Anna Torv
Torv in 2011
Born	(1979-06-07) 7 June 1979 (age 44) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Education	National Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2001–present
Spouse	Mark Valley ​ ​ (m. 2008, divorced)​
Relatives	Anna Murdoch Mann (aunt) Elisabeth Murdoch (cousin) Lachlan Murdoch (cousin) James Murdoch (cousin)

Anna Torv (born 7 June 1979) is an Australian actress. Her performance as Olivia Dunham in the Fox science fiction series Fringe (2008–2013) earned her four consecutive Saturn Awards for Best Actress on Television, a record for any performer, and a nomination for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series. For her performance as Tess in the HBO post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us (2023), she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.

Early life

Torv was born in Melbourne on 7 June 1979,^[1] the daughter of Susan (née Carmichael), of Scottish descent and Hans Arvid Torv (Tõrv), of Estonian ancestry.^[2][3] At age six, she moved with her mother and younger brother to the Gold Coast, where she grew up,^[4] initially attending All Saints Anglican School before finishing her schooling at Benowa State High School, where she graduated in 1996.^[5] Following high school graduation, she relocated to Sydney where she enrolled at the National Institute of Dramatic Art and graduated with a performing arts degree in 2001.^[6] Torv is estranged from her father.^[6] Her paternal aunt, journalist Anna Mann dePeyster (née Torv; formerly Murdoch), was married to media mogul Rupert Murdoch for 31 years. Through this marriage, Torv is the cousin of Elisabeth, Lachlan, and James Murdoch.^[6]

Career

In 2003, Torv played the role of Ophelia with the Bell Shakespeare Company in John Bell's production of Hamlet.^[7] In 2004, she joined the cast of Australia's acclaimed television drama The Secret Life of Us, playing Nikki Martel.

In 2005, Torv recorded a series of audio books for Scholastic Australia's Solo Collection, including titles Little Fingers, Jack's Owl, Spike, and Maddy in the Middle^[8] and later did voice work and performance capture for the role of Nariko in the 2007 video game Heavenly Sword.^[9]

She then appeared in the BBC series Mistresses in 2008. From 2008 to 2013, Torv played Agent Olivia Dunham in the American television series Fringe. She received an Australians in Film Breakthrough award in 2009. She has been nominated five times for the Saturn Award for Best Television Actress from 2009 to 2013, winning a total of four times.^[10] Torv appeared as Virginia Grey on HBO's mini-series The Pacific and later starred in a CollegeHumor Original video as a tyrannical traffic cop.^[11] In 2014, Torv reprised her role as Nariko in the film adaptation of Heavenly Sword.^[12]

In March 2016, Torv was cast in the role of Dr. Wendy Carr, an FBI consultant, in the Netflix drama Mindhunter.^[13][14][15]

In July 2021, Torv was cast in the role of Tess in the HBO post-apocalyptic series The Last of Us.^[16][17] 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 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 [...]".^[18]

Torv played newsreader Helen Norville in the ABC series The Newsreader, released in August 2021, for which she won the AACTA award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series and also the 2022 Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actress.

In 2021, Torv also appeared in the television series Fires, produced by the ABC Television network, about the 2019–20 bushfire season mega-fires which devastated Australia.

Personal life

In December 2008, Torv married American actor Mark Valley, with whom she co-starred in Fringe.^[19] In April 2010, it was reported that the couple had "ended their marriage" several months prior.^[20][21]

While living in Los Angeles, Torv became a mother and bought a house there.^[22]

Torv does not use social media.^[23] A resident of Los Angeles for over a decade, she sold her home there and returned to Australia's Gold Coast shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020.^[23]

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Video games

Awards and nominations