
Age: 42
female
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. Description above from the Wikipedia article Tessa Thompson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Tessa Thompson

Audra Carnegie
for Audra Carnegie in Love and Other Disasters
Suggested by meredithh

Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, Dahlia Woodson is ready to reinvent herself on the popular reality competition show Chef’s Special. Too bad the first memorable move she makes is falling flat on her face, sending fish tacos flying—not quite the fresh start she was hoping for. Still, she's focused on winning, until she meets someone she might want a future with more than she needs the prize money. After announcing their pronouns on national television, London Parker has enough on their mind without worrying about the klutzy competitor stationed in front of them. They’re there to prove the trolls—including a fellow contestant and their dad—wrong, and falling in love was never part of the plan. As London and Dahlia get closer, reality starts to fall away. Goodbye, guilt about divorce, anxiety about uncertain futures, and stress from transphobia. Hello, hilarious shenanigans on set, wedding crashing, and spontaneous dips into the Pacific. But as the finale draws near, Dahlia and London’s steamy relationship starts to feel the heat both in and outside the kitchen—and they must figure out if they have the right ingredients for a happily ever after.

