Anna Torv (born 7 June 1979) is an Australian actress. Her performance as

Olivia Dunham Olivia Dunham is a fictional character and the main protagonist from the science fiction television series ''Fringe (TV series), Fringe'', created by series' co-creator J. J. Abrams, and is portrayed by actress Anna Torv. Olivia is the series' p ...

in the

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

science fiction series ''

Fringe Fringe may refer to: Arts and music * "The Fringe", or Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world's largest arts festival * Adelaide Fringe, the world's second-largest annual arts festival * Fringe theatre, a name for alternative theatre * Purple fri ...

'' (2008–2013) earned her four consecutive Saturn Awards for Best Actress on Television, a record for any performer. She portrayed psychologist Wendy Carr in the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

period crime drama '' Mindhunter'' (2017–2019) and

Tess Tess or TESS may refer to: Film and theatre * Tess (1979 film), ''Tess'' (1979 film), a 1979 film adaptation of ''Tess of the d'Urbervilles'' * Tess (2016 film), ''Tess'' (2016 film), a South African production Music * Tess (band), a Spanish pop ...

in the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

post-apocalyptic drama series ''

The Last of Us ''The Last of Us'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Players control Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting a teenage girl, Ellie, across a post-apocalyptic United States ...

'' (2023). Her work on ''The Last of Us'' garnered her a

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. She is known in Australia for the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

drama ''

The Newsreader ''The Newsreader'' is an Australian television Drama (film and television), drama series created by Michael Lucas and broadcast on ABC (Australian TV network), ABC Television, starring Anna Torv and Sam Reid (actor), Sam Reid. The show explores ...

'', for which she won two consecutive

AACTA Awards The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known as the AACTA Awards, are presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The awards recognise excellence in the cinema of Australia, film and ...

. She stars in the Netflix drama series ''

Territory A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, belonging or connected to a particular country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually a geographic area which has not been granted the powers of self-government, ...

,'' set in Australia's

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

, which premiered in October 2024.

Early life

Torv was born in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

on 7 June 1979, the daughter of Susan (née Carmichael), of Scottish descent, and Hans Arvid Torv (Tõrv), a property developer and radio presenter of Estonian ancestry. At age six, she moved with her mother and younger brother to the Gold Coast, where she grew up, initially attending

All Saints Anglican School All Saints Anglican School ("ASAS" or "All Saints") is a private, co-educational school located in Merrimac, Queensland, Australia. It was established in 1987 under the Aegis of the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane. The school is located on a 40-hec ...

before finishing her schooling at

Benowa State High School Benowa State High School (BSHS) is a state, co-educational school in the suburb of Benowa (Queensland, Australia) in the Gold Coast. The school is located in the land of the Kombumerri people, within the wider Bujalung language nation, reco ...

, where she graduated in 1996.Anna Torv's story
, perthnow.com.au. Retrieved 20 April 2015. As of 2008, Torv had been estranged from her father for many years. Torv's paternal aunt, journalist Anna dePeyster, was married to media mogul

Rupert Murdoch Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian - American retired business magnate, investor, and media mogul. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of List of assets owned by News Corp, local, national, a ...

for 31 years. Through this marriage, Torv is a cousin of Elisabeth, Lachlan, and

James Murdoch James Rupert Jacob Murdoch (born 13 December 1972) is an American - British businessman. He is the younger son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and the former chief executive officer (CEO) of 21st Century Fox from 2015 to 2019. He was the chairma ...

. Following her high school graduation, she relocated to

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, New South Wales, where she had been accepted into the

National Institute of Dramatic Art The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is an Australian educational institution for the performing arts based in Sydney, New South Wales. Founded in 1958, it offers bachelor's, master's and vocational degrees in subjects including acting ...

(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 A gap year, also known as a sabbatical year, is a period of time when students take a break from their studies, usually after completing high school or before beginning graduate school. During this time, students engage in a variety of educatio ...

", during which she worked as cafe and bar staff. She graduated with a

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...

degree in 2001.

Career

In 2003, Torv played the role of

Ophelia Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama ''Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet. Due to Hamlet's actions, Ophelia ultima ...

with the Bell Shakespeare Company in John Bell's production of ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

''. In 2004, she joined the cast of Australia's acclaimed television drama ''

The Secret Life of Us ''The Secret Life of Us'' is an Australian television drama series set in the beachside neighbourhood of St Kilda, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is primarily a drama with some comedic moments. The series was produced by South ...

'', playing Nikki Martel. In 2005, Torv recorded a series of audio books for Scholastic Australia's Solo Collection, including the titles ''Little Fingers'', ''Jack's Owl'', ''Spike'', and ''Maddy in the Middle'', and later did voice work and performance capture for the role of Nariko in the 2007 video game ''

Heavenly Sword ''Heavenly Sword'' is a 2007 action-adventure game developed by British company Ninja Theory and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. The game revolves around player-character Nariko and her eponymous sword, battling ag ...

.'' She then appeared in the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

series ''

Mistresses Mistress is the feminine form of the English word "master" (''master'' + ''-ess'') and may refer to: Romance and relationships * Mistress (lover), a female lover of a married man ** Royal mistress * Maîtresse-en-titre, official mistress of a ...

'' in 2008. From 2008 to 2013, Torv played Agent

in the American television series ''

''. She received an Australians in Film Breakthrough award in 2009. She has been nominated five times for the

Saturn Award The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films bel ...

for Best Television Actress from 2009 to 2013, winning a total of four times. Torv appeared as

Virginia Grey Virginia Grey (March 22, 1917 – July 31, 2004) was an American actress who appeared in over 100 films and several radio and television shows from the 1930s to the early 1980s. She was romantically involved with Clark Gable for several years, a ...

's mini-series ''

The Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

'' and later starred in a ''CollegeHumor Original'' video as a tyrannical traffic cop. In 2014, Torv reprised her role as Nariko in the

film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...

of ''Heavenly Sword''. In March 2016, Torv was cast in the role of Dr. Wendy Carr, an

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

consultant, in the Netflix drama '' Mindhunter''. In July 2021, Torv was cast in the role of

in the HBO post-apocalyptic series ''

''. The show premiered in January 2023; despite being a guest role, Torv's performance was seen as an early highlight, with Bernard Boo of ''

Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...

'' 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 ... For the series, she was nominated for a

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series is an award that is presented annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance i ...

, marking her first ever Emmy nomination. Torv played newsreader Helen Norville in the

series ''

'', released in August 2021, which was set in an Australian TV newsroom in the mid-1980s. The series returned for a second season in November 2023. Torv won the

AACTA Award The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known as the AACTA Awards, are presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The awards recognise excellence in the film and television industry, ...

for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series twice for her performance as Norville, once for each season. For the first season, she won the 2022

Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actress The Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actress, commonly known as the Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actress, is an award presented annually at the Australian TV Week ''TV Week'' is a weekly Australian magazine that provides television pr ...

, and the series also won the

Logie Award for Most Outstanding Drama Series The Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Drama Series is an award presented annually at the Australian TV Week Logie Awards. The award is given to recognise an outstanding Australian drama series. The winner and nominees of this award are chosen b ...

. She was nominated for a second Logie for the second season. In 2021, Torv also appeared in the television series ''

Fires Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion reaction when the fuel ...

'', produced by the ABC Television network, about the

2019–20 Australian bushfire season The 201920 Australian bushfire season commenced with serious uncontrolled fires in June 2019. , fires this season have burned an estimated , destroyed over 5,900 buildings (including 2,779 homes) and killed at least 34 people. An estimated o ...

, in which

megafire A megafire is an exceptional fire that devastates a large area. They are characterised by their intensity, size, duration and uncontrollable scale. There is no precise scientific definition. A megafire may or may not be a firestorm. Defi ...

s devastated Australia. In October 2024, Torv appeared in the Neflix series ''

''.

Personal life

In December 2008, Torv married American actor

Mark Valley Mark Thomas Valley (born December 24, 1964) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Brad Chase in the TV drama ''Boston Legal'', Oliver Richard in the NBC drama ''Harry's Law'', FBI Special Agent John Scott in the Fox sci fi series ...

, with whom she co-starred in ''Fringe''. In April 2010, it was reported that the couple had separated several months previously. Torv lived in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

for over a decade, up until shortly after the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

began in early 2020. During her time there, she became a mother and bought a house. She then sold her home and returned to Australia's Gold Coast in early 2020, where she stayed with her mother before moving to

to film ''The Newsreader''. , Torv does not use

social media Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...

. , Torv lives in northern

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Torv, Anna 1979 births 21st-century Australian actresses Actresses from the Gold Coast, Queensland Australian expatriate actresses in the United States Australian film actresses Australian Shakespearean actresses Australian television actresses Australian video game actresses Australian voice actresses Living people Logie Award winners National Institute of Dramatic Art alumni Australian people of Estonian descent Australian people of Scottish descent Murdoch family