Vanessa Zachos

Vanessa Zachos (born 3 May) is a South African-British film and television actress. She has appeared on American television in the series Fringe as well as in feature films opposite leading actors, including Ron Howard's BAFTA nominated Rush and in leading roles in independent films.

Zachos was born in Johannesburg, South Africa to immigrant parents. Her father is Greek and mother is German with French and Danish extraction. She is the middle child of five daughters. She attended highschool in Parktown, Johannesburg where she studied Art and Latin, leaving early to work. For a while she assisted a Private Investigator on cases of infidelity eventually moving to London, UK where she now lives.

In 2008 Vanessa, on her very first audition, was cast in a lead role for a yet to be completed British independent film 'The Secret Philosophy'. She then went on to appear in the British horror film Credo aka The Devils Curse working with actors Colin Salmon, Myanna Buring and the late Stephen Gately.

Her continuing interest in acting led her to being accepted onto courses at Central School of Speech and Drama and The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She has also trained in the Chubbuck Technique. Zachos was selected as one of 40 rising talents of Africa by Berlinale Talent Campus Durban at the Durban International Film Festival.

Living in Vancouver in 2012, Zachos was cast in a principal role opposite Chris Hemsworth in Ron Howards BAFTA nominated film Rush where she worked alongside Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl. In 2013 she appeared in her first guest role on American television in the penultimate episode of J. J. Abrams award winning TV series Fringe directed by P. J. Pesce for FOX Broadcasting Company. She recently appeared as the writer Anita Halina Janowska in the documentary film Rebel of the Keys and made her first European television appearance in Der Andere on The Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF). Her other credits include leading roles in experimental, independent shorts films and an MTV music video.