Morena Baccarin


Morena Baccarin is a Brazilian-American actress known for portraying Inara Serra in the sci-fi series Firefly and the follow-up film Serenity, Vanessa in the superhero comedy film Deadpool and its sequel Deadpool 2; Jessica Brody in the Showtime series Homeland, for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2013; and Dr. Leslie "Lee" Thompkins in the Fox series Gotham.

Early life

Baccarin was born in Rio de Janeiro, the daughter of actress Vera Setta and Fernando Baccarin, a journalist. She is of Italian descent. When she was seven, she moved with her family to Greenwich Village, New York, as her father was transferred to work as an editor at Globo TV's headquarters. Baccarin attended Public School 41 and New York City Lab School for Collaborative Studies, where she and her future Homeland co-star Claire Danes were classmates. She later attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts before she entered the theater program at the Juilliard School, where she was in the Drama Division's Group 29.

Career

Baccarin landed her first film role in the improvised fashion-world comedy Perfume. This was followed by a lead role in Way Off Broadway.
She served as Natalie Portman's understudy in the Central Park production of The Seagull. The science-fiction drama Firefly as Inara Serra was Baccarin's first television series, and she reprised her role in the 2005 film Serenity.
In February 2005, Baccarin provided the voice for Black Canary in multiple episodes of the animated series Justice League Unlimited. She also guest starred in three episodes of the television series The O.C. in 2006. Baccarin also appeared in the unaired pilot episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, playing a transgender woman Carmen. It was announced in April 2006 that Baccarin would be playing the adult version of recurring villain Adria in the tenth season of Stargate SG-1. She first appeared in season 10 episode "Counterstrike" as adult Adria. Baccarin reprised her role in the movie .
In May 2009, Baccarin made her Off-Broadway debut in Theresa Rebeck's television satire Our House at Playwrights Horizons in New York City. She landed the lead role of Anna, the leader of the alien Visitors, in ABC's 2009–2011 series V, a remake of the 1984 series. In May 2011, shortly following the airing of the show's second-season finale, it was announced that the show would not return for a third season. That same month, Baccarin joined the cast of the Showtime television drama Homeland, for which she received praise for her role as the conflicted wife of a former prisoner of war. On July 18, 2013, she was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series at the 2013 Primetime Emmy awards for her performance.
Baccarin appeared alongside Melissa McCarthy in the 2015 action-comedy Spy as agent Karen Walker. In 2016, Baccarin appeared alongside Ryan Reynolds in the hit movie Deadpool as Vanessa Carlysle. She reprised her role in the 2018 sequel Deadpool 2.
In 2015, Baccarin began a leading role as Dr. Leslie Thompkins in the Fox show Gotham. She portrayed the character in all five seasons of the show. In 2019, she played a psychologist on Brazilian TV series Sessão de Terapia, her first role on a production in her homeland.

Social engagement

Baccarin works with the International Rescue Committee on behalf of refugees. In January 2019, she wrote an article in Newsweek magazine describing her experiences. She was interviewing refugees from Venezuela during a trip to Colombia. Back then she warned of an evolving situation, which could lead to an increase of refugees asking for asylum in the US.
In 2019, she, together with other artists, lawyers, advocates and refugees, took part in the Flores Exhibits project. She read a protocol of a statement by a migrant.

Personal life

Baccarin married American film producer and director Austin Chick in November 2011. Their son was born in October 2013. Chick filed for divorce in July 2015, citing irreconcilable differences. On March 18, 2016, Baccarin and Chick's divorce became official.
In September 2015, Baccarin said that after her divorce was finalized, she planned to marry her Gotham co-star Ben McKenzie, adding that she was pregnant with their child. The couple have a daughter, born in March 2016. Baccarin and McKenzie announced their engagement in November 2016. They were married in Brooklyn, New York, on June 2, 2017, Baccarin's 38th birthday.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2001PerfumeMonica
2001Way Off BroadwayRebecca
2002Roger DodgerGirl in Bar
2005SerenityInara Serra
2008Death in LoveBeautiful Woman
2008'Adria
2009StolenRose Montgomery
2014Back in the DayLori
2014Son of BatmanTalia al Ghul
2015SpyKaren Walker
2016'Talia al Ghul
2016DeadpoolVanessa CarlysleNominated- Imagen Award for Best Actress - Feature Film
Nominated- MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance
Nominated- MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss
2018Deadpool 2Vanessa Carlysle
2019Framing John DeLoreanCristina Ferrare
2019Ode to JoyFrancesca
2020GreenlandAllison GarrityPost-production
TBAMalevolentGamemaster Post-production
TBAThe Good HouseRebecca McAllisterPost-production
TBALast LooksLorena NascimentoPost-production

Television

Video games

Awards and nominations