Who Is 'The Serpent' Actress Jenna Coleman?

Publish date: 2024-09-29

Although tons of great shows have debuted on streaming services in recent years, the BBC-Netflix collab 'The Serpent' really turned heads. Fans were thrilled with Jenna Coleman's performance as Marie-Andrée Leclerc, but of course, the series didn't last long.

So fans began to wonder, just who is the actress, and where else can they catch her on screen? The answer is, in quite a few places.

RELATED: 10 Celebs Who Are Actually British

Jenna Coleman -- AKA Jenna-Louise Coleman -- hails from England and has acted since the '90s. But her first roles weren't on screen; they were on stage.

Coleman's resume on IMDb includes multiple TV series, like 'Emmerdale Farm,' 'Waterloo Road,' and a handful of mini-series as well. But prior to those gigs, Jenna acted in productions like 'Summer Holiday,' 'All My Sons,' and 'A Separate Peace' (a virtual play broadcast in 2020).

But there's another, bigger reason why fans recognize Coleman's face. She appeared in 38 episodes of 'Doctor Who' between 2012 and 2017. The actress portrayed Clara Oswald from seasons 7 through 9, sharing the screen with Matt Smith, and then in a special in 2017. No word on whether she was involved in any of those unmade 'Doctor Who' movies though...

Oh, and there was also a brief cameo in 'Captain America: The First Avenger.' Though hers was a "brief appearance," Coleman played a woman named Connie in the film.

And overlapping with 'Doctor Who' was another notable gig: a recurring role on 'Victoria' as Queen Victoria. The period drama lasted 25 episodes, after which Coleman continued on to other television projects (including 'The Cry' and 'Inside No. 9').

As for what's coming up next, Coleman is slated to appear in 'Klokkenluider,' which is currently in pre-production, per IMDb. But she's also been busy appearing on all kinds of magazine covers, including, most recently, RadioTimes.

Per the headline of RadioTimes, the role in 'The Serpent' changed Jenna's life. As Jenna noted on Instagram, "the response to the show has been so thrilling and rewarding." Though it's worth noting that Coleman was already a notable actress pre-'The Serpent.'

In fact, she's earned a long list of nominations for past performances on television, including a best supporting actress role for 'Doctor Who.' While Matt Smith might still be pegged as 'Doctor Who' these days, Jenna's made a name for herself beyond the franchise.

All fans can really hope for is that the actress will join up for another BBC-Netflix (or just Netflix) project where her acting chops can really shine. A series or film where she can lead would be just the ticket. Either way, it's clear she's not done in Hollywood yet, even if her original claim to fame has faded with Clara.

NEXT: Netflix Drops First Trailer For Anna Kendrick's Sci-Fi Thriller 'Stowaway'

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGiroZ1dqLKzvMSnq2avmKR6qr%2BMmpqtqpWowG62xKelmmWTpLmmucCnZg%3D%3D