Tessa Lynne Thompson was born on October 3, 1983, in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Marc Anthony Thompson, is a singer-songwriter of Afro-Panamanian descent, and her mother is of European and Mexican ancestry. She was raised in Brooklyn, New York, and Los Angeles.
Thompson attended Santa Monica High School, where she actively participated in theater productions. She later studied cultural anthropology at Santa Monica College but left to pursue acting full-time.
Thompson began her professional acting career in theater, appearing in productions such as “The Tempest” and “Romeo and Juliet: Antebellum New Orleans, 1836.” Her early television appearances included roles in “Cold Case,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “Heroes.”
Her breakthrough film role came in 2010 with “For Colored Girls,” directed by Tyler Perry. She gained further recognition for her performances in independent films like “Dear White People” (2014) and “Creed” (2015). “Creed” marked a significant turning point in her career, establishing her as a prominent actress in mainstream cinema.