Tessa Thompson ‘never imagined becoming an actress’

The 38-year-old actress is currently one of the most sought-after stars in Hollywood, and Tessa admits to surpassing her own expectations in the film industry.

Speaking about the recent premiere of ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’, Tessa – who stars as Valkyrie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – explained on the ‘Just for Variety’ podcast: “I grew up in Los Angeles. I grew up in Hollywood on those very streets. I never thought I would be an actor. There were no actors in my family. I didn’t know anybody on television or on a screen.

“But my dad, sometimes, or my mom would take me as a treat to go to Mann’s Chinese or to the El Capitan Theatre across the street.

“And so then to be in a film, to see children dressed as a character that I play in a film, to remember my childhood self walking on those streets in Hollywood, going to see a film and be transported by it, I felt really overwhelmed actually seeing all of the kids especially, but the adults, everyone in costume and how enthusiastic they were.

“It’s like beyond anything I could have ever dreamed that I would get to be a part of.”

Meanwhile, Tessa recently revealed that Valkyrie’s sexuality was a “big topic of conversation” among the makers of ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’.

The actress confirmed that her character’s sexuality was a major point of discussion before and during the shoot.

Tessa – who is attracted to both men and women, but chooses not to label herself bisexual – shared: “We talked about it a lot, it was big topic of conversation. Because I think rightfully there’s this real want in audiences to see characters be very clearly queer or LGBTQIA inside these spaces. And I think it’s hugely important to have representation.

“And also, as humans, I think that we are not defined by our sexuality, and by who we love. And so sometimes I think to hang a narrative completely on that is a way of actually diminishing the humanity of the character. Because you don’t allow them to be anything else.”