Lynn Collins
Viola Lynn Collins is an American actress. She has made television appearances in True Blood and ', and is recognized for her roles in films such as ' and John Carter.
Youth and education
Born Viola Lynn Collins, reported variously in May or June 1977, Collins is from Houston, Texas. She has English, Scottish, and Irish ancestry, and has also said that she has Cherokee roots, referring to herself as "Irish and Cherokee." She spent her formative years in Singapore, with "summers in Japan where my parents were getting their fourth and fifth and sixth Dan in Shitaru... Okinawa style karate". During a childhood Christmas pageant in which she played Mrs. Claus, Collins discovered her love for acting.She attended Singapore American School and Klein High School in Texas. She graduated from the Juilliard School's Drama Division with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
Career
Collins made her television debut in 1999, in an episode of ', and went on to star onstage as Ophelia opposite Liev Schreiber in Hamlet, followed by a turn as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. After bit parts that included a stint on the show Haunted and roles in the movies Down with Love, 50 First Dates and 13 Going on 30, she gained notice in the film The Merchant of Venice, starring with Al Pacino, Joseph Fiennes and Jeremy Irons as the female lead Portia, Collins' audition tape for the supporting role of Jessica having so impressed director Michael Radford that—upon Cate Blanchett's opting out as Portia —Radford had championed Collins becoming Blanchett's replacement.She furthered her profile in 2008 when she was cast as Jason Stackhouse's girlfriend Dawn Green in the first season of the HBO vampire series True Blood, and through a featured role as the hero's love interest in the 2009 ' opposite Hugh Jackman. Her first leading film role came in 2012 when she was cast as the headstrong Martian princess Dejah Thoris in John Carter.
Personal life
Collins married then 21-year-old actor Steven Strait on December 23, 2007, after a four-year relationship. Collins and Strait separated in 2013.She married musician Matthew Boyle in November 2014. They have a son.
Collins was raised in a "very, very religious" family of Southern Baptists, and has since explored several religious faiths, describing herself as a "pretty spiritual person."
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2002 | Never Get Outta the Boat | Stacy | |
| 2003 | Down with Love | Beatnik Girl | |
| 2004 | 50 First Dates | Linda | |
| 2004 | 13 Going on 30 | Wendy | |
| 2004 | The Merchant of Venice | Portia | |
| 2006 | Return to Rajapur | Sara Reardon | |
| 2006 | Bug | R.C. | |
| 2006 | The Lake House | Mona | |
| 2006 | The Dog Problem | Lola | |
| 2007 | The Number 23 | Suicide Blonde/Mrs. Dobkins/Young Fingerling's Mother | |
| 2007 | Numb | Sara Harrison | |
| 2007 | Towelhead | Thena Panos | |
| 2008 | Life in Flight | Kate | |
| 2008 | Uncertainty | Kate | |
| 2008 | Eavesdrop | Tallulah | |
| 2009 | Blood Creek | Barb | |
| 2009 | Kayla Silverfox | ||
| 2010 | City Island | Vince's Bombshell Girlfriend | |
| 2011 | Angels Crest | Cindy | |
| 2011 | 10 Years | Anna | |
| 2012 | John Carter | Dejah Thoris | |
| 2012 | Unconditional | Samantha Crawford | |
| 2013 | The Wolverine | Kayla Silverfox | Archival Audio |
| 2016 | The Hollow Point | Marla | |
| 2019 | Rim of the World | Major Collins | |
| 2020 | Beneath Us | Liz Rhodes |