AUGUST 22
THE JURY MEETS
Biography
Australian actress Katherine Langford garnered global recognition and critical acclaim as Hannah Baker in Netflix’s original series “13 Reasons Why”, which became a worldwide phenomenon shortly after its March 31, 2017 release. Following her outstanding breakout performance, Langford was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Drama.
That same year, she received the prestigious Screen Australia Breakthrough Award from Australians in Film. “13 Reasons Why” is based on Jay Asher’s The New York Times’ best-selling novel of the same name and created by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner, Brian Yorkey. The series follows teenager Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) as he returns home from school to discover a group of cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker (Langford), who tragically committed suicide two weeks earlier. The show acquired massive critical acclaim and viewership, and as a result, ran for a total of four seasons until 2020. Langford starred on the series for two seasons. The show is executive produced by Selena Gomez and Anonymous Content for Paramount Television.
Langford can currently be seen leading the Netflix Original fantasy series, “Cursed”, starring as Nimue. Co-created and written by Tom Wheeler and Frank Miller and based on their New York Times bestselling book of the same name, “Cursed” is a fresh re-imagination of the familiar Arthurian legend, told through the eyes of Nimue, a young woman with a mysterious gift who is destined to become the powerful (and tragic) Lady of the Lake. The series follows the journey of Nimue as she learns to harness her own power and embarks on a mission to deliver the Sword of Power to Merlin and save her people, the Fey. Other cast members include Gustaf Skarsgård, Devon Terrell, Daniel Sharman, and Shalom Brune-Franklin, among others. The series released globally on Netflix on July 17th.
This June, Langford was announced as the newest international spokesperson for L'Oréal Paris. She joins an impressive roster of global ambassadors for the brand, including Viola Davis, Jane Fonda, Julianne Moore, Céline Dion, and Eva Longoria, among others. The brand selected Langford as she embodies what it means to be a ‘woman of worth’, using her platform for positive influence and raising awareness about equality across gender, sexual orientation, age, and race.
On the feature side, Langford can most recently be seen as‘Meg Thrombey in Lionsgate’s mystery crime film, “Knives Out”, starring opposite Ana de Armas, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Toni Collette, among others. Directed by Rian Johnson, the critically-acclaimed feature follows the mysterious death of the Thrombey family patriarch, Harlan (played by Christopher Plummer). The film premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival and released in theaters on November 27, 2019. Rian Johnson received an Academy Award nomination in the category of Best Original Screenplay, and the film was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards including Best Motion Picture for a Comedy. It also received awards in the categories of Best Ensemble and “Top Film” honors from the National Board of Review, was included in the American Film Institute’s 10 Best Films of 2019 and won a Hollywood Critics Association Award in the category of Best Cast, among other accolades.
Langford also starred as Leah Burke in Director Greg Berlanti’s “Love, Simon” alongside Nick Robinson, Jennifer Garner, and Alexandra Shipp. Based on the coming-of-age novel, Simons vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, written by Becky Albertalli, the romantic comedy-drama centers around a young, closeted gay teenager (Robinson) who must come to terms with his identity to his friends, family, and classmates after his secret is threatened. Distributed by FOX 2000, the film released on March 16, 2018. The film has since received a nomination for a People’s Choice Award for the category of Favorite Comedic Movie and is the winner of a Teen Choice Award for the category of Best Comedy.
Furthermore, Langford will star in the upcoming independent, sci-fi, thriller feature, “Spontaneous”. Written and directed by Brian Duffield, the film centers on Mara Carlyle (Langford) during her senior year whose life is forever changed when students in her Senior class literally explode for no discernible reason. Based on the young adult novel written by Aaron Starmer, Langford completed production in March 2018.
Langford is a gifted songwriter and singer, accomplished swimmer, and can play the piano. She attended Perth Modern School and graduated in 2013 as part of the elite music program. From 2014 to 2015, Langford studied at the Principal Academy of Dance and Theatre Arts, graduating with a diploma in Performing Arts, majoring in music theatre. The Summer of 2015 and at the beginning of the following year, she was one of five selected to participate in the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) Advanced Actors Residency. Additionally, in 2015, she began training at Nicholson's Academy of Screen Acting.