Tessa Thompson
Biography
Tessa Lynne Thompson is an American actress born on October 3, 1983, in Los Angeles, California. Known for her roles in blockbusters and independent dramas, her accolades include nominations for two BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. She began her professional acting career with the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company while studying at Santa Monica College, appearing in productions of The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet. Her film debut was in the 2006 horror film When a Stranger Calls. This was followed by leading roles in the independent drama Mississippi Damned in 2009 and Tyler Perry's For Colored Girls in 2010. She also received favourable notices for roles in the comedy-drama Dear.
Career overview
Tessa Lynne Thompson was born on October 3, 1983, in Los Angeles, California. 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. She has eighty-six known acting credits on the Movie Database.
Thompson began her professional acting career with the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company while studying at Santa Monica College, where she acted in productions of The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet. She made her film debut in the horror film When a Stranger Calls in 2006. This was followed by leading roles in the independent drama Mississippi Damned in 2009 and Tyler Perry's For Colored Girls in 2010. Thompson also received favourable notices for roles in the comedy-drama Dear.
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Career timeline
Full filmography
- Is God Is (2026) Producer
- HIS & HERS (2026) as Anna Andrews
- HIS & HERS (2026) Executive Producer
- Number One on the Call Sheet (2025) as Self
- Marvel Zombies (2025) as Valkyrie (voice)
- Hedda (2025) as Hedda Gabler
- Hedda (2025) Producer
- Seeds (2025) Executive Producer
- The Listener (2024) as Beth
- The Listener (2024) Producer
- The Marvels (2023) as Valkyrie
- Creed III (2023) as Bianca Creed
- Sherri (2022) as Self - Guest
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) as King Valkyrie
- Civilization Express - The Great Feast of Movies (2022) as Self
- Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) as Self - King Valkyrie
- Soul of a Nation Presents: Screen Queens Rising (2022) as Self
- Logic Paralyzes the Heart (2022)
- What If...? (2021) as Valkyrie (voice)
- Marvel Studios Legends (2021) as Valkyrie (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Passing (2021) as Irene Redfield
- Sylvie's Love (2020) as Sylvie
- Sylvie's Love (2020) Executive Producer
- Avengers: Endgame (2019) as Valkyrie
- Men in Black: International (2019) as Agent M
- Lady and the Tramp (2019) as Lady (voice)
- Between Two Ferns: The Movie (2019) as Tessa Thompson
- Little Woods (2019) as Oleander 'Ollie' Hale
- Little Woods (2019) Executive Producer
- Brave Girl Rising (2019) as Nasro (voice)
- Shadow Stalker (2019) as Tessa Thompson
- Creed II (2018) as Bianca
- Annihilation (2018) as Josie Radek
- Sorry to Bother You (2018) as Detroit
- Furlough (2018) as Nicole Stevens
- Dirty Computer (2018) as Zen
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017) as Valkyrie
- Dear White People (2017) as Rikki Carter
- Moonlight (2017) as Monica
- 100 Years (2017) as Narrator (voice)
- South Dakota (2017) as Chris
- Westworld (2016) as Charlotte Hale
- War on Everyone (2016) as Jackie Hollis
- Salt Water (2016) as Brit
- The Late Late Show with James Corden (2015) as Self - Guest
- The Late Late Show with James Corden (2015) as Self
- Hot Ones (2015) as Self
- Creed (2015) as Bianca
- From Rocky to Creed: The Legacy Continues (2015) as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014) as Self
- Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014) as Self - Guest
- BoJack Horseman (2014) as Taneisha (voice)
- Variety Studio: Actors on Actors (2014) as Self
- Selma (2014) as Diane Nash
- Dear White People (2014) as Samantha White
- Grantham & Rose (2014) as Wallis
- Points of Origin (2014) as Rosemary
- Automotive (2013) as Maggie
- RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (2012) as Self - Guest Judge
- Murder on the 13th Floor (2012) as Nia Palmer
- Portlandia (2011) as Bailey
- Everyday Black Man (2011) as Claire
- Rizzoli & Isles (2010) as Anna Farrell
- For Colored Girls (2010) as Nyla / Purple
- Betwixt (2010) as Jenny
- Exquisite Corpse (2010) as Liz
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (2009) as Self - Guest
- Three Rivers (2009)
- Mental (2009)
- Mississippi Damned (2009) as Kari Peterson
- The Human Contract (2008) as Waitress
- Make It Happen (2008) as Dana
- The Graham Norton Show (2007) as Self
- Private Practice (2007) as Zoe Salter
- Life (2007) as Liza
- Hidden Palms (2007) as Nikki Barnes
- Heroes (2006) as Rebecca Taylor
- When a Stranger Calls (2006) as Scarlet
- The Initiation of Sarah (2006) as Esme
- Grey's Anatomy (2005) as Camille Travis
- The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2005) as Self
- Veronica Mars (2004) as Jackie Cook
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003) as Self - Guest
- Cold Case (2003) as Wilhemina 'Billie' Doucette
- The View (1997) as Self
- The Daily Show (1996) as Self
- MTV Movie & TV Awards (1992) as Self - Presenter
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark (1988) as Self - Guest
- Foxfinder as Sam
- Creed IV as Bianca Taylor
- A Separation
- A Separation Producer
- Later the War as Kiki