Deborah Ann Woll


Deborah Ann Woll is an American actress. She is known for her roles as the vampire Jessica Hamby on the HBO drama series True Blood and Karen Page in the Netflix shows Daredevil, The Defenders, and The Punisher. She has also starred in the films Mother's Day, Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You, Catch.44, Ruby Sparks, Meet Me in Montenegro, The Automatic Hate, and Escape Room.

Early life

Deborah Ann Woll was born in Brooklyn New York City on February 7, 1985. Her father is an architect and her mother, Cathy Woll, is a teacher at the Berkeley Carroll School. She is of Irish and Jewish-German descent. She attended the Packer Collegiate Institute, and received a BFA from USC School of Dramatic Arts at the University of Southern California. She also trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.

Career

Woll began her career with guest starring roles in several television series, including Life, ER, ', My Name Is Earl, and The Mentalist, and had a supporting role in the action-adventure television film Aces 'N' Eights.
In 2008, Woll landed her breakout role as Bill Compton's vampire progeny, Jessica Hamby, in the HBO fantasy drama series True Blood. She originally joined as a recurring character in the first season, but was promoted to a regular cast member for the second season onwards. In 2009, she and her True Blood co-stars won the Satellite Award for Best Cast – Television Series at the 14th annual ceremony. Woll maintained the role of Jessica until the series' ending in 2014. In 2009, she made a guest appearance in an episode of
', portraying a young woman who is found alive after being reported missing by her boyfriend.
In 2010, Woll made her feature film debut in the psychological horror Mother's Day. In 2011, she starred in the supernatural thriller Little Murder, the sports drama Seven Days in Utopia, the action film Catch.44, and the comedy-drama Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You. The following year, she co-starred in the romantic comedy-drama film Ruby Sparks. In 2013, she performed at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in the play Parfumerie. That same year, she joined the cast of the drama film The Automatic Hate.
In 2015, she starred in the independent romantic drama film Forever. In 2015, Woll has portrayed Karen Page in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series for Netflix, as the female lead in Daredevil, and as a recurring character in The Punisher and The Defenders.
Woll starred in the comedy film Silver Lake. She also appeared in the action thriller film Escape Room.
Woll appeared in the online Dungeons & Dragons series Force Grey, where she was the Dungeon Master for celebrity players and appeared as a guest player on Critical Role. She also appeared on the 2019 show Relics and Rarities, which uses a modified version of Dungeons & Dragons.

Personal life

Woll began dating E. J. Scott in December 2007. They married in December 2018. Scott has choroideremia, a condition that ultimately results in blindness, and Woll uses her platform to help raise awareness of the disease. She has said that Scott's bravery in fighting his disability has inspired courage in her own battle with celiac disease.
Woll is an enthusiastic Dungeons & Dragons player, being interviewed by D&D Beyond as well as guest starring in the 45th episode of Critical Role second campaign as a small gnome girl named Twiggy. She is also a regular guest on the show Game Night! by BoardGameGeek.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2007LifeNancy WiscinskiEpisode: "Powerless"
2008Aces 'N' EightsTerrified WomanTelevision film
2008ERAurora QuillEpisode: "Owner of a Broken Heart"
2008'Waitress StephaneEpisode: "For Gedda"
2008My Name Is EarlGreta2 episodes
2008The MentalistKerry SheehanEpisode: "Red Brick and Ivy"
2008–2014True BloodJessica Hamby70 episodes
2009'Lily MiltonEpisode: "Solitary"
2011Hell's KitchenHerselfGuest diner
2013Axe CopBest Fairy EverEpisode: "The Dumb List"
2015–2018DaredevilKaren Page39 episodes
2017The DefendersKaren Page4 episodes
2017–2019The PunisherKaren Page5 episodes

YearTitleRoleVenue
2013ParfumerieAmalia BalashWallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts