| Jessica De Gouw | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jessica Elise De Gouw (1988-02-15) 15 February 1988 (age 36) Perth, Western Australia, Australia |
| Other names | Jess De Gouw |
| Alma mater | Curtin University |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2006–present |
Jessica Elise De Gouw (born 15 February 1988) is an Australian actress. She is known for her role as Helena Bertinelli/The Huntress in the television series Arrow, as Mina Murray in the NBC TV series Dracula, and as Elizabeth Hawkes in the WGN series Underground.
Early life
De Gouw grew up in Lesmurdie, an eastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia, where she attended Lesmurdie Senior High School. She appeared in an episode of The Sleepover Club, as well as a short film. In 2010, she graduated from Curtin University with a degree in performance studies. She also appeared in another short film the same year.
Career
After graduation, De Gouw moved to Sydney for her acting career. While there, she appeared in a number of TV series, mainly in guest starring roles.
In 2012, she debuted in the film Kath & Kimderella as Isabella, Kath and Kim's maid. She moved to Los Angeles later that year and landed the recurring role of Helena Bertinelli/The Huntress in the action-adventure series, Arrow.
In 2013, De Gouw was cast in the NBC series Dracula as Mina Murray alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Oliver Jackson-Cohen. The series was cancelled after the first season.
In 2016, De Gouw was cast as fictional abolitionist Elizabeth Hawkes in the WGN series, Underground. She played the lead role Ren Amari in the 2017 feature film OtherLife based on the novel Solitaire by Kelley Eskridge.
De Gouw appeared in the 2018 Australian television movie Riot, about the 78ers, the Australian LGBTQ rights movement who fought for decriminalisation, recognition and equality.
She played the role of Sergeant Klintoff's wife, Louisa, in Leah Purcell's debut feature film, The Drover's Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson (2021).
On 11 July 2024, De Gouw was named for Stan Australia series Sunny Nights.
Personal life
De Gouw was in a relationship for several years with her Dracula costar, Oliver Jackson-Cohen.
In a June 2022 interview, she described herself as queer and said that she was in a relationship with a woman. De Gouw and her girlfriend, hairstylist Sophie Roberts, spoke about the pair's relationship for the February edition of Vogue in 2023.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Bedtime Stories | Mother | Short |
| 2010 | The Ballad of Nick Chopper | Iva | Short |
| 2011 | Works Well with Others | Andrea | Short |
| 2012 | Kath & Kimderella | Isabella | |
| The Dinner Meeting | Natalie | Short | |
| The Mystery of a Hansom Cab | Madge | TV film | |
| By Shank's Pony | Short | ||
| 2013 | These Final Hours | Zoe | |
| 2014 | Cut Snake | Paula | |
| 2015 | The Rezort | Melanie Gibbs | |
| 2017 | OtherLife | Ren Amari | |
| 2018 | Riot | Robyn Plaister | TV film |
| 2020 | Gretel & Hansel | Witch | |
| 2021 | The Walk | Hero | Short |
| The Drover's Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson | Louisa Klintoff | ||
| 2023 | The Portable Door | Rosie Tanner | |
| 2024 | The Union | Juliet Quinn |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | The Sleepover Club | Amanda Hart | Episode: "Fallen Star" |
| 2011 | Underbelly | Constable Edie McElroy | 3 episodes |
| Crownies | Melody Kingston | 1 episode | |
| 2012 | Tricky Business | Yvette Bell | Episode: "Opportunity Knocks" |
| 2012–2014 | Arrow | Helena Bertinelli | 4 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | Dracula | Mina Murray | Series regular |
| 2015 | Deadline Gallipoli | Vera Grant | Mini-series |
| 2016–2017 | Underground | Elizabeth Hawkes | Series regular |
| The Last Tycoon | Minna Davis | 2 episodes | |
| 2017 | Sparebnb | Emma | Episode: "Steve and Emma" |
| 2019 | The Hunting | Eliza | Mini-series |
| The Crown | Lucy Lindsay-Hogg | Episode: "Cri de Coeur" | |
| Vienna Blood | Amelia Lydgate | 3 episodes | |
| 2020 | Operation Buffalo | Eva Lloyd-George | Series regular |
| 2020–2021 | Pennyworth | Melanie Troy | 5 episodes |
| 2020–2022 | The Secrets She Keeps | Meghan Shaughnessy | Series regular |
| 2021 | The Moth Effect | Sephen | Episode: "Celestial Graveyard" |
| 2023 | The Couple Next Door | Becka | Lead role |
| The Artful Dodger | Peggy Gaines | 4 episodes | |
| 2024 | Ladies in Black | Fay Janosi | Series regular |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Equity Ensemble Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Mini-series or Telemovie (with Damon Herriman, Kate Box, Xavier Samuel & Josh Quong Tart) | Riot | Won |
Notes
- De Gouw's birthday is 15 February. She was 23 years old on 14 January 2012. Her full birth date, 15 February 1988, is calculated from these two facts.
References
- ^ "De Gouw set to wow in US". Yahoo! New Zealand News. 14 January 2012. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- ^ Symonds, Kristy (20 October 2012). "Perth actor Jessica De Gouw aiming at sci-fi glory". Perth Now. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- "OtherLife world premiere". Kelley Eskridge. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- "Inside Alycia Debnam-Carey's Beauty Routine - Grazia". Grazia USA. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- Know, David (11 July 2024). "Production begins on new Stan comedy-drama Sunny Nights | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- "Who Is Oliver Jackson-Cohen's Girlfriend? What You Need To Know About Partner Jessica De Gouw". Capital FM. 8 October 2020. Archived from the original on 14 October 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- Dow, Steve (3 July 2022). "'Twitter is the worst!': Actor Jessica de Gouw on being in the public eye". The Age. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- Xidias, Angelica (9 February 2023). "Sophie Roberts and Jessica De Gouw pen their love story". Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- De Gouw, Jessica (15 February 2015). "Thank you for all the wonderful birthday wishes!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 31 October 2018 – via Twitter.