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 gained favorable 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 earned her a nomination 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 Amazon Prime Video romantic drama film Sylvie's Love (2020) and also served as an executive producer where she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie.
