Teresa Palmer

Teresa Mary Palmer is an Australian actress. She made her feature film debut in the psychological drama 2:37 (2006) and the horror film Wolf Creek (2005). She is recognized for her roles in films such as Warm Bodies, Lights Out, Hacksaw Ridge, and Ride Like a Girl, as well as lead television roles in A Discovery of Witches and The Clearing.

Palmer was born and raised in Adelaide, South Australia. Following her parents' divorce, she lived in public housing with her mother while visiting her father's farm near Mylor. She attended Mercedes College, a private Catholic school. Before pursuing acting full time, Palmer worked part-time promotional and retail jobs, including portraying costume characters at shopping centers. Although she initially considered animal welfare and briefly studied university-level journalism, she left higher education after being cast in 2:37.

Palmer gained initial attention for her role as a depressed teenager in 2:37 (2006), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and earned her a nomination for the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Lead Actress. Shortly after, she signed with American talent representatives and relocated to Los Angeles in 2007. Her early film appearances included Restraint, December Boys (2007), and her American feature film debut in the horror sequel The Grudge 2 (2006).

Throughout the late 2000s and 2010s, Palmer appeared in a variety of studio and independent productions. She played roles in films such as Bedtime Stories (2008), The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010), Take Me Home Tonight (2011), and I Am Number Four (2011). In 2013, she starred in the romantic zombie film Warm Bodies, followed by roles in Knight of Cups (2015), Point Break (2015), Triple 9 (2016), and The Choice (2016). Additionally, she co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in the drama film The Ever After (2014), directed by her husband, Mark Webber.

Palmer achieved further critical recognition for her work in horror and drama. She starred in the horror film Lights Out (2016) and portrayed Dorothy Schutte in the biographical war film Hacksaw Ridge (2016), receiving an AACTA International Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She earned subsequent AACTA Award nominations for her leading roles in the psychological thriller Berlin Syndrome (2017) and the biographical sports film Ride Like a Girl (2019), where she portrayed Michelle Payne. Her later film work includes the horror feature The Twin (2022) and a supporting role in The Fall Guy (2024).

On television, Palmer starred as Diana Bishop in the fantasy drama series A Discovery of Witches from 2018 to 2022. In 2023, she played Freya Heywood in the psychological thriller miniseries The Clearing, a role that earned her an AACTA Award nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama. Outside of acting, Palmer previously formed the production company Avakea Productions and has served as a spokesperson for various cosmetic brands.