Biography

Tessa Lynn Thompson (born October 3, 1983) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. Her breakout role was in Tina Mabry's 2009 indie film Mississippi Damned. She gained further recognition for her starring roles as Nyla Adrose in the drama film For Colored Girls (2010), civil rights activist Diane Nash in the historical drama film Selma (2014), Bianca Taylor in the sports drama film Creed (2015) and its sequel Creed II (2018), Valkyrie in the superhero film Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Josie Radek in the science-fiction horror film Annihilation (2018), and Detroit in the science-fiction comedy Sorry to Bother You (2018). On television, Thompson has starred as Jackie Cook in the mystery drama Veronica Mars (2005–2006), Sara Freeman in the period crime drama Copper (2012–2013), and Charlotte Hale in the HBO science-fiction thriller Westworld (2016–present).