Tessa Thompson

Tessa Thompson

Born 1983-10-03 (age 42) Los Angeles, California, USA
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Biography

Tessa Lynne Thompson (born October 3, 1983) is an American actress. Known for her roles in both blockbusters and independent dramas, her accolades include nominations for two BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Thompson began her professional acting career with the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company while studying at Santa Monica College, acting in productions of The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet. She made her film debut in the horror film When a Stranger Calls (2006), followed by leading roles in the independent drama Mississippi Damned (2009) and Tyler Perry's For Colored Girls (2010). Thompson received favourable notices for roles in the comedy-drama Dear White People (2014) and as civil rights activist Diane Nash in Ava DuVernay's historical drama Selma (2014). 

She gained mainstream attention for her roles in franchise films, playing Bianca Taylor in the sports dramas Creed (2015), Creed II (2018) and Creed III (2023), and as Valkyrie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the movies Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), as well as her leading role in Men in Black: International (2019). She starred in the independent films Sorry to Bother You (2018), Little Woods (2018), and Annihilation (2018). For her role as a black woman living during the Harlem Renaissance in Passing (2021), she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She portrayed the title role in Hedda (2025), which she also executive produced.

On stage, she acted in the off-Broadway production of the Lydia R. Diamond play Smart People (2016). On television, she took recurring roles in shows such as the teen mystery series Veronica Mars (2005–2006), the historical drama series Copper (2012–2013), and the science fiction series Westworld (2016–2022). She starred in the romantic drama film Sylvie's Love (2020) on Amazon Prime Video. Also, she served as an executive producer, for which she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie.

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Known For

Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame

2019

as Valkyrie

Thor: Ragnarok
Thor: Ragnarok

2017

as Valkyrie

Thor: Love and Thunder
Thor: Love and Thunder

2022

as King Valkyrie

Creed III
Creed III

2023

as Bianca Creed

Creed II
Creed II

2018

as Bianca

Creed
Creed

2015

as Bianca

Annihilation
Annihilation

2018

as Josie Radek

The Marvels
The Marvels

2023

as Valkyrie

Men in Black: International
Sorry to Bother You
Sorry to Bother You

2018

as Detroit

Lady and the Tramp
Lady and the Tramp

2019

as Lady (voice)

Hedda
Hedda

2025

as Hedda Gabler

Foxfinder
Selma
Selma

2014

as Diane Nash

When a Stranger Calls
When a Stranger Calls

2006

as Scarlet

The Human Contract
The Human Contract

2008

as Waitress

Between Two Ferns: The Movie
Between Two Ferns: The Movie

2019

as Tessa Thompson

Passing
Passing

2021

as Irene Redfield

The Listener
The Listener

2024

as Beth

War on Everyone
War on Everyone

2016

as Jackie Hollis