Teresa Palmer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Teresa Palmer
Palmer in 2012
Born	Teresa Mary Palmer (1986-02-26) 26 February 1986 (age 39) Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2003–present
Spouse(s)	Mark Webber ​ (m. 2013)​
Children	4
Relatives	Cheri Honkala (mother-in-law)

Teresa Mary Palmer (born February 26, 1986) is an actress from Australia. She is well-known for her roles in horror films. She has also starred in movies of other types, both in Australia and the United States.

Teresa started acting when she was a teenager in the early 2000s. Her first movie was Wolf Creek in 2005. The next year, she got great reviews for her role in the drama 2:37. She was even nominated for a big award called the AACTA Award for Best Actress. She later received more nominations for movies like Hacksaw Ridge (2016), Berlin Syndrome (2017), and Ride Like a Girl (2019).

In Hollywood, Teresa appeared in movies such as Bedtime Stories (2008) and The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010). She also starred in the horror films Warm Bodies (2013) and Lights Out (2016). These roles helped her become a popular leading lady.

Teresa also writes and produces films. She co-wrote and co-produced The Ever After (2014), where she starred with her husband, Mark Webber. She has also starred in TV shows like the supernatural drama A Discovery of Witches (2018–2022).

Early life and dreams

Teresa Palmer was born and grew up in Adelaide, South Australia. She was the only child of Kevin Palmer and Paula Sanders. Her parents separated when she was three years old. They divorced when she was six. Teresa has a stepmother, two half-sisters, and two stepbrothers.

Teresa said she had a "tough upbringing." She lived with her mother and often visited her father on his farm. Teresa was named after Mother Teresa.

She went to Mercedes College, a private Catholic school. In 2003, she won a local acting audition called "Search for a Movie Star." Her first acting jobs were dressing up as a Strawberry Shortcake doll and an elf at shopping centers. She also took acting classes and appeared in several TV commercials. Before acting full-time, she worked at fast-food restaurants and clothing stores.

After high school, Teresa thought about working with animals. She even wanted to open her own animal welfare agency. She was accepted into university to study teaching and journalism. But she always dreamed of acting. Then, an agent called her about a student film called 2:37. The director saw her picture and wanted her for the movie. Teresa left university to work on the film.

Career beginnings in Australia

Teresa started as an extra in movies filmed in Adelaide. Her first big role was in 2:37 (2006). She played a sad teenager in the film. Her performance earned her a nomination for a major Australian film award. After this, she signed with a talent agent in Sydney.

She also had a small role in the movie Wolf Creek (2005). Teresa then starred in Restraint, a psychological thriller. She was called an Australian "star of tomorrow" by Screen International that year.

Next, she starred in December Boys, a movie about growing up in the 1960s. She played Lucy, who has a romance with Daniel Radcliffe's character. This movie was filmed in late 2005.

2:37 was shown at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. The film received a standing ovation, which gave Teresa confidence in her acting career. This trip helped her meet her manager and American talent agents. She then signed with a big agency, the William Morris Agency.

Moving to Hollywood

Teresa was chosen for her first American movie, Jumper. But her role was later given to an older actress. Teresa was very upset and went back to Adelaide for a few months.

Her first Hollywood movie was The Grudge 2 in 2006. It was a horror movie where she played a "bitchy schoolgirl." The movie was released on Friday the 13th in October 2006.

Palmer at The Hunger Games Sydney premiere

In 2007, Teresa was cast in the comedy Take Me Home Tonight. It was set in the 1980s and released in 2011. She also appeared in a music video for the band Eskimo Joe.

Teresa moved from Australia to Los Angeles in May 2007 to continue her acting career. She found it a big change and felt lonely at first. She even thought about going home until she made friends.

In 2007, she was cast as a villain in a DC Comics superhero movie called Justice League of America. However, the movie was canceled.

In 2008, Adam Sandler chose Teresa to be his love interest in the Walt Disney Pictures movie Bedtime Stories. She played an heiress named Violet Nottingham. The movie was released on Christmas Day 2008.

Teresa then got a romantic lead role in Disney's The Sorcerer's Apprentice. She played Becky Barnes, a college student. The movie was based on a section of the animated film Fantasia. Teresa lived in Manhattan for six months while filming. The movie was released in 2010.

In 2009, Teresa started her own film production company, Avakea Productions. She also became the face of the Jurlique cosmetics company.

In 2011, Teresa starred in the sci-fi adventure movie I Am Number Four. She played Number Six, an alien with special powers. Her character was good at martial arts and could "phase" through objects. Teresa trained for the role, learning flips and sword fighting. The movie was released in February 2011.

She also appeared in the short film Bear and the Australian drama-thriller Wish You Were Here.

More recognition and horror films

In 2013, Teresa starred in the zombie movie Warm Bodies. She played Julie, a human who falls in love with a zombie. The movie was released in February 2013 and received good reviews.

In 2013, Teresa became the "global face" of Artistry cosmetics. She also starred in Love and Honor, a romance movie set during the Vietnam War.

In 2014, she co-starred in the romantic drama Parts per Billion. She also had two films premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival: Cut Bank and Kill Me Three Times. She played an assassin in Kill Me Three Times. Teresa also starred in The Ever After, which she co-wrote and directed with her husband.

In 2015, she appeared in the film Knight of Cups with Christian Bale. She also had a supporting role in the 2015 remake of Point Break.

In 2016, Teresa played the main female role in The Choice. She also starred in the crime drama Triple 9. That same year, she played Rebecca in the horror film Lights Out. She also co-starred in the war drama Hacksaw Ridge, playing the love interest of Andrew Garfield's character. Both films received positive reviews, and Teresa's acting was praised.

In 2017, Teresa starred in the psychological thriller Berlin Syndrome. She also appeared in the science fiction thriller 2:22.

From 2018 to 2022, Teresa had a main role as Diana Bishop in the British supernatural drama series A Discovery of Witches. In 2019, she starred in the movie Ride Like a Girl, playing Michelle Payne, a famous jockey. This film was directed by her Hacksaw Ridge co-star, Rachel Griffiths.

Teresa will also star in a TV show called The Family Next Door.

Personal life

Teresa Palmer started dating actor and director Mark Webber in late 2012. They connected on Twitter. They got engaged in August 2013 and married on December 21, 2013, in Mexico.

Teresa and Mark have two sons and two daughters together. Teresa is also a stepmother to Mark's son from a previous relationship. The family lives in Los Angeles.

In November 2012, Teresa and her friend Phoebe Tonkin started a health and wellness website called Your Zen Life. She also co-founded another website, Your Zen Mama, with her friend, actress Sarah Wright.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2005	Wolf Creek	Pool Party Girl
2006	2:37	Melody
	The Grudge 2	Vanessa Cassidy
2007	December Boys	Lucy
2008	Restraint	Dale
	Bedtime Stories	Violet Nottingham
2010	The Sorcerer's Apprentice	Rebecca "Becky" Barnes
2011	I Am Number Four	Number Six / Jane Doe
	Take Me Home Tonight	Tori Frederking
	Bear	Emelie	Short film
	Quirky Girl	Claire
2012	Wish You Were Here	Steph McKinney
2013	Warm Bodies	Julie Grigio
	Love and Honor	Candace
2014	Cut Bank	Cassandra Steeley
	Parts per Billion	Anna
	The Ever After	Ava	Also writer and producer
	Kill Me Three Times	Lucy Webb
2015	Knight of Cups	Karen
	Point Break	Samsara Dietz
2016	Too Legit	Kimmie	Short film
	The Choice	Gabby Holland
	Triple 9	Michelle Allen
	Lights Out	Rebecca
	Hacksaw Ridge	Dorothy Schutte
	Message from the King	Kelly
2017	Berlin Syndrome	Clare Havel
	2:22	Sarah
2019	The Place of No Words	Herself
	Ride Like a Girl	Michelle Payne
2022	The Twin	Rachel
2023	Shadow Woman	Brooke	Short film
2024	The Fall Guy	Iggy Starr
	Addition	Grace Vandenburg
TBA	Tecie		Post-production

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2018–2022	A Discovery of Witches	Diana Bishop	Main role
2023	The Clearing	Freya Heywood	Main role
TBA	The Last Anniversary	Sophie Honeywell	Main role
	Mix Tape	Alison Connor	Main role
	The Family Next Door	Isabelle	Main role

Key

Denotes television series that have not yet been released

Music videos

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Teresa Palmer para niños