Morena Baccarin was born Morena Silva de Vaz Setta Baccarin on June 2, 1979, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her mother, Vera Setta, is an actress, and her father, Fernando Baccarin, is a journalist. When she was seven years old, her family moved to Greenwich Village, New York City, due to her father’s work as a Globo TV editor. She attended Public School 41 and Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, alongside future actors Claire Danes and Wes Bentley. She then studied at the Juilliard School, graduating in 2000.
Baccarin began her acting career in the early 2000s. Her film debut was in the independent fashion world drama Perfume (2001), followed by a role in Roger Dodger (2002). She also worked on stage, including in the workshop production of The Seagull at the Blue Light Theater Company.
Baccarin gained significant recognition for her role as Inara Serra in the science fiction television series Firefly (2002-2003) and the subsequent film Serenity (2005), both created by Joss Whedon. This role helped establish her as a prominent figure in the science fiction genre.
Following Firefly, Baccarin had recurring roles in several television series, including Stargate SG-1 (2006-2007) as Adria, V (2009-2011) as Anna, and Homeland (2011-2013) as Jessica Brody. Her performance in Homeland earned her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2013.
Baccarin further solidified her presence in popular culture with her role as Dr. Leslie Thompkins in the Batman prequel television series Gotham (2015-2