5 Things to Know About Thor: Ragnarok Star Tessa Thompson

By Kelsie Gibson

Updated on 11/17/2017 at 6:20 PM

Getty | Jason LaVeris
Getty | Jason LaVeris

You may not be familiar with Tessa Thompson's name right now, but the 33-year-old actress is about to be everywhere. She recently starred in the first season of Westworld, and she's playing Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok (and maybe its followup Avengers: Infinity War). Before she blows up in Hollywood, check out a few key facts about the star below.

  1. Her father is in the entertainment business. Tessa is the daughter of singer/songwriter Marc Anthony Thompson of the musical group Chocolate Genius, Inc.
  2. She's a Shakespeare buff. While her first acting experience was a school play with Amber Tamblyn, her professional stage debut came when she starred in an LA production of The Tempest. In 2003, she also appeared as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet: Antebellum New Orleans, 1836, which earned her an NAACP Theatre Award nomination.
  3. She's been on a few of your favorite shows. Before starring on Westworld, the actress made appearances on shows like Veronica Mars, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, and Heroes.
  4. She's also a well-seasoned movie star. Her first feature film was in the remake of When a Stranger Calls. She also appeared in Dear White People, Selma, Creed, and Tyler Perry's stage play adaptation of For Colored Girls.
  5. She's also a musician. Seriously, there is nothing this girl can't do. Tessa is part of the indie electro soul band Caught a Ghost with Jesse Nolan. Their music has been featured on The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Supernatural and in the film Dear White People.