30 Most Intriguing Facts About Tessa Thompson That Will Make You Love Her More

12 July 2019, 9:51 am EDT By Ruby Karnick

Tessa Thompson, world renowned for her portrayal of Valkyrie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, first gained recognition for her role as Kari Peterson in the 2009 movie "Mississippi Damned." With seven awards and ten other nominations, she is considered to be one of the best supporting actresses. Here are a few little known facts about the American actress:

Thompson's first professional debut on stage was as one of the three actors portraying the role of Ariel in LAWSC's production of "The Tempest," in the year 2002.
Her first feature film appearance was in the role of Scarlett in the 2006 remake of the horror film "When a Stranger Calls," following which she was cast in the dance movie "Make It Happen."
Her first television appearance was in a 2005 episode of the CBS series "Cold Case," playing the role of a bootlegging lesbian from the 1930s.
However, it was her portrayal of the role of Jackie Cook on the UPN/CW neo-noir drama series "Veronica Mars," that garnered her, the required fame.
In preparation for her role as Bianca in the movie "Creed," she reportedly worked with Ryan Coogler, in an effort to make sure that the role was more than just a love interest.
It was reported that Thompson reportedly based her entire performance as Valkyrie in the movie "Thor: Ragnarok," on the character of Sarah Connor from "Terminator 2: Judgment Day."
Actually, according to the comics, her character Valkyrie's original look, was a fair-skinned, blonde, Viking warrior-woman. However, Thompson being an Afro-Panamanian and Mexican actress was cast as the Director Taika Waititi felt her to be the best person for the role.
In fact, in her character's flashback scene, a blonde woman can be seen pushing her out of the way of a fatal attack, sacrificing her own life. That was the original look in the comics.
She was cast as the civil rights activist Diane Nash in Ava DuVernay's Martin Luther King Jr. biopic titled "Selma," in the year 2014.
The same year, she was featured as Samantha White in Justin Simien's "Dear White People," which went on to win the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent, at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

She also starred as Wallis in the comedy movie "Grantham & Rose," which revolves around a seventeen-year-old Grantham finding his way, while being thrust into the care of the eighty-one-year-old Rose, during a road trip.
In the year 2019, she was cast as Agent M in the Men in Black spin-off film, "Men in Black: International," alongside her co-star Chris Hemsworth from her previous movie "Thor: Ragnarok."
Thompson has had various guest roles in different TV series including the CW's short-lived drama "Hidden Palms," in which she played Nikki Barnes, and the most popular ABC medical drama "Grey's Anatomy."
She was featured in a guest role as the wife of a detective on "Detroit 187," and also as the Gavin Doran's daughter, Sasha, on "666 Park Avenue."
Tessa Lynn Thompson was born to Marc Anthony Thompson on October 3, 1983, in Los Angeles, California. Her father was a singer-songwriter of the musical collective Chocolate Genius, Inc.
Her maternal grandfather is the actor and musician Bobby Ramos, one of the first Mexican-Americans to have his own television show.
She went to the Santa Monica High School, before enrolling at the Santa Monica College, where she obtained a degree in cultural anthropology.
During her school days, she was featured in numerous theatre productions. She even played Hermia in a student production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
However, it was her performance as Juliet in William Shakespeare's drama "Romeo and Juliet" in a production held at the Boston Court Theatre in Pasadena, California, that earned her recognition as well as her first NAACP Theatre nomination.
Apart from her acting career, Thompson is also an accomplished singer-songwriter, who has contributed to the soundtracks for both "Creed" and "Creed II," including the three soundtracks - "Grip," "Breathe," and "Shed You."

For the "Creed II" movie, she performs the "I would go to war" to present Adonis heading to the ring of the Moscow Olympic Stadium to face Viktor Drago at the end of the movie.
In fact, before making it big, she was reportedly a member of the Los Angeles-based indie electro soul band “Caught a Ghost," along with Jesse Nolan. The band released her debut album "Human Nature" in the year 2014.
For the movie "Creed," she worked with composer Ludwig Goransson to create nine original songs for the movie, by exploring the Philly's rich music scene for inspiration.
Thompson’s performance as Bianca Taylor in the 2015 movie "Creed," earned her two awards - Best Supporting Actress by African-American Film Critics Association as well as the Black Reel Awards, along with two more nominations from NAACP Image Awards and Teen Choice Awards.
In the year 2010, she directly approached Tyler Perry, to be cast in his stage play adaptation "For Colored Girls," after which she was cast as Nyla/Purple.
She was cast as the Sara Freeman, who was Matthew's wife and runaway slave, in the BBC America's first original series "Copper," in the year 2013.
Since 2016, she has been starring as board director Charlotte Hale in the HBO science-fiction drama series "Westworld," which is said to be based on the 1973 film of the same name.
The said series is reported to have had the network's highest viewership ratings for a premiere, and has been renewed for the third season, which is scheduled for premiere in 2020.
She was featured as Zen / Mary Apple 53 in the singles "Make Me Feel," "Pynk," and "Screwed" from the Janelle Monáe's third studio album "Dirty Computer."
For her role as the Valkyrie in the "Thor: Ragnarok," she received a total of six nominations, including the BAFTA Award for Rising Star.