaimed independent drama to major franchise blockbusters to prestige television and back again with a fluidity and self-possession that speaks to an unusually clear artistic vision. She grew up in Los Angeles and attended Santa Monica College before beginning her theatrical career with the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company and the Classical Theatre Lab, developing a rigorous technical foundation in classical performance that enriches her naturalistic screen work. Her film debut came with When a Stranger Calls (2006), and she built her reputation through For Colored Girls (2010), Dear White People (2014), the acclaimed independent Dear White People television series (2017-2021), Selma (2014), Creed (2015) and Creed II (2018) alongside Michael B. Jordan as the boxing trainer Bianca Taylor, a performance of warmth, intellect, and emotional authority that became one of the franchise's most beloved elements. Her career took a major commercial turn when she was cast as the Asgardian warrior Valkyrie in Marvel's Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Love and Thunder (2022), and the Avengers films, a role making her the first LGBTQ+ character in the MCU. She also delivered acclaimed work in Annihilation (2018), Men in Black: International (2019), Passing (2021, which she also produced, Rebecca Hall's extraordinary adaptation of the Nella Larsen novel exploring racial passing in the 1920s), and Creed III (2023). She has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and for the increased representation of multiracial narratives in American cinema.