Actress

Nina Toussaint-White is an English actress. Toussaint-White was raised in Plumstead, south east London, Toussaint-White was educated at Plumstead Manor School and Negus Sixth Form Centre, and subsequently trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, Clapham, on their three-year B.A. acting course. She made her professional debut in a 2007 episode of Casualty, followed by an appearance in The Bill, a year later.

Sophie Okonedo is a British actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Tatiana Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda (2004).

Okonedo was born within London in 1968. Her parents were Henry Okonedo (1939-2009) and Joan Allman. Her father was British Nigerian employed as a government worker. Her mother was a British Jew employed as a Pilates teacher. Sophie's maternal grandparents were Yiddish-speaking emigrants to the United Kingdom, one from Poland and the other from Russia.

Henry Okonedo abandoned his family around 1973, when Sophie was 5. Joan raised her daughter as a single mother in the Chalkhill Estate, a large council estate within the Wembley Park district of the London Borough of Brent. The Chalkhill Estate consisted of "about 1900 houses and flats" and was located at a short distance from the Wembley Stadium. The Chalkhill Estate was often vandalized by football hooligans during during the 1970s and suffered from high crime rates from the 1970s to the 1990s. The Estate's buildings were eventually demolished in 2000.

Sophie was raised as a practicing Jew, and always had access to books despite her family's relative poverty. She chose to follow acting as a profession, and was trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, one of the oldest and most prestigious drama schools in the United Kingdom.

Okonedo made her film debut at 23, in the coming-of-age film "Young Soul Rebels" (1991). The film was a historical fiction work, examining the youth culture of London in the late 1970s, and the interactions between different culture movements: the skinheads, the punks, and the soul-boys. Sophie Okonedo played Tracy, the girlfriend of the main character Chris (Valentine Nonyela).

In 1995, Okonedo gained the role of Moira Levitt in the first season of the prison drama "The Governor" (1995-1996). The series primarily concerned the lives of a prison's staff members. Also in 1995, Okonedo played the role of the Wachati Princess, Ace Ventura's love interest in the comedy film "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls". In the film, the virgin princess of an African tribe has been engaged to a heir from another tribe, but disagrees with the arranged marriage and attempts to seduce pet detective Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey) instead. Ace has recently become a Buddhist monk and has taken an oath of celibacy, but feels tempted by the offer.

From 1996 to 1997, Okonedo played the main role of Kelly Booth in the medical drama series "Staying Alive". In 2000, Okonedo played a main role in the legal drama mini-series "In Defence". While originally planned to be a multi-season television series, the series was cut short due to poor ratings.

In 2000, Okonedo co-stared in the dramatic television film "Never Never". She was nominated for a "Royal Television Society Award for Best Actor - Female", for her role in the film. In 2002, Okonedo played the role of the prostitute Juliette in the social thriller film "Dirty Pretty Things", which depicted the lives of impoverished immigrants in London.

In 2003, Okonedo voiced the role of Alison Cheney in the flash-animated series "Scream of the Shalka", a spin-off of "Doctor Who". In the series, Alison is a barmaid at a Lancashire village who becomes the newest time-traveling companion of the Doctor (played by Richard E. Grant). Alison also befriends the Master (played by Derek Jacobi), an arch-enemy-turned-assistant of the Doctor who is permanently trapped within the time machine known as the Tardis.

In 2004, 36-year-old Okonedo had her breakthrough role as the co-star of the historical drama film "Hotel Rwanda", depicting the Rwandan genocide (1994). Okonedo played the historical figure Tatiana Rusesabagina (1958-), a professional nurse from the Tutsi ethnic group who helped over a 1000 individuals to escape the massacre. Okonedo won a Black Reel Award for Best Actress for her role. She was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, but the Award for that year was won by rival actress Cate Blanchett (1969-).

In 2005, Okonedo had the role of Sithandra in the science fiction film "Æon Flux". The film was set in the 25th century, within the fictional city-state of Bregna. The characters Æon Flux (played by Charlize Theron) and Sithandra are female assassins, tasked with assassinating Trevor Goodchild, the local head-of-state. But in the process, Æon finds out that the city-state's main rebel-organization is actually a tool for a coup d'état orchestrated by other politicians. And also discovers some dark secrets about the city's past. The film gained a worldwide box office total of 52 million dollars, smaller than its actual budget,

In 2006, Okonedo played the intelligence agent "Mrs. Jones" in the spy film "Stormbreaker", an adaptation of the "Alex Rider" novel series by Anthony Horowitz (1955-). In the film, Mrs. Jones (full name "Tulip Jones" in the novels) is an an agent of the Special Operations Division of MI6, and the de facto second-in-command of MI6. When subordinate agent Ian Rider gets assassinated by enemy agents, Mrs. Jones recruits Ian's nephew and surrogate son Alex Rider as a replacement agent. Blackmailing the boy by threatening to deport his housekeeper and primary caretaker Jack Starbright (played by Alicia Silverstone) if he refuses to serve the agency. The film gained about 24 million dollars at the international box office, receiving only a limited release in the United States.

Also in 2006, Okonedo played the role of Anna in the British comedy-drama film "Scenes of a Sexual Nature", an anthology film depicting seven loosely connected stories, all set in the nature reserve of Hampstead Heath within Greater London. Anna was depicted as a woman suffering from extreme mood swings, which convince her boyfriend to leave her alone in the nature reserve. The depressed Anna is approached by the weirdly-acting stranger Noel (played by Tom Hardy) who attempts to cheer her up and befriend her. Anna is at turns amused and annoyed by Noel, attempts to have sex with him, and then abruptly abandons him due to another sudden change in her mood. The film opened in niche cinemas.

Also in 2006, Okonedo played the role of Susie Carter in the mini-series "Tsunami: The Aftermath", which depicted the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. In the film, Susie is a young mother who is searching for her daughter Martha Carter (Jazmyn Maraso). Martha was swept away by the tsunami, and her whereabouts are unknown for most of the series. Okonedo won an "NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special" for this role, and was nominated for a Golden Globe.

Okonedo's next films were the comedy-drama "Martian Child" (2007), the drama film "The Secret Life of Bees" (2008), and the biographical film "Skin" (2008). The last two films allowed Okonedo to be nominated for several Black Reel Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Satellite Awards, and British Independent Film Award. Despite the critical acclaim for her acting roles, Okonedo never actually won these awards.

In 2010, 42-year-old Okonedo was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire, a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences. The Order was established in 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom (reigned 1910-1936) and counts among its members several actors.

In 2010, Okonedo returned to the Doctor Who franchise, playing another character in the most recent "Doctor Who" television series. She was cast as Elizabeth X (nicknaned "Liz Ten"), a Queen regnant of the United Kingdom in the 29th century. In the series, Elizabeth is immortal, but has limited access to her own memories due to a series of mind-wipes. She was depicted as still alive and reigning in an episode set in the 52nd century, at which point she was over 2300 years old.

Okonedo was limited to television roles for much of the early 2010s, but returned to theatrical films with the post-apocalyptic science fiction film "After Earth" (2013). The film is set in the 31st century, when the planet Earth has long been abandoned by humanity. Most humans live in the colony world Nova Prime, which is protected from alien threats by the Ranger Corps. Okonedo was cast in the role of Faia Raige, wife of the General Cypher Raige (Will Smith), the commanding officer of the Rangers. Early in the film, Faia convinces Cypher to take their son Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) with him in mission, as a bonding experience. Young Kitai's application to become a Ranger has already being rejected due to reckless behavior, Kitai suffers from survivor's guilt for playing a part in his sister's death, and his father sees him as a failure. Faia's request for a bonding experience results in father and son being left stranded on planet Earth, the only two humans alive on the planet. The film was poorly received by critics, but earned about 244 million dollars at the worldwide box office. Becoming the commercially most successful film in Okonedo's entire career at this point.

Okonedo's next film was the political drama "War Book" (2014). The film depicts British civil servants who participate in a war-game, concerning government reactions in a potential nuclear war. In 2016, Okonedo had a major role in the mini-series "The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses", depicting the historical Wars of the Roses (1455-1487), a series of English civil wars involving rival branches of the royal family. Okonedo was cast in the role of Queen consort Margaret of Anjou (1430-1482, terms as Queen 1445-1461, 1470-1471). The historical Margaret was the wife and consort of Henry VI of England (1421-1471, reigned 1422-1461, 1470-1471), the mother of Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales (1453-1471), and the mother-in-law of Anne Neville (1456-1485). Due to Henry's health problems and Edward's underage status, Margaret served as the de facto head of the House of Lancaster and the Lancastrian military faction in early phases of the war. The defeat of her army at the Battle of Tewkesbury (1471) caused the deaths of both her husband and her son, and allowed the rival House of York to dominate the English throne until 1485.

In 2018, Okonedo returned to voice acting. She voiced Kanga the kangaroo of the Hundred Acre Wood in the fantasy film "Christopher Robin", a sequel to the Winnie-the-Pooh novels of Alan Alexander Milne (1882-1956). The film depicts an adult Christopher Robin as a World War II veteran and aging businessman. He thinks that his childhood friends from the Hundred Acre Wood were imaginary, until said friends come searching for him. He has aged, but they have not. The film earned about 198 million dollars at the worldwide box office, becoming the highest-grossing film in Disney's Winnie the Pooh franchise.

In 2019, Okonedo played the seer Lady Hatton in the superhero film "Hellboy", the first superhero film of her career. The film earned about 40 million dollars at the worldwide box office, lower than its own budget. The film was criticized for its excessive gore, including an opening scene where King Arthur mutilates the corpse of his enemy Nimue.

Also in 2019, Okonedo was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2010, and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2019., for her services in drama. She is living with her only daughter Aoife Okonedo Martin in Muswell Hill, a suburban district of north London. Aoife is employed as a Personal Trainer. At 51, Okonedo continues to work regularly in her chosen field.

Pearl Mackie was born on 29 May 1987 in Brixton, London, England, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for Doctor Who (2005), The Diplomat (2023) and Horizon Line (2020). She has been married to Kam Chhokar since 4 May 2024.

Jodie Whittaker came to prominence after her breakout performance in Venus (2006), which was met with a string of nominations, including British Independent Film Award and Satellite Award nominations for "Most Promising Newcomer" and "Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical." Whittaker has also received critical acclaim for her performances in Journeyman (2017), Adult Life Skills (2016), and Broadchurch (2013), and also starred in Wired (2008), Attack the Block (2011), Good Vibrations (2012), and Trust Me (2017).

In 2017 she made history as the thirteenth actor and first woman to play the Doctor in Doctor Who (2005). She made her onscreen debut as the Doctor on December 25, 2017, in the episode titled Twice Upon a Time (2017). Her casting was met with overwhelming acclaim and positivity, and in 2020 she was voted the second greatest Doctor in the programme's 57-year history, only losing narrowly to David Tennant.

Eve Myles was born on 26 July 1978 in Ystradgynlais, Wales, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for Torchwood (2006), Dragon Age II (2011) and Keeping Faith (2017). She has been married to Bradley Freegard since 18 May 2013. They have two children.

Elisabeth Sladen was born in Liverpool, England. She attended drama school for two years before joining the local repertory theatre in her home town of Liverpool. She met actor Brian Miller during her first production there and they were later married after meeting again in Manchester, three years later. Early television work included appearances on Coronation Street (1960), Doomwatch (1970), Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973), Public Eye (1965) and Z Cars (1962). Between 1974 and 1976, she had a regular role on Doctor Who (1963) as Sarah Jane Smith, a part she has since reprised in K-9 and Company (1981); The Five Doctors (1983); the Doctor Who radio serials The Paradise of Death (1993) & Doctor Who and the Ghosts of N-Space" (1996); the Children In Need skit Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time (1993); the spin-off video drama Downtime (1995) and, most recently, in the new Doctor Who (2005) series.

Other work on television has included "Stepping Stones" (1977), Send in the Girls (1978), Take My Wife... (1979), Gulliver in Lilliput (1982), Alice in Wonderland (1986) and Dempsey and Makepeace (1985). In 1980, Sladen appeared in the cinema film Silver Dream Racer (1980). Since the birth of her daughter Sadie in 1985, she has spent most of her time being a mother and housewife, but has made occasional television appearances, including in The Bill (1984) and Peak Practice (1993).

Fan reaction of her reappearance as Sarah Jane Smith on Doctor Who (2005) resulted in the production of a second Doctor Who spin-off just for her, The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007).

Margaret Constance "Maisie" Williams (born April 15, 1997) is an English actress. She made her professional acting debut as Arya Stark in the HBO fantasy television series Game of Thrones, for which she won the EWwy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama, the Portal Award for Best Supporting Actress - Television and Best Young Actor, and the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.

Williams has also had a recurring role in Doctor Who as Ashildr in 2015. In addition to television, she made her feature film debut in the mystery The Falling, for which she won the London Film Critics' Circle Award for Young Performer of the Year.

Williams was born in Bristol, UK. She has always been known as "Maisie" after the character from the comic strip The Perishers. Williams is the youngest of four children; her three older siblings are James, Beth and Ted. Born to Hilary Pitt (now Frances), a former university course administrator, she grew up in Clutton, Somerset. She attended Clutton Primary School and Norton Hill School in Midsomer Norton, before moving to Bath Dance College to study Performing Arts.

Since 2011, Williams has played Arya Stark, a tomboyish young girl from a noble family, in the HBO fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones. Arya was Williams' first role in any professional capacity. She has received critical acclaim for her performance in the series. Williams continued to garner praise for her performance in the show's second season, and HBO submitted her for consideration in the Outstanding Supporting Actress category for the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards, although she did not receive a nomination. She won the 2012 Portal Award for Best Supporting Actress - Television, and the Portal Award for Best Young Actor. At 15 years of age, Williams was the youngest actress ever to win in the Best Supporting Actress category. In March 2013, she was nominated for a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series - Supporting Young Actress and, in November 2013, won the BBC Radio 1 Teen Award for Best British Actor. To date, she has appeared in all seven broadcast seasons.

In 2012, Williams played Loren Caleigh in the BBC series The Secret of Crickley Hall and appeared in a Funny or Die skit titled The Olympic Ticket Scalper. She also appeared in the independent films Heatstroke (2012) and Gold (2013), and the short films Corvidae (2013) and Up On The Roof (2013).

Williams also signed on to play Lorna Thompson in the Sci-Fi film We Are Monsters, which was set for a 2014 release.

In 2014, Williams portrayed Lydia in the British film The Falling, which premiered on October 11, 2014, and was released on April 24, 2015 in the UK. In December, Williams was in talks with Naughty Dog to star as Ellie in the film adaptation of the video game The Last of Us.

In January 2015, Williams appeared in one-off Channel 4 doc-drama Cyberbully, and in February she received European recognition with a Shooting Stars Award at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival.

In February 2015, Williams played the leading role in the video-clip of Oceans by the British band Seafret. The theme of this clip is also bullying.

On March 30, 2015, the BBC announced that Williams would guest star in two episodes of Doctor Who ("The Girl Who Died" and "The Woman Who Lived"). Williams later returned to the series in the first and third episodes of the three-part series finale, entitled "Face the Raven" and "Hell Bent" respectively.

Mandip Gill studied BA Hons Acting at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston, Lancashire. Whilst there, she met with different directors and practitioners. She later graduated and became a regular on the program Hollyoaks, set in Chester, UK.

Michelle Gomez is a Scottish actress. She gained recognition for her roles in the comedy series The Book Group (2002-2003), Green Wing (2004-2007), and Bad Education (2012-2013). She went on to appear as Missy in the long-running British science fiction series Doctor Who (2014-2017), for which she was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Camille Coduri was born on 18 April 1965 in Wandsworth, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for 4.3.2.1. (2010), A Prayer for the Dying (1987) and King Ralph (1991). She has been married to Christopher Fulford since April 1992. They have two children.

Alex Kingston was born on 11 March 1963 in London, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for ER (1994), Doctor Who (2005) and Alpha Dog (2006). She has been married to Jonathan Stamp since 18 July 2015. She was previously married to Florian Haertel and Ralph Fiennes.

Catherine Tate is an English actress and comedian, primarily known for the role of Donna Noble in the "Doctor Who" franchise.

Tate was born as "Catherine Ford" during 1969, in Bloomsbury. Bloomsbury is a district of the London Borough of Camden, known as the home of several of London's museums, colleges, and universities. Tate's mother Josephine was a florist and raised her daughter as a single mother. Tate was reportedly brought up in a "female-dominated environment", as her grandmother and her godparents helped in her upbringing.

Tate attended St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School in Holborn, which was also within the London Borough of Camden. She then attended the Notre Dame High School of Southwark, an all-girls' Roman Catholic comprehensive school. The high school is owned and operated by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a Roman Catholic institute of religious sisters.

In 1984, the 16-year-old Tate enrolled in the Salesian College of Battersea, a Roman Catholic, Voluntary Aided school for boys. She was one of the College's rare female students, because she was interested in the drama lessons it offered and its theatrical facilities. Afterwards, she applied four times to become a student of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, whose alumni included famed actors such Laurence Olivier and Peggy Ashcroft. Tate's application became accepted at her fourth attempt.

In the 1990s, Tate started her television career with small roles in the police procedural "The Bill" (1984-2010) and the fire-brigade themed drama "London's Burning" (1988-2002). In 1996, Tate started performing stand-up comedy. In 1998, she was one of the main performers and writers in the late night sketch comedy show "Barking". The show lasted for 1 series, consisting for 6 episodes.

In 2000 and 2001, Tate performed at theatrical shows staged during the annual Edinburgh International Film Festival. The increased attention helped her gain a co-starring role in the sitcom "Wild West" (2002-2004). She played the role of Angela Phillips, a bored bisexual woman living in a small town of Cornwall, the westernmost and southernmost county of England. Angela is involved in an unsatisfying lesbian relationship with Mary Trewednack (played by Dawn French), but they are both seeking other lovers. Having decided that they will stay together until something better comes along. The series lasted for 2 seasons, and a total of 12 episodes.

In 2004, Tate was granted her own television series by BBC Two, called "The Catherine Tate Show" (2004-2007). It was a sketch comedy show, where Tate got to showcase some of the characters she had developed in her comedy routines. Among the most notable of them were the foul-mouthed grandmother Joannie "Nan" Taylor, and the argumentative teenager Lauren Cooper. The initial series lasted for 3 seasons. Tate has occasionally revived the characters in the number of television specials, broadcast from 2009 to 2015. The show allowed Tate to win 2 British Comedy Award, a Royal Television Society Award, and a National Television Award.

Tate's newfound popularity in the United Kingdom helped her receive more theatrical roles, and to make frequent guest appearances in other television shows. In 2006, Tate played the character Donna Noble in the "Doctor Who" Christmas special "The Runaway Bride". In the special, Donna is a secretary for a Torchwood Institute subsidiary company, who is about to get married to fiance. But she is actually a pawn in a larger conspiracy, and her fiance has is one of the conspirators. Donna serves as the Tenth Doctor's companion for this episode. He offers her a more permanent position at the TARDIS time machine, but she declines.

In 2007, Tate played the role of frustrated mother Karen in the television film "The Bad Mother's Handbook", an adaptation of a novel by Kate Lomh (1964-). The film depicts Karen's relationships with her Altzheimer-suffering mother Nan (played by Anne Reid), and her intelligent but temperamental daughter Charlotte (played by Holly Grainger).

In 2008, Tate returned to the character of Donna Noble in the "Doctor Who" television series. She was a main character during Series 4 of the television show, but has her memory erased at the series finale "Journey's End". Tate played an amnesiac Donna in the two-part episode "The End of Time" (December, 2009-January, 2010). Unlike other then-recent female companions of the Doctor, Donna was depicted as his best friend and not as his love interest. Tate was praised for performing well in both the comedic and tragic scenes involving the character. In a number of published polls, Donna was praised by show fans as the second-best companion in the television show's history.

From 2011 to 2013, Tate appeared in the American sitcom "The Office" (2005-2013), playing the regular character Eleanour Donna "Nellie" Bertram. Nellie was depicted as a working-class British woman from the Borough of Basildon, Essex, who somehow got promoted to the position of President of Sabre's special projects. The character often commented at her impoverished background and lack of formal education, and it was implied that she was promoted due to favoritism.

Freom 2013 to 2014, Tate appeared in the British sitcom "Big School" (2013-2014), playing the teacher Sarah Postern. The sitcom depicts comedic interactions between the teachers of Greybridge Secondary School, a typical British secondary school. Sarah is portrayed as an attractive French-language teacher, who is romantically pursued by the nerdy chemistry teacher Keith Church (played by David Walliams) and the stereotypical "jerk jock" sports teacher Trevor Gunn (played by Philip Glenister). The show lasted for 2 seasons, and a total of 12 episodes. While considered a ratings hit for the channel BBC One, it was criticized for its humor being overly traditional and inoffensive.

In 2017, Tate started doing voice work for the American animated television series "DuckTales" (2017-). She was cast in the role of Italian sorceress Magica De Spell, one of the main enemies of series protagonist Scrooge McDuck (played vy David Tennant). Tate served as the replacement for Magica's previous voice actress June Foray (1917-2017), who had died prior to the series' production.

By 2019, Tate was 51 years old, but she continued to remain popular in her native United Kingdom, and to make frequent appearances in American productions. She currently lives in the suburban town of Richmond, within Greater London. She lives with her 16-year-old daughter Erin, the result of a previous relationship. Tate has never married and remains a single mother.

Freema Agyeman is a British actress who is known for playing Martha Jones in the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who (2007-2010), Alesha Phillips in crime procedural drama Law & Order: UK (2009-2011), Amanita Caplan in the Netflix science fiction drama Sense8 (2015-2018), and Dr. Helen Sharpe in the NBC medical procedural series New Amsterdam (2018-2022).

British actress Naomie Harris was born in London, England, the only child of television scriptwriter Lisselle Kayla. Her father is from Trinidad and her mother is from Jamaica. They separated before she was born, and Harris was raised by her mother and has no relationship with her father. She showed an interest in acting from an early age and attended the prestigious Anna Scher Theatre School. From here, Harris won roles in various projects, such as Simon and the Witch (1987) and The Tomorrow People (1992). She went on to study social and political sciences at Pembroke College, Cambridge University, an experience Harris did not enjoy.

After graduating from the University, Harris trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Acting success soon followed and her breakthrough film role came in Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later (2002). Other notable projects include Miami Vice (2006) and Small Island (2009) (for which she was named best female actor by the Royal Television Society). Harris also won fans for her role as voodoo witch Tia Dalma in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), and further international attention came her way when she played field agent Eve Moneypenny in the James Bond film Skyfall (2012).

Naomie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the drama Moonlight (2016), which won the Best Picture Oscar that year.

Naomie Harris was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2017 New Years Honours for her services to drama.

Kylie Liya Page is known for Ninja Assassin (2009), Social Distance (2020) and The Girl from Plainville (2022).

Aly Michalka was born in Torrance, California, to Carrie (Begley), a musician, and Mark Michalka, who owns a contracting company. She has German, as well as English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh, ancestry. Aly began acting at the age of five in stage productions by churches her family attended outside Seattle, Washington, and in Thousand Oaks California. She was featured in numerous musicals including "Jailhouse Rock" and "A Time to Remember". Alyson, who plays piano and guitar, also writes music and sings with her younger sister, AJ Michalka, as the pop-music duo of Aly & AJ. The sisters are platinum selling recording artists with "Hollywood Records". When she isn't acting, Alyson enjoys drawing. Her artistic talent was recognized by Hallmark Cards. When she was in the fourth grade, she won a contest for a Christmas card in 1999, when she was 10. Lately, Alyson is interested in fashion and sewing, and has plans to design a clothing line. The Torrance, California, native has two dogs, Saint and Bandit, and lives with her parents and sister in Los Angeles, California.

Rose McIver was born in New Zealand to artist Ann "Annie" Coney and professional photographer John George Whitfield "Mac" McIver. Rose has an older brother, musician Paul McIver.

McIver started appearing in commercials when she was only 2 years old. She made her film debut in the film "The Piano" (1993), playing an angel. As a child actress, she mainly received roles in fantasy television series. She had roles in the television films "Hercules and the Amazon Women" (1994), "Hercules in the Underworld" (1994), "Hercules in the Maze of the Minotaur" (1994), the television series "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" (1995 - 1999), and the spin-off series "Xena: Warrior Princess" (1995 - 2001).

McIver received her first lead roles in television with the post-apocalyptic series "Maddigan's Quest" (2006) and the comedy-drama series "Rude Awakenings" (2007), both short-lived. She gained more attention for her role as Summer Landsdown (the Yellow Ranger) in "Power Rangers RPM" (2009) and appeared in all 32 episodes of the series.

McIver had a supporting role in the supernatural drama film "The Lovely Bones" (2009) as main character Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan)'s younger sister Lindsey Salmon, who helps investigate her sister's murder.

McIver had a main-cast role in the comedy series "Super City" (2011), and a recurring role in the period series "Masters of Sex" (2013-2016). In 2013, she joined the cast of fantasy series "Once Upon a Time" (2011-), where she plays Tinker Bell.

McIver plays the lead character Olivia "Liv" Moore in the comedy-drama series, "iZombie" (2015-). Olivia works as a coroner's assistant and tries to control the urges of her transformation into a zombie.

JoAnna Garcia Swisher was born in Tampa, Florida. She began performing at the age of ten, when she auditioned for a local theater production and landed the lead. She continued to act in high school where she was discovered by Nickelodeon and commuted from Florida to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to star for two seasons in the television series, Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990). After graduating from high school, she spent a year attending Florida State University, but dropped out to move to Hollywood where she worked extensively in television and then in popular movies.

Christina Rene Hendricks was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and grew up in Twin Falls, Idaho. Her father, Robert, originally from England, worked for the U.S. Forest Service, while her mother, Jackie Sue (Raymond), was a psychologist. At the age of 13 her father transferred to the Forest Service Washington, D.C. headquarters and the family moved to nearby Fairfax, Virginia. She began acting at school and went into modeling from the ages of 18 to 27. In her early 20s, she also began appearing on television, landing a recurring role in Beggars and Choosers (1999) in 2000 and another on Kevin Hill (2004) before rising to international fame in Mad Men (2007). As well as her more famously conventional awards nominations (Emmys) and wins (SAG Awards) she also won a SyFy Genre Award in for "Best Special Guest/Television" for her role as Saffron in Joss Whedon's short-lived Firefly (2002).

Jillian Bell was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She began studying improv at the age of eight. She graduated from Bishop Gorman High School in 2002, and then moved to Los Angeles, where she became a member of the Groundlings. She auditioned for Saturday Night Live, and though she did not join the cast, she became a writer for the show in 2009 for the 35th season. The same year Bell appeared in an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm as an assistant who wears revealing clothing at work.

Sanaa Lathan is an actor, director, producer, and activist, well-known for starring in such hit films as LOVE & BASKETBALL, THE BEST MAN and BEST MAN HOLIDAY, BROWN SUGAR, ALIEN VS. PREDATOR, and NAPPILY EVER AFTER.

She recently made her feature directorial debut for Paramount Pictures' ON THE COME UP, based on the New York Times best-selling novel of the same name. Premiering at the Toronto film festival to stellar reviews. Currently streaming on Paramount Plus.

Coming soon: MACRO Films' YOUNG WILD AND FREE which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.

She is currently starring in the 3rd season of the Emmy Award-winning HBO series Succession. For which she was nominated for an Emmy award.

Lathan can be seen starring in REPLAY, an episode of the Jordan Peele's remake of The Twilight Zoneon CBS All Access. She also stars in Showtime's The Affair and Fox's Shots Fired created by Gina Prince- Bythewood, and Rashid Johnson's Native Son on HBO.

Lathan is the voice of 'Donna Tubbs' on Fox's animated series Family Guy and The Cleveland Show, as well as the voice of 'Catwoman' in the DC animated series Harley Quinn.

On stage, Lathan was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance on Broadway in A RAISIN IN THE SUN and starred as 'Maggie the Cat' opposite James Earl Jones in the Olivier award winning revival of CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF at the Novello Theatre in London's West end.

Lathan made her directorial debut with the short film LEAP for Maven Pictures, which she shot during lock down, about a Zoom therapist who suffers from OCD and panic disorder. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

She also stars in Peacock's MAN: FINAL CHAPTERS limited series with the original cast for which she was nominated for an image award.

Later this year she will be starring in the Fox Searchlight film: SUPREMES AT EARL'S ALL YOU CAN EAT based on the book of the same name.

Her lengthy list of credits also includes Steven Soderbergh's CONTAGION, NOW YOU SEE ME 2, AMERICAN ASSASSIN and Focus feature's SOMETHING NEW.

Alexa most recently starred as "Special Agent Gaines" on FBI: MOST WANTED on CBS, alongside Dylan McDermott. She also starred in Amazon's Emmy-award winning drama series, THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE. Her other television work includes Marvel's THE PUNISHER and Frank Darabont's MOB CITY.

Alexa's film work includes supporting roles in DEFIANCE alongside Daniel Craig, THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK opposite Vin Diesel and Judi Dench, FEAST OF LOVE opposite Morgan Freeman, THE MIST with Marcia Gay Harden, and CLASH OF THE TITANS opposite Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, and Ralph Fiennes.

Gemma Christina Arterton was born in Gravesend, Kent, England, where she was raised. She is the daughter of Sally-Anne (Heap), a cleaner, and Barry J. Arterton, a welder. Her mother's cousin is singer-songwriter Eric Goulden.

Her parents divorced when she was age five, and Gemma subsequently lived with her younger sister and her mother. Her parents encouraged their children to explore their creative abilities. Gemma's sister, Hannah, liked to sing, whereas Gemma chose acting. During her teenage years, she was part of the Masquerade and Miskin theater companies, appearing in productions of The Massacre of Civitella and Guiding Star. In 2004, she won an award for Best Supporting Actress, which helped her to win a grant to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

Whilst studying at RADA, she landed her first professional role in Capturing Mary (2007), directed by Stephen Poliakoff and starring Maggie Smith. Gemma graduated from RADA in 2007 and won her first film role in St. Trinian's (2007). Her breakthrough role came in 2008, when she appeared in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace (2008). In 2009, she was the winner of Empire's Best Newcomer Award.

Born in Poland to accomplished thespian parents, Grazyna Dylag and Aleksander Mikolajczak, Izabella Miko could dance before she could walk. She began to pursue her dream career as a ballerina as soon as the opportunity was available to her at the age of 10. Izabella was accepted at the National Ballet School in Warsaw, though her teachers were concerned about what seemed to be some flexibility limitations of her body. At the age of 15, she was recruited to go to New York on full scholarship and study at the School of American Ballet. However, her body could no longer withstand the rigors of a seven-day a week ballet-training schedule, and in 1997 she suffered from a series of injuries to her vertebrae, knee and ankle injuries, ending her career as a ballet dancer.

She found herself 17 years old and wondering what career she would ever find that would fulfill her the same way dance did. While back in Warsaw and recovering, a casting director who was working with Izabella's parents asked if she would play a part in a TV movie, "Lithuania You're My Motherland". She accepted, not knowing where else to turn. Having been bitten by the acting bug, Miko was headed back to America shortly before her 18th birthday. She immediately began training at The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and laying the groundwork for a successful career as an actor.

She went to Los Angeles just after she turned 18, and a series of fortuitous event resulted in her landing the role in Jerry Bruckheimer's Coyote Ugly (2000) playing "Cammie". This role put her on the map in Hollywood, leading to a slew of magazine covers and billboards. She followed "Coyote Ugly" with a leading role in J.S. Cardone's The Forsaken (2001) and Minimal Knowledge (2002). She has also appeared in The Shore (2005), starring alongside Lesley Ann Warren and Ben Gazzara. Miko than starred alongside actors Derek Jacobi and Michael Lonsdale in Bye Bye Blackbird (2005). Her portrayal of Alice, a circus trapeze artist in the early 1900s, was the perfect combination of Izabella's most innate talents. She prepared for this role with a rigorous three-month training schedule on both the flying and static trapeze. Utilizing her dance and trapeze skills, along with rapidly learned tightrope walking, she secured a part time role of Raia, a member of the "Circus of Crime" circus troop in the 2011 NBC series The Cape (2011).

Elizabeth Berridge was born on 2 May 1962 in Larchmont, New York, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Amadeus (1984), Hidalgo (2004) and The Funhouse (1981). She has been married to Kevin Corrigan since 10 March 2001. They have one child.