Tessa Lynne Thompson was born on October 3, 1983, in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in Los Angeles and Brooklyn, New York. Her dad is Afro-Panamanian, a singer-songwriter named Marc Anthony Thompson, and her mom is half Mexican and half white. Tessa attended Santa Monica High School and later studied cultural anthropology at Santa Monica College.
Tessa started acting professionally with the Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company while at college, performing in plays like The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet. Her big break came with roles in independent films like Mississippi Damned (2009) and For Colored Girls (2010).
She became well-known for her roles in movies like Dear White People (2014), Selma (2014), and the Marvel superhero films Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). Tessa also starred in Men in Black: International (2019) and received acclaim for her performances in independent films like Sorry to Bother You (2018), Annihilation (2018), Sylvie’s Love (2020), and Passing (2021).
On TV, she appeared in shows like Veronica Mars (2005–2006), Copper (2012–2013), and Westworld (2016–2022).
In her early life, Tessa performed in school productions and started her acting career in theater. She made her film debut in the horror movie When a Stranger Calls (2006) and appeared in various TV shows.
Tessa has also ventured into music, working with the indie electro soul group Caught A Ghost and contributing to the soundtracks of Creed and Creed II.
In her personal life, Tessa shared in June 2018 that she is attracted to both men and women but prefers not to use the label “bisexual.”