Alycia Debnam-Carey | |
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![]() Debnam-Carey in 2019 | |
Born | Alycia Jasmin Debnam-Carey (1993-07-20)20 July 1993 (age 31) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 2003–present |
Alycia Jasmin Debnam-Carey (born 20 July 1993) is an Australian actress. She made her film debut in 2003 inRachel Ward's Australian short drama filmMartha's New Coat, and her feature film debut in the Americandisaster filmInto the Storm (2014). From 2014 to 2016, she portrayedLexa on thedystopianscience fiction seriesThe 100. She co-starred asAlicia Clark on the horror drama seriesFear the Walking Dead (2015–2023), and made her directorial debut with theseventh season episode "Ofelia". In 2023, Debnam-Carey co-starred as Alice Hart in the Australian drama Amazon miniseriesThe Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, for which she received anAACTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama.
Debnam-Carey was born on 20 July 1993 inSydney, New South Wales, Australia.[1] Her mother, Leone Carey, worked as a children's television writer, and her father, Jeff Debnam, was a musician.[2][3] As children, Debnam-Carey and her brother would help their mother act out the program segments she wrote. Debnam-Carey began acting at age eight, and also studiedclassical percussion for ten years.[4]
She attendedNewtown High School of the Performing Arts, where she was a percussionist. In 2010, in partnership with theBerlin Philharmonic, Debnam-Carey and around 40 other musicians composed a piece in a two-week program and performed it at theSydney Opera House.[5] In her last year of school, she was listed as a distinguished achiever by theNSW Government for achieving the top band of six Higher School Certificate courses.[6][7] She received the Premier's Award for earning a score of 90+ in over 10 units, as well as an OnStage nomination for achievement in drama and an HSC Encore nomination for achievement in music.[8][9] Graduating from Newtown in 2011,[10] she almost attended theSydney Conservatorium of Music, but decided she wanted to pursue acting.[4][11]
Debnam-Carey made her film debut at the age of ten inRachel Ward's award-winning short-feature filmMartha's New Coat (2003).[12][13] In 2006, she guest-starred in the Australian drama seriesMcLeod's Daughters,[14] and voiced Lee in the Australian animated short film,The Safe House, based on thePetrov Affair.[15][16] In 2008, she appeared in television filmDream Life and the short drama filmJigsaw Girl.[17][18] Debnam-Carey also starred in the short film "The Branch" (2011), directed by Julietta Boscolo and played a supporting role in the short filmAt the Tattooist (2010). In 2010, she was cast in the unsold pilotResistance,[19] and guest-starred in an episode of the Australian drama series,Dance Academy.
In her last year of high school, Debnam-Carey decided on traveling to the U.S. after graduating to pursue acting.[20][11] She began to work in Hollywood at the age of 18. She appeared inNext Stop Hollywood (2013), a six-part documentary that followed six Australian actors as they competed for roles during the U.S. TV pilot season.[2] After two weeks in Los Angeles, Debnam-Carey auditioned for the role of a youngCarrie Bradshaw for theCW seriesThe Carrie Diaries, and was asked to audition for an independent thriller film set in the Amish community. She landed on the shortlist forThe Carrie Diaries and tested for the network, but the network said she looked too young for the role.[21] She was offered the lead role in the thriller film, later titledThe Devil's Hand, which she began filming in North Carolina during the final week of the documentary.[22][21] While staying in LA, Debnam-Carey became a Heath Ledger Scholarship Finalist in November 2012.[23]
In 2014, Debnam-Carey played a supporting role in the Americandisaster filmInto the Storm.[24] FollowingThe Devil's Hand, she was cast in a series pilot calledGalyntine forAMC, starringPeter Fonda and co-executive-produced byRidley Scott,Greg Nicotero andJason Cahill,[25][26] though AMC ultimately opted not to take the pilot to series.[27]
Debnam-Carey guest-starred in the second season of The CW's dystopian seriesThe 100, debuting in episode six (aired 3 December 2014) asLexa. Lexa soon became a fan favorite,[28][29] and Debnam-Carey's breakout role.[30] On 1 December 2014, the four lead roles of AMC'sFear the Walking Dead were announced, with Debnam-Carey asAlicia Clark.[14] AtSan Diego Comic-Con in July 2015,The 100's showrunnerJason Rothenberg announced that Debnam-Carey would be returning to the show's third season.[31] AMC had agreed to two blocks of filming schedules for her to film for both shows.[32][33]
Fear the Walking Dead premiered on 23 August 2015.[34] On 27 August, Debnam-Carey made her first talk show appearance onJimmy Kimmel Live! while promoting the series.[35] In December,The Wrap featured Debnam-Carey as one of the 15 breakout TV stars of 2015 forThe 100 andFear the Walking Dead.[36] In 2016, she won theMTV Fandom Award for Fan Freakout of the Year for Lexa onThe 100,[37] andE! Online TV Scoop Awards for Best Guest Star (as Lexa) and Female Breakout Star (for Lexa and Alicia Clark).[38]
Debnam-Carey received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Lexa onThe 100.[39][40] Considered a breakout star ofFear the Walking Dead as well,[41][42] she also received critical praise for her work in the series, with Erik Kain ofForbes writing, "Debnam-Carey is a fantastic actor. She was great inThe 100 but she's even better inFear", crediting her performance in the third-season episode "This Land is Your Land" for "elevating the show".[43]Vanity Fair's Laura Bradley said Debnam-Carey "delivered one of her best performances yet" in the season four episode "Close Your Eyes",[44] and David Zapanta ofDen of Geek deemed it "arguably a career-defining performance".[45]
Debnam-Carey appeared in the lead role of Laura in the German thrillerFriend Request, released in Germany on 7 January 2016.[46] In October 2017, she was cast in the crime dramaA Violent Separation (2019) as Frances Campbell, younger sister of the victim. In 2017 and 2018, she was nominated for theSaturn Awards for Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series for her work inFear the Walking Dead.[47][48] In 2020, she made an appearance in the series finale ofThe 100, portraying a being known as a judge who assumed Lexa's form to communicate.[49]
In July 2021, it was announced that Debnam-Carey would make her directorial debut in 2022 for a season seven episode ofFear the Walking Dead.[50] She directed the eleventh episode of the season, "Ofelia".[51] Debnam-Carey said she had always been interested in directing ever since she took a film class in school, where she made a short film.[52][53] In May 2022, she announced that the seventh season episode "Amina" was her final on the series.[54]
Debnam-Carey starred as Emily in the eight-partHulu seriesSaint X, a psychological drama told through multiple timelines and perspectives, based on Alexis Schaitkin's novel of the same name.[55][56] She also portrayed Alice Hart inThe Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, co-starring withSigourney Weaver in the seven-episode Amazon original series based onHolly Ringland's best-selling novel.[57][58] The series was nominated for 12AACTA Awards, including a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Debnam Carey.[59] On November 7, 2023,Dior announced Debnam-Carey as their first ever Australian ambassador.[60]
In 2024, Debnam-Carey appeared in the independent sci-thriller filmIt's What's Inside, written and directed by Greg Jardin.[61] She co-starred in the limited drama seriesApple Cider Vinegar, created bySamantha Strauss forNetflix, based on the real-life story of health and wellness scammers.[62]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2003 | Martha's New Coat | Elsie | Short film |
2006 | The Safe House | Lee (voice) | Short film |
2008 | Jigsaw Girl | Caitlyn | Short film |
2010 | At the Tattooist | Jane | Short film |
2011 | The Branch | Anica | Short film |
2014 | Into the Storm | Kaitlyn Johnston | |
The Devil's Hand | Mary | ||
2016 | Friend Request | Laura Woodson | |
2019 | A Violent Separation | Frances Campbell | |
2024 | It’s What’s Inside | Nikki | |
2025 | Liked† | Roxy | Post-production |
† | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2006 | McLeod's Daughters | Chloe Sanderson | Episode: "Second Best" |
2008 | Dream Life | Cassie | TV movie |
2010 | Dance Academy | Mia | Episode: "Perfection" |
2013 | Next Stop Hollywood | Herself | Documentary series |
2014–2016 2020 | The 100 | Lexa The Judge | Recurring role (seasons 2–3) Guest star (season 7 series finale) |
2015–2023 | Fear the Walking Dead | Alicia Clark | Main cast (seasons 1–7), guest star (season 8 series finale) Director - episode: "Ofelia" |
2023 | Saint X | Emily Thomas | Main cast |
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart | Alice Hart | Miniseries | |
2025 | Apple Cider Vinegar | Milla Blake | Miniseries |
Year | Work | Awards | Category | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | The 100 | MTV Fandom Awards | Ship of the Year (jointly withEliza Taylor) | Nominated | [63] |
2016 | Nominated | [64] | |||
Fan Freakout of the Year | Won | [37] | |||
Fear the Walking Dead &The 100 | E! Online TV Scoop Awards | Female Breakout Star | Won | [38] | |
The 100 | Best Guest Star | Won | [38] | ||
2017 | Fear the Walking Dead | Saturn Awards | Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series | Nominated | [47] |
2018 | Nominated | [48] | |||
2024 | The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart | AACTA Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Drama | Nominated | [59][65] |