Tessa Thompson is undoubtedly one of the hottest actors around. Despite being in the industry for years and starring in For Colored Girls in 2010, which the New York Post stated was “shamelessly terrible”, Thompson’s star has risen spectacularly since she was offered the key role Valkyrie in the Marvel Comics Universe (MCU). Introduced in Thor: Ragnarok, Valkyrie is a badass, brutal and brave warrior who is accompanied by her winged horse and is eventually a staunch ally to Thor. Thompson excels in her role and has a bright future ahead of her in the MCU universe and beyond.
Agent H (Chris Hemsworth) and Agent M (Tessa Thompson) in Columbia Pictures’ MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL.
A Thor, Valkyrie and Captain Marvel love triangle?
During a joint interview with Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth for Men In Black: International, Thompson lightheartedly pitched an MCU rom-com for her character Valkyrie, Thor, and Captain Marvel. After Thompson stated that she was being shipped (wanting/supporting two people to be involved in a romantic relationship) with Captain Marvel, Hemsworth added: “I thought I was being shipped with Captain Marvel?” Thompson followed by saying “That’s why I’m saying let’s make a love triangle!”
This was not an ‘in the moment’ idea however, as Captain Marvel star Brie Larson endorsed a romantic piece of fan art a few months ago that depicted Carol Danvers in a loving embrace with Valkyrie. Larson re-tweeted the image with the caption “We cute” which led to Thompson echoing her sentiments in another tweet. The image has provoked fans’ interest, which prompted Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige to hint that the next wave of MCU films will include more LGBT characters.
We cute @TessaThompson_x https://t.co/7358yhTQlA
— Brie Larson (@brielarson) March 18, 2019
She enjoys bringing something different to her roles
Despite embracing diverse roles, she loves playing strong, edgy female characters. Before landing the role of Valkyrie in the MCU, Thompson played Bianca in the 2015 film Creed which is the film she is perhaps best known for.
In Creed, Thompson is far from playing the generic passive girlfriend role however: Bianca is a resolute singer-songwriter who progressively loses her hearing but won’t give up on her dreams. Although Michael B Jordan has the lead role as Bianca’s tough fighter boyfriend, Thompson’s powerful and honest performance was extraordinary. She told Hello Beautiful in an interview that “it’s really rare to find a character that is the girlfriend or the wife who is nuanced and has her own things going on”.
Away from blockbuster franchises, Thompson played the legendary civil rights activist Diane Nash in the Oscar-winning film Selma produced by Oprah Winfrey. According to critics online, her performance was “captivating” and “incredibly moving.” She has real acting chops as well as movie star charisma.
Credit: Tessa Thompson/Instagram
She wants young people to identify with her characters
Thompson is flipping the script on Valkyrie who was originally blonde and blue-eyed in the comics. She firmly believes as a woman of colour that her presence in films portraying empowering characters plays a critical role by giving young children of all backgrounds someone to identify with and aspire to be.
She also stated in an interview with Social News XYZ, “Mothers write to me and say we’re so happy that our girls get to see a woman that looks like them on screen!” She continued “I certainly never thought that I would be playing a superhero and I think some of that has to do with the fact that I didn’t grow up watching a superhero that looks like me”.
She came out as bisexual
In an interview with Porter magazine, Thompson opened up about her sexuality and close relationship with rapper and actress Janelle Monae. She stated that “I’m attracted to men and also to women,” and that “if people want to speculate about what we are, it doesn’t bother me”. While she didn’t confirm actually being in a romantic relationship with Janelle, Thompson made it clear that they were close as they “love each other deeply”.
Tessa, who stated in the same interview, that she grew up in a “free household” where “you can be anything you want to be”, understands that not everyone is fortunate enough to get the same unconditional support from family as she did. She also added, “I want everyone else to have that freedom and support that I have from my loved ones. But so many people don’t”.
Em (Tessa Thompson) and H (Chris Hemsworth) in Columbia Pictures’ MEN IN BLACK INTERNATIONAL.
She’s also a talented singer-songwriter.
Not only is Tessa Thompson enjoying a meteoric rise to stardom in the film industry, but she is also successful in the music business. Can we be surprised? It’s in her blood after all, as her father is the singer/songwriter Marc Anthony Thompson who wrote the music for several theatre and film productions such as American Splendor, Colorvision, and Brother to Brother and created the musical collective Chocolate Genius Inc.
While Thompson is predominantly known as an actor, she also sings in a Los Angeles electro-soul band called Caught a Ghost with Jesse Nolan. The band released their debut album ‘Human Nature’ on the 1st April 2014 with some of their covers appearing on popular TV shows such as Greys Anatomy.
Her most recent musical project saw her cross over her careers on the movie Creed in which she played a singer-songwriter and wrote and performed the songs ‘Breathe,’ ‘Grip’ and ‘Shed you’. She admitted that her musical ability was crucial for her role in the film as Ryan Coogler, the director, wanted “something that she’s fighting for”.
Men In Black International is released in cinemas from 14th June.
