Bio
Deborah Ann Woll is an American actress best known for her starring role as Jessica Hamby, a young vampire "made" by Bill as a part of his punishment for murdering a fellow vampire, in the horror drama television series True Blood, from 2008-2014.
The daughter of an architect and a teacher, Woll grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Drawn to the arts from an early age, she studied dance and piano before discovering her passion for acting and classical theatre.
She starred in several high school plays and attended Carnegie Mellon's pre-college intensive program before accepting coveted spots in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program at the University of Southern California's prestigious School of Theatre and an intensive Shakespeare program at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.
Woll thrived in USC School of Theatre's conservatory environment, expanding her experience and landing leads in over 20 productions including her favourite stage role to date, Polly Peachum in Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's classic Three Penny Opera.
She won several performance-based scholarships and awards. Signed at the 2007 Leagues, Woll immediately began winning fans and booking jobs, despite the fact that she had never worked in film or television – and wasn't even a member of the Screen Actors Guild.
Woll earned her SAG card thanks to guest star roles in acclaimed shows such as Life, ER, The Mentalist and My Name is Earl.
Woll's big break came when casting directors Junie Lowry-Johnson and Libby Goldstein cast her in the recurring guest star role of Jessica Hamby in the first season of True Blood. By the second season, Woll was offered a series regular contract.
A self-proclaimed nerd, Woll enjoys computer games, Mystery Science Theater 3000 and every kind of puzzling game imaginable in her spare time.
While on hiatus from True Blood, Woll has starred in such films as Mother's Day, playing Rebecca DeMornay's only daughter Lydia; Little Murder, opposite Terrence Howard, Josh Lucas and Lake Bell; and Highland Park with Billy Burke, Parker Posey and Danny Glover.
Deborah lives in Los Angeles.