Peta Gia Wilson (born November 18, 1970) is an
Australian actress and model.
Biography
Early life
Wilson was born in
Sydney,
New South Wales, the daughter of Karlene (
née White), a caterer, and Darcy Wilson, a former warrant officer.
Her parents divorced in 1982. At a young age, she moved and lived a portion of her life in
Papua New Guinea. Living there without television or radio, she and her brother learned to entertain themselves putting on private shows for their parents lip synching to
Liza Minnelli. This was just a hint of her budding talent to come. Her family moved around from place to place as her father, Darcy Wilson, was in the military special forces. She learned to adapt quickly to each place she moved and was very well liked.
During her teen years she involved herself in sports such as netball and swimming. As Peta was a very energetic young woman, her mother was concerned about her being a
tomboy, and so sent her to comportment classes. While there she was spotted by a modeling agent. Her new career allowed her to live in
Europe but Peta had other plans.
Career
First working as a model in Australia and Europe, she moved to
Los Angeles where she studied acting in 1991. She studied with people like
Arthur Mendoza from The
Actors Circle Theatre in Los Angeles, as well as
Tom Waits at the TomKat Repertory Group. She landed small roles in independent films such as
Loser and
One of Our Own. But in 1996, ready to pursue her acting studies in New York, she was persuaded to audition for
USA Network. She beat out 200 other actresses for the starring role in the
Canadian/
American television action series
Nikita (U.S. title:
La Femme Nikita) playing the role of Nikita, codenamed Josephine, a martial arts trained covert agent. The show was based on
Nikita, a
Luc Besson movie of the same name.
The show was a successful spring board for Peta's career in fact she received two
Gemini nominations for Best Performance By An Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role.
In 2003, Wilson appeared with
Sean Connery in the movie
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, in the role of vampire
Mina Harker.
She was featured on July 2004 issue of
Playboy magazine.
In 2006, she appeared in the film
Superman Returns as Bobbie-Faye, a spokesperson for
NASA.
Personal life
Wilson has been living with her long-time boyfriend
Damian Harris since mid-1990s.
[ They have one child together, son Marlowe, born in February 2002.] Filmography
- Other People (2001) (pilot of a television series) ... as Harriet Stone
- Mercy (2000) ... as Vickie Kittrie
- Loser (1996) ... as Alyssha Rourke
Herself
Awards
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films
Gemini Awards
- Nominated: 1999 Gemini Award - Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role - La Femme Nikita (1997) Episode - "Cat and Mouse"
Bibliography
- Heyn, Christopher. "A Conversation with Peta Wilson." Inside Section One: Creating and Producing TV's La Femme Nikita. Introduction by Peta Wilson. Los Angeles: , 2006. 66-74. ISBN 0-9787625-0-9. In-depth conversation with Peta Wilson about her role as Nikita on La Femme Nikita, as well as her approach to acting.
- Connolley, Dawn. "Nuthin' Fancy Luv, I'm Australian." La Femme Peta: The Unauthorized Biography of Peta Wilson''. Toronto, ECW Press, 2000. 1-32. ISBN 1-55022-385-2. Unauthorized biography of Peta Wilson culled from various pre-published sources.
