Jessica Henwick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jessica Henwick
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![]() Henwick in 2023
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Born |
Jessica Yu-Li Henwick
30 August 1992 Surrey, England
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Occupation |
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Years active | 2009–present |
Jessica Henwick | |||||||
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Chinese | 李玉 | ||||||
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Jessica Yu-Li Henwick (born August 30, 1992) is a British actress, writer, and director. She started her career in 2010. Jessica is famous for her roles in many popular TV shows and movies. These include Game of Thrones, Iron Fist, and The Matrix Resurrections. She also appeared in The Gray Man and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Jessica's first time directing was for the short film Bus Girl, which was nominated for a BAFTA award.
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Early Life and Education
Jessica Henwick grew up in Surrey, England. Her mother is Singaporean-Chinese and her father is English. Jessica has two brothers, one older and one younger. Her father, Mark, became an author in 2012. He writes urban fantasy books.
Jessica went to Collingwood College in Camberley. She also trained at Redroofs Theatre School for a short time. Later, she trained with the National Youth Theatre.
Jessica's Acting Career
Starting Her Career
Jessica found a chance to audition in Chinatown, London. Her mother encouraged her to try for the role. In 2009, Jessica was chosen to play the main character, Bo, in the CBBC series Spirit Warriors. This made her the first actress of East Asian descent to have a lead role in a British TV show.
In 2013, Jessica acted in her first professional play. It was called Running on the Cracks. Critics praised her performance, saying she was "outstanding." Later that year, Jessica played Jane Jeong Trenka in the drama Obsession: Dark Desires. She also joined the cast of Silk as a new lawyer, Amy. She played Amy again in the radio show Silk: The Clerks' Room.
Becoming a Star
In 2015, Jessica joined the cast of the HBO series Game of Thrones. She played Nymeria Sand from Season 5 to Season 7. Jessica also had a small role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens as the X-wing pilot Jess Pava. This character became a favorite among fans.
In 2017, Jessica starred as Colleen Wing in the Netflix series Iron Fist. Even though the show got mixed reviews, many people loved Jessica's acting. She played Colleen Wing again in The Defenders and Luke Cage. By the end of 2017, Variety magazine named her one of their Top Breakout Stars.
In 2020, Jessica appeared in the science fiction movie Underwater. She also starred in Love and Monsters and On the Rocks. That same year, The Hollywood Reporter called her a Rising Star. She also won the 'Brit to Watch' award at the Newport Beach Film Festival.
The next year, she starred in The Matrix Resurrections. Many critics said she was the best part of the movie. She won the Best Supporting Actress award at the Gold List Honors for her work.
In 2022, Jessica was in two very popular Netflix movies: The Gray Man and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. She also directed her short film Bus Girl. She filmed it using a smartphone while taking a break from Glass Onion. Bus Girl was nominated for a BAFTA award for Best Short Film.
In 2023, Jessica joined the movie The Royal Hotel. Her performance was highly praised. In 2024, she appeared in Cuckoo. For this role, she learned American Sign Language. She also returned to voice Alexia in the second season of the animated series Blood of Zeus.
Writing and Directing
In 2020, it was announced that Amazon would make Nancy Wu Done It. This is a young adult series that Jessica helped write. She is also working on a miniseries with Emu Films.
In 2022, Jessica wrote an episode for the animated series Moley. She won the Mary Pickford prize for female filmmakers for her short film Bus Girl. She wrote, starred in, and directed this film. Bus Girl was nominated for a BAFTA award in 2023. The next year, she wrote and directed a sequel called Sandwich Man.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2009 | St. Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold | Globe Girl | Uncredited |
2014 | Dr Liebenstein | Rachel | |
2015 | Dragonfly | Paula Reid | |
Star Wars: The Force Awakens | Jessika "Testor" Pava | ||
2016 | The Head Hunter | Aiko Koo | |
The Heart of the Forest | Akira | Short film; also writer | |
Balsa Wood | Scotty | ||
2017 | Newness | Joanne | |
Rice on White | Elena | ||
2018 | Yo! My Saint | Muse | with Kenzo |
2019 | Baliko | Mara | Short film; also writer |
2020 | Underwater | Emily Haversham | |
On the Rocks | Fiona Saunders | ||
Love and Monsters | Aimee | ||
2021 | The Matrix Resurrections | Bugs | |
2022 | The Gray Man | Suzanne Brewer | |
Bus Girl | June | Short film; also director and writer | |
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery | Peg | ||
2023 | The Royal Hotel | Liv | |
2024 | Cuckoo | Beth | |
The Land of Sometimes | Mum (voice) | ||
TBA | Huntington | Post production |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2010 | Spirit Warriors | Bo | Main role, 10 episodes |
2012 | The Thick of It | Charlotte | Episode: #4.1 |
2014 | Obsession: Dark Desires | Jane Jeong Trenka | Episode: "Silent Scream" |
Silk | Amy Lang | Main role, 5 episodes | |
Lewis | Chloe Ilson | Guest role, 2 episodes | |
2015–2017 | Game of Thrones | Nymeria Sand | Recurring role, 8 episodes |
2017 | Fortitude | Bianca Mankyo | Episode: #2.1 |
2017–2018 | Iron Fist | Colleen Wing | Main role, 23 episodes |
2017 | The Defenders | Main role, 6 episodes | |
2018 | Luke Cage | Guest star, Episode: "Wig Out" |
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2020–present | Blood of Zeus | Alexia | Voice; main role, 15 episodes |
2021–2023 | Moley | Dotty | Voice; main role, 45 episodes; also writer |
2021–2022 | Blade Runner: Black Lotus | Elle | Voice; main role |
2022 | Carpool Karaoke: The Series | Self | Episode: "Simu Liu & Jessica Henwick" |
2024 | Twilight of the Gods | Sandraudiga | Voice; 3 episodes |
2025–present | Silo | Helen | Main role |
Video games
Year | Title | Voice Role | Notes |
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2015–2016 | Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey | Enu Hanna Roth |
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2022 | Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga | Jessika "Testor" Pava |
Stage
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2013 | Running on the Cracks | Leo | National tour |
Radio
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2011–2012 | North by Northamptonshire | Helen | BBC Radio Four |
2013 | Monday to Friday | Julie | BBC Radio Scotland |
2014–2015 | Silk: The Clerks Room | Amy Lang | Series 1 & 2 |
2020 | Harrow Lake | Narrator | |
The Long Way Home | Narrator | ||
2021 | Hold Still Vincent | Faye |
Awards and Nominations
Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | |
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2016 | Accolade Competition | Award of Excellence (shared: Lourdes Faberes + Giles Alderson) | The Heart of the Forest | Won | |
2017 | Asians on Film Festival | Best Original Script (shared with Lourdes Faberes) | Won | ||
Best Ensemble | Nominated | ||||
Variety | Top Breakout Star | Iron Fist | Won | ||
2020 | Newport Beach Film Festival | Festival Honors Award – Brit to Watch | Underwater | Won | |
The Hollywood Reporter | The Hollywood Reporter Rising Young Star | Film/TV career so far | Won | ||
2021 | Gold List Honors | Best Supporting Actress | The Matrix Resurrections | Won | |
2022 | Birmingham Film Festival | Audience Award | Xiaomi's Bus Girl | Won | |
Coronado Island Film Festival | Narrative Shorts | Won | |||
Mary Pickford Award for Outstanding Achievement by a Female Director | Won | ||||
Satellite Awards | Best Ensemble | Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery | Won | ||
Hollywood Critics Association | Nominated | ||||
Critics' Choice Movie Awards | Won | ||||
2023 | Gold Derby Awards | Best Ensemble | Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery | Nominated | |
British Academy Film Awards | Best British Short Film | Bus Girl | Nominated |
See also
In Spanish: Jessica Henwick para niños