Phoebe Jane Elizabeth Tonkin was born on July 12, 1989, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She attended Loreto Kirribilli, an all-girls Catholic school. Tonkin began taking dance courses at the age of four, including classical ballet, hip hop, contemporary dance, and jazz. She also attended courses at the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP).
Tonkin’s acting career began in 2006 when she was cast as Cleo Sertori in the Australian children’s television series H2O: Just Add Water. She remained on the show for all three seasons, from 2006 to 2010. This role provided her with early recognition and a platform for future acting opportunities.
In 2010, Tonkin made her American television debut with a guest role on The Secret Circle, a supernatural teen drama on The CW. She played Faye Chamberlain, a prominent witch. The series ran for one season.
Tonkin achieved wider recognition for her role as Hayley Marshall in The Vampire Diaries, also on The CW. She joined the cast in 2012 and continued in the role until 2013. The character proved popular and was subsequently spun off into the starring role in The Originals, a spin-off series focusing on the Original vampire family. Tonkin starred in The Originals for all five seasons, from 2013 to 2018. Her performance as Hayley Marshall garnered critical acclaim and solidified her position as a leading actress in the supernatural drama genre.
Beyond her leading roles, Tonkin has also appeared in other television series, including Stalker (2014), Safe Harbour (2018), and Bloom (2019-2020).
Tonkin’s film credits include roles in Tomorrow, When the War Began (2010), Bait