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Tessa Thompson

Tessa Thompson

Actor and producer · Born October 3, 1983 (43) · Los Angeles, California, USA

Primetime Emmy nominee · Golden Globe nominee · BAFTA Award nominee · 2 other major award bodies

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 received favourable 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 was nominated 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 romantic drama film Sylvie's Love (2020) on Amazon Prime Video. Also, she served as an executive producer, for which she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie. Description above from the Wikipedia article Tessa Thompson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 3, 1983 (43)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Actor and producer
Titles
52 on MovieCove · 66 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26

What are Tessa Thompson's films like?

Across their 34 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Action8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 13th percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
28%
Morality
19%
Bonds
19%
Power
12%
Survival
10%
Society
9%
Ideas
2%
Identity12 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds8 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 30 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 9 · Serious 10 · Dark 11

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 11 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 7

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 7 · Charged 9 · Intense 14

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 10 · Shifting 15 · Whiplash 5

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 19 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 19 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 11 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 4

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 10 · Affecting 12 · Heavy 8

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 20 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

22 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 10 of 22 analyzed roles.

Hero
10 of 22
Ally
9 of 22
Shadow
2 of 22
Shapeshifter
1 of 22
Show the 22 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
24
Melancholic
11
Dread
7
Hopeful
10
Contemplative
8
Other
36

How their films linger

Hopeful15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 7 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet18
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous7

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Tessa Thompson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 44 of their 52 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (12).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Tessa Thompson's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

66 credits, 52 with a MovieCove page; 20 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Is God Is(2026)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • His & Hers(2026)

    Show 6 episodes · Executive Producer · as Anna Andrews

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • Hedda(2025)

    Producer · as Hedda Gabler

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Marvel Zombies(2025)

    Show 2 episodes · as Valkyrie (voice)

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows

  • Seeds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Executive Producer

  • The Listener(2022)

    Producer · as Beth

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Marvels(2023)

    as Valkyrie

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Creed III(2023)

    as Bianca Creed

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Logic Paralyzes the Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Actor

  • Thor: Love and Thunder(2022)

    as King Valkyrie

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Passing(2021)

    Producer · as Irene Redfield

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • What If...?(2021)

    Show 2 episodes · as Valkyrie (voice)

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Marvel Studios: Legends(2021)

    Show 2 episodes · as Valkyrie (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all shows

  • Sylvie's Love(2020)

    Executive Producer · as Sylvie

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Shadow Stalker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Tessa Thompson

  • Lady and the Tramp(2019)

    as Lady (voice)

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Between Two Ferns: The Movie(2019)

    as Tessa Thompson

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Men in Black: International(2019)

    as Agent M

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Avengers: Endgame(2019)

    as Valkyrie

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Little Woods(2018)

    Executive Producer · as Oleander 'Ollie' Hale

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Brave Girl Rising (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Nasro (voice)

  • Creed II(2018)

    as Bianca

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Sorry to Bother You(2018)

    as Detroit

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Janelle Monáe: Dirty Computer(2018)

    as Zen

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Furlough(2018)

    as Nicole Stevens

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Annihilation(2018)

    as Josie Radek

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Thor: Ragnarok(2017)

    as Valkyrie

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Moonlight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Monica

  • Dear White People(2017)

    Show 2 episodes · as Rikki Carter

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all shows

  • South Dakota (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Chris

  • 100 Years (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • War on Everyone(2016)

    as Jackie Hollis

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Westworld(2016)

    Show 36 episodes · as Charlotte Hale

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Salt Water (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Brit

  • Creed(2015)

    as Bianca

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Selma(2014)

    as Diane Nash

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Dear White People(2014)

    as Samantha White

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • BoJack Horseman(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Taneisha (voice)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Points of Origin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Rosemary

  • Grantham & Rose(2014)

    Producer · as Wallis

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Automotive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Maggie

  • Murder on the 13th Floor(2012)

    as Nia Palmer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Copper(2012)

    Show as Sara Freeman

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows

  • Everyday Black Man(2010)

    as Claire

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Portlandia(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Bailey

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • For Colored Girls(2010)

    as Nyla / Purple

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Rizzoli & Isles(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Anna Farrell

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Betwixt(2010)

    as Jenny

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Exquisite Corpse(2010)

    as Liz

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Three Rivers(2009)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all shows

  • Mental(2009)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all shows

  • Mississippi Damned(2009)

    as Kari Peterson

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Human Contract(2008)

    as Waitress

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Make It Happen(2008)

    as Dana

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Life(2007)

    Show 1 episode · as Liza

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Private Practice(2007)

    Show 2 episodes · as Zoe Salter

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • Hidden Palms(2007)

    Show 8 episodes · as Nikki Barnes

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows

  • The Initiation of Sarah(2006)

    as Esme

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Heroes(2006)

    Show 3 episodes · as Rebecca Taylor

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • When a Stranger Calls(2006)

    as Scarlet

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Grey's Anatomy(2005)

    Show 2 episodes · as Camille Travis

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Veronica Mars(2004)

    Show 22 episodes · as Jackie Cook

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Cold Case (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Wilhemina 'Billie' Doucette

  • A Separation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer · Actor

  • Foxfinder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Sam

  • Later the War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Kiki

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 65 titles, 62 of them dated from 2003 to 2026; peak year 2019.

Biggest box office

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

$855M worldwide

Highest rated

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Westworld (2016)

Film career

MilestoneNomination
20032026

Peak 2019 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 18 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

Show 1 more milestone

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting63 of 65: 57 only acting, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score56thProducing8 of 65: 2 only producing, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rd

65 titles, 6 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 6 of them.

By decade

2000s14 · acting2010s34 · 34 acting · 1 crew2020s14 · 12 acting · 6 crew

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 19% of 26 roles
061121

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

6 major nominations and no wins, 2018–2026.

  1. 2026
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Lead Performance
  2. 2022
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Leading Actress
  3. 2021
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Television Movie
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie Made for Television
  4. 2018
    • BAFTA Award, nominated

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Tessa Thompson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 53rd percentile, the median of all 34; across their 30 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 57th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Approval · how many liked their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Reach · how many have seen their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Midcredits score across 52 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up18
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th16
  • Below 25th7

Shape of the crowd

20 of their 52 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic5
  • Crowd Pleaser16
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed20

Most divisive · actor

Betwixt (2010)

98th percentile spread · 42% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Midcredits 99th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 27 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 47. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Tessa Thompson's work okay for kids?

Across up to 21 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore16 titles37–88 · median 61 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity21 titles13–66 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity16 titles33–88 · median 59 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs16 titles19–67 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense15 titles39–73 · median 57 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Tessa Thompson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Tessa Thompson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ryan Coogler shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles