All We Know About Tessa Thompson, Biography, Career, Scandals

Tessa Lynne Thompson is a popular American actress who started her professional acting career with the Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company during the same period when she was studying at Santa Monica College. Through hard work she made her way into appearing in productions of The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet, the latter of which earned her an NAACP Theatre Award nomination.

Profiling Tessa Thompso

Early life

Tessa Thompson was born on October 3. She was born in the city of Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles and New York City are two places where she lived when she was a child. Many people in her family are of African-Panamanian descent. Her father is musician Marc Anthony Thompson (of the musical collective Chocolate Genius, Inc.). When her mother was born, she was a mix of Caucasian and Mexican ancestry. In a student production of Midsummer Night’s Dream at Santa Monica High School, she was given the role of Hermia, which she played to a lot of praise. Then, a few years later, she went to Santa Monica College (SMC), where she learned about cultural anthropology.

Her father, singer-songwriter Marc Anthony Thompson, is Afro-Panamanian and the founder of the musical collective Chocolate Genius, Inc. Her mother is of half Mexican and half European ancestry. Her younger half-sister, Zsela, is a singer and songwriter.

Thompson attended Santa Monica High School where she played Hermia in a student production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and attended Santa Monica College (SMC) where she studied cultural anthropology. While at SMC, she also attended lectures by Lisa Wolpe of the Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company (LAWSC).

Tessa Thompson’s Profesional Career

Tessa Lynne Thompson began her professional acting career with the Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company while studying at Santa Monica College. She appeared in productions of The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet, the latter of which earned her a NAACP Theatre Award nomination. Her breakthrough came with leading roles in Tina Mabry’s independent drama film Mississippi Damned (2009) and Tyler Perry’s drama film For Colored Girls (2010).

Thompson gained favorable notices for her early film performances in the comedy-drama Dear White People, and as civil rights activist Diane Nash in Ava DuVernay’s historical drama Selma (both in 2014). She gained mainstream attention for her roles in franchise films playing Bianca Taylor in the sports dramas Creed (2015) and Creed II (2018), and for her starring role as Valkyrie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero films Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), and The Marvels (2023) as well as her leading role in the science fiction franchise film Men in Black: International (2019). She also has received critical praise for her performances in independent films such as the dark comedy Sorry to Bother You (2018), the crime thriller Little Woods (2018), the science-fiction horror film Annihilation (2018), the romantic drama Sylvie’s Love (2020), and the period film Passing (2021), the latter of which earned her a British Academy Film Award nomination.

On television, she starred in the noir drama series Veronica Mars (2005–2006), the drama series Copper (2012–2013), and the science fiction series Westworld (2016–present). She received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for her work as a producer on Sylvie’s Love. In 2017 she received a BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination.

Thompson’s film career before all the fame

Tessa Thompson’s first film role came in 2006 when she appeared in a modern remake of the classic horror film When a Stranger Calls in a supporting role alongside actors like Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson in the MCU), Camilla Belle (The Ballad of Jack & Rose), and Katie Cassidy (Supernatural, Gossip Girl). A few years later, she appeared with Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) in Make It Happen, a 2008 dance film from the team behind Step Up.

The actress then followed these credits with some incredibly high-profile appearances. She starred in Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls, and she was featured in Justin Simien’s Sundance darling Dear White People. She also appeared in a short film by musician Nate Ruess (best known for the band Fun) called The Grand Romantic, and she landed a supporting role as the real-life civil rights activist Diane Nash in Ava DuVernay’s Selma, a biopic about Martin Luther King Jr. The film was ultimately nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, proving that Thompson knows how to pick solid material.

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However, Thompson wasn’t content with merely starring in the highest-grossing film of all time. She wanted to make history. See, fans of the MCU have been frustrated for quite some time about its often pointed lack of diversity in certain aspects. Though the universe pushes plenty of boundaries, it historically hasn’t broached any issues regarding sexuality. However, that all changed in 2019, thanks in large part to Thompson’s portrayal of Valkyrie.

Though Valkyrie’s sexuality certainly seemed fluid throughout both Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Endgame, she never seemed like a likely contender for Thor’s heart, and now it’s pretty clear that she’s out of the running. During San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, MCU head honcho Kevin Feige confirmed that Valkyrie will become the MCU’s first-ever LGBTQ superhero in Thor: Love and Thunder. The actress herself confirmed it, saying the film would involve Valkyrie — as Asgard’s new king — looking for her “queen.”

Tessa Thompson and Janelle Monáe Romance

Beyond her own music career, Tessa Thompson has found a frequent musical collaborator in Janelle Monae, a true triple threat who’s taken the entertainment world by storm since breaking onto the scene in 2003. A Grammy-nominated musician who’s also appeared in major films like Hidden Figures and Moonlight, Monae is a force to be reckoned with, and she’s proven to be a perfect creative partner for a star like Thompson.

The two share a close friendship, frequently showing up on red carpets together, but the gossip about their relationship truly came to a head when Thompson appeared in a video for “Pynk,” one of the singles from Monae’s beloved 2018 album Dirty Computer. After rumors swirled for quite some time, Thompson addressed them somewhat when she came out as bisexual, saying that the two “love each other deeply.” Though they’ve never confirmed that they’re in a full-on relationship, Thompson is clearly close with Monae, who’s come out as both bisexual and pansexual. Speculating too much about the relationship between this pair of talented women is probably futile, but in the end, fans of both artists can at least hope for more collaborations between the two.

Tessa Thompson’s Breakthrough

She witnessed her breakthrough when she starred in Tina Mabry’s independent drama film Mississippi Damned (2009), Tyler Perry’s drama film For Colored Girls (2010), which were both her first big roles in movies.

Thompson made her television debut in a 2005 episode of the CBS series Cold Case, in which she played a lesbian bootlegger from the 1930s. Thompson has since appeared in several other television shows. In the same year, she gained national attention for her portrayal of Jackie Cook on the UPN/CW neo-noir drama series Veronica Mars, where she was cast as a series regular in season two of the show. She made her show debut in 2006 as Dr. Meredith Grey on the ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. In 2007, she appeared as Nikki Barnes on the CW’s short-lived drama Hidden Palms, in which she was a member of the cast. She has worked on guest star roles on Life and Private Practice shows, and she appeared in Heroes season four.

Tessa Thompson’s Music Career

Tessa’s father is Marc Anthony Thompson, a singer and member of the music group Chocolate Genius Inc. Her parents had relocated from California to Brooklyn. Thompson has a younger half-sister, Zsela Thompson, a musician and performs on the road with Thompson. She grew up in Los Angeles and New York, where she attended high school.

Thompson identified as bisexual at the outset of her sexuality. Surprisingly, Valkyrie, her character in the film “Thor,” is also bisexual, as is she. She stated that her family is fine with whoever she brings home, whether he or she is a man or a woman. What matters is that she is content.

Tessa Thompson’s Fun Facts

She is listed among the most popular movie actresses in the world and included on the elite list of well-known celebrities who were born in the United States. In 2010, she appeared as a guest star on Detroit 187, where she played the wife of a detective. In 2012, Thompson appeared as Gavin Doran’s daughter, Sasha, on the television series 666 Park Avenue. Copper, the first original series on BBC America, starred her in the same year. As board director Charlotte Hale, she made her television debut in the HBO science-fiction drama series Westworld in 2016.

On the Off-Broadway stage, Thompson appeared in the Lydia R. Diamond play Smart People at Second Stage Theatre, where he shared the stage with Mahershala Ali, Joshua Jackson, and Anne Son in a supporting role.

Thompson was cast as Valkyrie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Thor: Ragnarok, which premiered on November 3, 2017, and was announced in April. Annihilation was released on February 23, 2018, and she appeared in it as a scientist in a science-fiction horror film. Thompson was cast in the science-fiction ‘Sorry to Bother You’, which premiered on July 6, 2018, and was released in June. In Creed II, which was released on November 21, 2018, she reprised her role as Bianca Taylor, which she had previously played.

Tessa Thompson’s List of Awards and Nominations 

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Tessa Thompson’s External References