Anna Torv | |
|---|---|
 Torv in 2011 | |
| Born | (1979-06-07)7 June 1979 (age 45) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Education | National Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives |
|
Anna Torv (born 7 June 1979) is an Australian actress. Her performance asOlivia Dunham in theFox science fiction seriesFringe (2008–2013) earned her four consecutiveSaturn Awards for Best Actress on Television, a record for any performer. She portrayed psychologist Wendy Carr in theNetflix period crime dramaMindhunter from 2017 to 2019, andTess in theHBO post-apocalyptic drama seriesThe Last of Us in 2023. She is especially known in Australia for theABC dramaThe Newsreader, for which she won two consecutiveAACTA Awards. She stars in the Netflix drama seriesTerritory, set in Australia'sNorthern Territory, which premiered in October 2024.
Torv was born inMelbourne[1] on 7 June 1979,[2] the daughter of Susan (née Carmichael), of Scottish descent, and Hans Arvid Torv (Tõrv), a property developer and radio presenter[3] of Estonian ancestry.[4][5] At age six, she moved with her mother and younger brother to theGold Coast, where she grew up,[1] initially attendingAll Saints Anglican School before finishing her schooling atBenowa State High School, where she graduated in 1996.[6] As of 2008, Torv had been estranged from her father for many years.[7][3]
Torv's paternal aunt, journalistAnna dePeyster, was married to media mogulRupert Murdoch for 31 years. Through this marriage, Torv is a cousin ofElisabeth,Lachlan, andJames Murdoch.[7]
Following her high school graduation, she relocated toSydney, New South Wales, where she had been accepted into theNational Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) at the age of 17. As she was too young to get an electricity account on her own, and to go to pubs, she decided to take a "gap year", during which she worked as cafe and bar staff.[1] She graduated with aperforming arts degree in 2001.[7][1]
In 2003, Torv played the role ofOphelia with theBell Shakespeare Company inJohn Bell's production ofHamlet.[8] In 2004, she joined the cast of Australia's acclaimed television dramaThe Secret Life of Us, playing Nikki Martel.[9]
In 2005, Torv recorded a series of audio books for Scholastic Australia's Solo Collection, including the titlesLittle Fingers,Jack's Owl,Spike, andMaddy in the Middle,[10] and later did voice work and performance capture for the role of Nariko in the 2007 video gameHeavenly Sword.[11]
She then appeared in theBBC seriesMistresses in 2008. From 2008 to 2013, Torv played AgentOlivia Dunham in the American television seriesFringe. She received an Australians in Film Breakthrough award in 2009. She has been nominated five times for theSaturn Award for Best Television Actress from 2009 to 2013, winning a total of four times.[12] Torv appeared asVirginia Grey onHBO's mini-seriesThe Pacific and later starred in aCollegeHumor Original video as a tyrannical traffic cop.[13] In 2014, Torv reprised her role as Nariko in thefilm adaptation ofHeavenly Sword.[14]
In March 2016, Torv was cast in the role of Dr. Wendy Carr, anFBI consultant, in the Netflix dramaMindhunter.[15][16][17]
In July 2021, Torv was cast in the role ofTess in the HBO post-apocalyptic seriesThe Last of Us.[18][19] The show premiered in January 2023; despite being a guest role, Torv's performance was seen as an early highlight, with Bernard Boo ofDen of Geek writing: "With just about an episode and a half, the terrific Anna Torv leaves an indelible impression as Joel's no-nonsense ride-or-die Tess before literally exiting the series with a bang [...]".[20]
Torv played newsreader Helen Norville in theABC seriesThe Newsreader, released in August 2021, which was set in an Australian TV newsroom in the mid-1980s.[21] The series returned for a second season in November 2023.[22] Torv won theAACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series twice for her performance as Norville, once for each season.[23][24] For the first season, she won the 2022Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actress,[25] and the series also won theLogie Award for Most Outstanding Drama Series.[26] She was nominated for a second Logie for the second season.[27]
In 2021, Torv also appeared in the television seriesFires, produced by the ABC Television network, about the2019–20 Australian bushfire season, in whichmegafires devastated Australia.[28]
In October 2024, Torv appeared in the Neflix seriesTerritory.[29]
In December 2008, Torv married American actorMark Valley, with whom she co-starred inFringe.[30] In April 2010, it was reported that the couple had separated or divorced several months previously.[31][32]
Torv lived inLos Angeles for over a decade, up until shortly after theCOVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020.[33] During her time there, she became a mother and bought a house.[34] She then sold her home and returned to Australia'sGold Coast in early 2020,[33] where she stayed with her mother before moving toMelbourne to filmThe Newsreader.[28]
As of 2021[update], Torv does not usesocial media.[33] As of January 2024[update], Torv and her son live in northernNew South Wales.[35]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Travelling Light | Debra Fowler | |
| 2006 | The Book of Revelation | Bridget / Gertrude | |
| 2014 | Heavenly Sword | Nariko (voice) | |
| Love Is Now | Virginia Grey | ||
| 2015 | The Daughter | Anna | |
| 2017 | Stephanie | Jane | |
| 2023 | Scarygirl | The Keeper (voice) | |
| 2024 | Force of Nature: The Dry 2 | Alice Russell |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | White Collar Blue | Neighbour | Television film |
| Young Lions | Irena Nedov | Recurring role (series 1) | |
| 2004 | McLeod's Daughters | Jasmine McLeod | 2 episodes |
| 2004–2005 | The Secret Life of Us | Nikki Martel | Recurring role (series 4) |
| 2007 | Frankenstein | ITU nurse | Television film |
| 2008 | Mistresses | Alex | Recurring role (series 1) |
| 2008–2013 | Fringe | Olivia Dunham | Main role |
| 2010 | The Pacific | Virginia Grey | Episode: "Peleliu Landing" |
| 2011 | The Cleveland Show | Herself | Episode: "A Short Story and a Tall Tale" |
| CollegeHumor Originals | Officer Alia | Episode: "Can I Give You a Ticket?" | |
| 2014 | Open | Windsor | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2015 | Deadline Gallipoli | Gwendoline Churchill | Main role; miniseries |
| 2016–2019 | Secret City | Harriet Dunkley | Main role |
| 2017–2019 | Mindhunter | Wendy Carr | Main role |
| 2021 | Fires | Lally Robinson | 2 episodes |
| 2021–2025 | The Newsreader | Helen Norville | Main role[36] |
| 2023 | The Last of Us | Tess | 3 episodes |
| 2024 | Nautilus | Revna | 1 episode |
| Territory | Emily Lawson | Main role | |
| So Long, Marianne | Charmian Clift | Main role |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Night Before Christmas | Bess | Roman Scandals Theatre Restaurant | |
| 1998–2001 | Undiscovered Country | Unknown | Unknown | Credited from playbill of the 2003 production ofHamlet |
| Bodyline: Time's Up | ||||
| Richard III | ||||
| Basic Burlesque | ||||
| 2001 | Plenty | Susan Traherne | NIDA Theatre | 2 April 2001 |
| Language of the Gods | Alicia | 5 May 2001 | ||
| Ring Round the Moon | Capulat | NIDA Studio | 27 June 2001 | |
| Goodnight Children Everywhere | Ann | 28 September 2001 | ||
| Kiss Me, Kate | Chorus Girl | Parade Theatre | 17 October 2001 | |
| 2002 | The Credeaux Canvas | Amelia | SBW Stables Theatre | In association with theGriffin Theatre Company |
| 2003 | Hamlet | Ophelia | Bell Shakespeare | |
| 2005 | The Cherry Orchard | Anya | Sydney Theatre Company |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Heavenly Sword | Nariko (voice) | Also motion capture |
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| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | NAVGTR Awards | Lead Performance in a Drama | Heavenly Sword | Nominated | |
| 2009 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress on Television | Fringe | Won | |
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress Fantasy/Sci-Fi | Fringe | Nominated | ||
| Scream Awards | Breakout Performance – Female | Fringe | Nominated | ||
| 2010 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress on Television | Fringe | Won | [37] |
| Scream Awards | Best Television Performance | Fringe | Nominated | [38] | |
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress Fantasy/Sci-Fi | Fringe | Nominated | [39] | |
| 2011 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress on Television | Fringe | Won | |
| International Online Cinema Awards | Best Actress in a Drama Series | Fringe | Nominated | ||
| Scream Awards | Best Science Fiction Actress | Fringe | Nominated | ||
| Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Drama Actress | Fringe | Nominated | ||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress Fantasy/Sci-Fi | Fringe | Nominated | ||
| 2012 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress on Television | Fringe | Won | |
| IGN Awards | Best TV Actress | Fringe | Nominated | ||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress Fantasy/Sci-Fi | Fringe | Nominated | ||
| 2013 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress on Television | Fringe | Nominated | |
| 2016 | AACTA Awards | Best Supporting Actress | The Daughter | Nominated | |
| 2017 | Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Actress | Secret City | Won | |
| 2019 | AACTA Awards | Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama | Secret City | Nominated | |
| 2021 | AACTA Awards | Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama | The Newsreader | Won | |
| 2022 | Logie Awards | Most Popular Actress | The Newsreader | Nominated | |
| Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Actress | The Newsreader | Won | ||
| Equity Ensemble Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Series in a Drama Series | The Newsreader | Won | ||
| 2023 | Online Film & Television Association | Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series | The Last of Us | Nominated | |
| International Online Cinema Awards | Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series | The Last of Us | Nominated | ||
| Gold Derby Awards | Drama Guest Actress | The Last of Us | Nominated | ||
| TV Scholar Awards | Best Guest Performance in a Drama | The Last of Us | Nominated | ||
| MTV Movie Awards | Best Kiss | The Last of Us | Nominated | ||
| 2024 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | The Last of Us | Nominated | |
| CinEuphoria Awards | Merit - Honorary Award Shared with the cast | The Last of Us | Won | ||
| AACTA Awards | Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama | The Newsreader | Won | ||
| Logie Awards | Best Lead Actress in a Drama | The Newsreader | Nominated | ||
| 2025 | AACTA Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Force of Nature: The Dry 2 | Nominated | |
| AACTA Awards | Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama | Territory | Nominated |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
