Jessica Henwick Biography: Jessica Yu-Li Henwick is a British actress, writer and director who has starred in several popular movies and TV shows, such as Game of Thrones, Iron Fist, Love and Monsters, The Matrix Resurrections, and The Royal Hotel. She is also the first actress of East Asian descent to play the lead role in a British television series, the children’s show Spirit Warriors. Her directorial debut Bus Girl was nominated for a BAFTA in 2020.
Jessica Henwick Age, Family, Husband, Childs and More
Jessica Henwick was born on 30 August 1992 in Surrey, England. Her father, Mark Henwick, is a Zambian-born English author who wrote the urban fantasy series Bite Back. Her mother, Pearlyn Goh Kun Shan, is a Singaporean-Chinese of Teochew descent. She has two brothers, one older and one younger.
Henwick developed an interest in acting at a young age and attended Collingwood College in Camberley, where she participated in school plays and drama clubs. She also trained at Redroofs Theatre School and the National Youth Theatre.
As of 2024, Jessica Henwick is 31 years old. She is unmarried and has no children. She is rumored to be dating Johnny Yang, a Chinese-American actor and stuntman who worked with her on Iron Fist and The Matrix Resurrections. However, neither of them has confirmed their relationship publicly.
Henwick is very close to her family and often shares pictures of them on her social media accounts. She also has a pet dog named Luna, whom she adopted from a shelter in 2017.
Jessica Henwick Education School and Colleges
Jessica Henwick attended Collingwood College in Camberley, where she studied drama, English, and history. She also trained at Redroofs Theatre School, a prestigious performing arts school in Berkshire, but dropped out after landing her first TV role in Spirit Warriors. She later joined the National Youth Theatre, a renowned youth theatre company in London, where she learned from Rikki Beadle-Blair, a British actor, director, and writer.
Henwick did not pursue higher education, as she focused on her acting career instead. She has said that she does not regret her decision, as she believes that learning on the job is more valuable than going to university.
Jessica Henwick Career, Debut, Awards, Achievements
Jessica Henwick began her career in 2010, when she was cast as the lead character Bo in the CBBC series Spirit Warriors, a fantasy adventure show inspired by Chinese mythology. She made history as the first actress of East Asian descent to play the lead role in a British television series. The show was nominated for several awards, including the Broadcast Awards 2011.
In 2013, Henwick made her professional theatre debut in the international premiere of Running on the Cracks, based on the book by Julia Donaldson. She played Leo, a runaway teenager who befriends a Chinese immigrant. Her performance was praised by critics, who called her "excellent", "outstanding", and "tremendous". She also appeared in the drama Obsession: Dark Desires, based on the true story of Jane Jeong Trenka, a Korean adoptee who was stalked by her ex-boyfriend in Minnesota.
In 2014, Henwick joined the cast of Silk, a legal drama series on BBC One, as Amy, a new barrister pupil. She reprised her role for the spin-off radio series Silk: The Clerks’ Room. She also guest-starred in Inspector Lewis, a detective series on ITV, as a young Oxford University student.
In 2015, Henwick landed two major roles in two blockbuster franchises. She was cast as Nymeria Sand, one of the Sand Snakes, in the fifth season of the HBO series Game of Thrones, based on the fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin. She continued playing the role until the seventh season. She also played Jess Pava, an X-wing pilot and a member of the Resistance, in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the seventh episode of the Star Wars saga. Her character, also known as "Testor", was an admirer of Luke Skywalker and a fan favorite among Star Wars fans.
In 2017, Henwick starred as Colleen Wing, a martial arts expert and ally of Danny Rand, in the Netflix series Iron Fist, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. She received positive reviews for her performance, despite the overall negative reception of the show. She reprised the role for the crossover series The Defenders, as well as the second season of Luke Cage, another Marvel series on Netflix. At the end of 2017, Henwick was listed as one of Variety’s Top Breakout Stars.
In 2019, Henwick appeared as Tissaia de Vries, a powerful sorceress and the mentor of Yennefer, in the first season of The Witcher, a fantasy series on Netflix, based on the books by Andrzej Sapkowski. She also co-wrote and co-directed her first short film, Bus Girl, a romantic comedy about a bus driver who falls in love with a passenger. The film was nominated for a BAFTA in the British Short Film category in 2020.
In 2020, Henwick starred in three movies: Underwater, a sci-fi horror film about a group of researchers who encounter a deadly creature at the bottom of the ocean; Love and Monsters, a post-apocalyptic comedy film about a young man who embarks on a dangerous journey to reunite with his girlfriend; and On the Rocks, a comedy-drama film about a father-daughter relationship, directed by Sofia Coppola. She also voiced the character of Alex Chen, a young woman with psychic powers, in the video game Life is Strange: True Colors.
In 2021, Henwick co-starred in Godzilla vs. Kong, a monster film that pitted two iconic creatures against each other. She played Dr. Ilene Andrews, a Monarch scientist who studies Kong and communicates with him through a deaf girl named Jia. She also joined the cast of The Gray Man, a spy thriller film directed by the Russo brothers and starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans.
In 2022, Henwick will appear in two highly anticipated movies: The Matrix Resurrections, the fourth installment of the Matrix franchise, where she will play Bugs, a blue-haired hacker and a follower of Neo; and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, a sequel to the 2019 whodunit film Knives Out, where she will play a detective who teams up with Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig. She will also star in The Heart of the Forest, a fantasy film based on the book by Holly Black, where she will play Hazel, a girl who makes a bargain with the faeries to save her brother.
In 2023, Henwick will return to the small screen with The Royal Hotel, a comedy series on HBO Max, where she will play the owner of a rundown hotel in London who tries to revive it with the help of her eccentric staff and guests. She will also voice the character of Raya, a warrior princess who seeks to restore peace in a divided world, in the animated film Raya and the Last Dragon, which was released in 2021. The film is inspired by the cultures and folklore of Southeast Asia, and features a diverse voice cast, including Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, and Sandra Oh. Henwick expressed her pride and excitement for being part of the film, which she called "a love letter to Southeast Asia". She also said that she related to Raya’s journey of finding trust and hope in a broken world.
Jessica Henwick Height, Weight and Body Measurements
Jessica Henwick is 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm) tall and weighs 55 kg (121 lbs). Her body measurements are 34-24-35 inches. She has black hair and brown eyes. She wears a bra size of 32B and a shoe size of 7.5 (US). She has a slim body type and maintains a healthy lifestyle by eating well and exercising regularly. She also practices martial arts, such as wushu and kung fu, which she learned for her roles in Spirit Warriors and Iron Fist.
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Name | Jessica Yu-Li Henwick |
| Nick-name | Jess |
| Sex | Female |
| Date Of Birth | 30 August 1992 |
| Age | 31 years (as of 2024) |
| Ethnicity | Mixed (English and Singaporean Chinese) |
| Profession / Occupation | Actress, writer and director |
| Mother Tongue | English |
| Religion | Teochew descent on her mother's side, and Zambian-born English heritage on her father's side. |
| Nationality | British |
| Zodiac Sign | Virgo |
| Family and Relatives | |
| Father | Mark Henwick |
| Mother | Pearlyn Goh Kun Shan |
| Brothers | Two (names unknown) |
| Sisters | None |
| Personal Life | |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Husband | N/A |
| Daughters | N/A |
| Sons | N/A |
| Boyfriend | Johnny Yang (rumored) |
| Affairs | None |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height in Centimeters | 168 cm |
| Height in Meters | 1.68 m |
| Height in Feet Inches | 5′ 6″ |
| Weight | 55 kg |
| Body Measurement | 34-24-35 inches |
| Eye Colour | Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Breast/Bust size | 34 inches |
| Waist Size | 24 inches |
| Hips size | 35 inches |
| Bra size | 32B |
| Body type | Slim |
| Education School and Colleges | |
| Education Qualification | Unknown |
| School | Collingwood College in Camberley |
| College | Redroofs Theatre School (dropped out) |
| University | N/A |
| Career | |
| Debut Tv or List till 2024 | Spirit Warriors (2010), Silk (2014), Game of Thrones (2015-2017), Obsession: Dark Desires (2015), Lewis (2015), Iron Fist (2017-2018), The Defenders (2017), Luke Cage (2018), The Witcher (2019), The Royal Hotel (2020), The Gray Man (2021), Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022), The Matrix Resurrections (2022) |
| Debut Movie List till 2024 | St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold (2009), Dragonfly (2015), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Baliko (2019), Underwater (2020), Love and Monsters (2020), On the Rocks (2020), Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), Monster Problems (2021), The Heart of the Forest (2022), The Northman (2022) |
| Awards | BAFTA nomination for Bus Girl (2020) |
| Achievements | First actress of East Asian descent to play the lead role in a British television series, Variety's Top Breakout Star of 2017, one of the 50 best screenwriters of 2020 by The Black List |
| Hobbys | |
| Hobby | Writing, martial arts, video games |
| Money Factor | |
| Net Worth | Estimated $1.5 million |
| Salary | $800,000 Annually |
| Social Media | |
| @jhenwick | |
| JessicaHenwickOfficial | |
| @JHenwick | |
Controversy and Affairs of Jessica Henwick
Jessica Henwick has not been involved in any major controversy or scandal in her career. She has been praised for her representation of Asian characters and her advocacy for diversity and inclusion in the entertainment industry. She has also been vocal about the challenges and stereotypes that she faced as an Asian actress in Hollywood, and how she overcame them with perseverance and confidence.
Henwick has kept her personal life private and has not confirmed any romantic relationship. She is rumored to be dating Johnny Yang, her co-star and stunt partner in Iron Fist and The Matrix Resurrections, but neither of them has addressed the speculation. Henwick has said that she values her friendship with Yang, who helped her improve her martial arts skills and supported her throughout their projects.
Jessica Henwick Social Media
Jessica Henwick is active on social media platforms, where she shares her work, hobbies, and personal updates with her fans. She has over 1.4 million followers on Instagram, over 200,000 followers on Facebook, and over 100,000 followers on Twitter. She often posts pictures and videos of her travels, her dog Luna, her family and friends, and her behind-the-scenes moments from her films and shows. She also interacts with her fans and fellow celebrities, and promotes causes that she cares about, such as animal welfare, environmental protection, and social justice.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about Jessica Henwick:
What is Jessica Henwick’s ethnicity?
Jessica Henwick is of mixed ethnicity. Her father is a Zambian-born English author, and her mother is a Singaporean-Chinese of Teochew descent.
What is Jessica Henwick’s net worth?
Jessica Henwick’s net worth is estimated to be around $1.5 million, according to various sources. She earns her income from her acting, writing, and directing projects, as well as endorsements and sponsorships.
What is Jessica Henwick’s next project?
Jessica Henwick's next project is Cuckoo, which is scheduled for release in theaters on May 3, 2024. Cuckoo is directed by Tilman Singer and stars Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens.
How did Jessica Henwick get into acting?
Jessica Henwick got into acting when she was a child, and participated in school plays and drama clubs. She also trained at Redroofs Theatre School and the National Youth Theatre. She landed her first TV role in Spirit Warriors when she was 17 years old, after auditioning for over six months.