Laurie Holden

Biography:

Heather Laurie Holden, born on December 17, 1969, is an American-Canadian actress, producer, model, and human rights activist. She is best known for her roles as Marita Covarrubias in The X-Files (1996–2002), Andrea Harrison in The Walking Dead (2010–2013, 2020–2022), and Amanda Dumfries in The Mist (2007).

Holden has also appeared as Adele Stanton in The Majestic (2001), Cybil Bennett in Silent Hill (2006), Olivia Murray in The Shield (2008), Renee in The Americans (2017–2018), and Crimson Countess in The Boys (2022).

Born in Los Angeles and raised in Toronto, she holds dual U.S. and Canadian citizenship. After her parents, actors Glen Corbett and Adrienne Ellis, divorced, her mother married director Michael Anderson, leading Holden to split her time between the two cities.

Her acting career began as a child when she filled in for an absent actress in The Martian Chronicles, directed by her stepfather. As a teenager, she won Toronto’s Look of the Year modeling contest and landed a small role in Separate Vacations (1986). She studied economics and political science at McGill University before transferring to UCLA, where she earned a degree in theater and film in 1993. At UCLA, she was part of the National Honor Society and received the Natalie Wood Acting Award. Later, she pursued a master’s in human rights at Columbia University.

Early in her career, Holden worked alongside stars like Burt Reynolds in Physical Evidence (1989) and Vanessa Redgrave in Young Catherine (1991). She played recurring and guest roles in The X-Files, Highlander: The Series, and The Magnificent Seven (1998–2000). Her breakthrough came with The X-Files, where she portrayed a government informant aiding Fox Mulder.

Holden gained further recognition in The Majestic (2001) with Jim Carrey, Fantastic Four (2005), Silent Hill (2006), and The Mist (2007). She also starred in The Shield (2008) and played Andrea in The Walking Dead (2010–2013). She later appeared in Major Crimes (2014), Dumb and Dumber To (2014), Chicago Fire (2015), Pyewacket (2017), and Dragged Across Concrete (2018).

More recently, she played Crimson Countess in The Boys (2022), performing the songs America’s Son and Chimps Don’t Cry.

Beyond acting, Holden is a dedicated activist, advocating for women’s rights and racial justice. She has been involved in anti-human trafficking efforts, serving as a board member of the Canadian Somaly Mam Foundation and an advisor to its U.S. counterpart. In 2014, she collaborated with Operation Underground Railroad to help authorities in Colombia arrest sex traffickers and rescue underage girls.