Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 1983-10-03
- Born Place: Los Angeles, California, USA
Also Known As:
Tessa Lynne Thompson, Τέσσα Τόμπσον, 蒂莎·湯普森
Tessa Thompson
Tessa Thompson is an American actress and musician, born on October 3, 1983, in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of Panamanian-American musician Marc Anthony Thompson and visual artist Maciallah Thompson, and the granddaughter of Mexican-American actor-musician Bobby Ramos. Raised between Los Angeles and Brooklyn, New York, Thompson attended Santa Monica High School, where she participated in theatre, notably in a production of Shakespeare’s comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She later earned a bachelor's degree in cultural anthropology from Santa Monica College. Thompson began her acting career with the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company, performing in productions such as The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet: Antebellum New Orleans, 1836, which earned her an NAACP Theatre Award nomination. Her television debut came in 2005 with a role in the crime drama Cold Case, followed by a significant role in the second season of Veronica Mars as Jackie Cook. In 2006, she made her feature film debut in the horror remake When a Stranger Calls. Thompson gained wider recognition with her roles in For Colored Girls (2010) and Selma (2014), portraying civil rights activist Diane Nash. She further established herself in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). Other notable film roles include Creed (2015), Creed II (2018), Sorry to Bother You (2018), Annihilation (2018), Men in Black: International (2019), and Passing (2021), for which she received a BAFTA nomination. In television, Thompson starred as Charlotte Hale in HBO's Westworld (2016–2022) and as Sara Freeman in Copper (2012–2013). She also appeared in the Netflix series Dear White People (2017). Beyond acting, Thompson is a singer-songwriter. She was the lead vocalist for the indie electro-soul band Caught a Ghost and has contributed to the soundtracks of Creed and Creed II. In 2024, she made her directorial debut with the music video for "Raat Ki Rani" by Arooj Aftab. Thompson is openly bisexual and has been an advocate for LGBTQ+ representation in media. She has discussed the importance of telling one's story without waiting for permission and has honored the courage of queer individuals, particularly people of color, who live authentically despite societal challenges. In 2025, Thompson stars as Hedda Gabler in a reimagining of Henrik Ibsen's play, directed by Nia DaCosta. The film also features Imogen Poots and Nina Hoss and is set to be released by Amazon MGM Studios.
