Tessa Thompson

Tessa Thompson is a Golden-Globe nominated actress known for her work in the Creed and Thor franchises as well as critically acclaimed television and film roles. Thompson was born in Los Angeles and spent parts of her childhood in Brooklyn before returning to California. She went on to attend Santa Monica College, where she studied cultural anthropology before pursuing acting full time.

Thompson got her start in theater, appearing in performances at the Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company. Her early on screen roles included appearances on shows such as Cold Case and Veronica Mars. Thompson’s breakthrough came in 2014 with her starring role in the indie drama Dear White People, which brought her widespread recognition. She followed that success by joining the Creed franchise in 2015 as Bianca Taylor opposite Michael B. Jordan, a role she reprised in its 2018 and 2023 sequels.

Thompson later expanded her profile, playing Valkyrie in Marvel films like Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), playing Valkyrie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She also joined the cast of HBO’s Westworld as Charlotte Hale from 2016 to 2022.

Thompson has publicly spoken about her sexuality and identifies as queer. She was previously romantically linked to actress Janelle Monáe before moving on with Brandon Green in 2024.