Peta Wilson
Template:Short description Template:BLP sources Template:Use Australian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox person Peta Gia Wilson (born 18 November 1970) is an Australian actress, lingerie designer, and model. She is best-known for her title role in the television series La Femme Nikita (1997–2001).
Biography
Early life
Wilson was born in Sydney on 18 November 1970.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She is the daughter of the caterer Karlene White Wilson and Darcy Wilson, a former Warrant Officer in the Australian Army.<ref name=a>Template:Cite web</ref> She spent several years in Papua New Guinea when her father was stationed there. Her parents divorced in 1982.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Career
Wilson began her career as a model in Australia and Europe before relocating to the United States in 1991. There, she studied acting with Arthur Mendoza at the Actors Circle Theatre and with Tom Waits at the TomKat Repertory Group. She made her debut in a few independent films, such as the comedy/romance The Sadness of Sex (1995) and the drama Naked Jane (1995).
In 1996, while preparing to continue her studies in New York City, Wilson auditioned for a new television series produced for the USA cable TV channel. Chosen from over 200 candidates, she was cast in the lead role of La Femme Nikita (1997–2001), the television adaptation of the 1990 French thriller of the same name. The Canadian‑American co‑production, filmed primarily in Toronto, Ontario, ran for five seasons and 96 episodes. Wilson’s co‑stars included Roy Dupuis, Don Francks, Alberta Watson and Eugene Robert Glazer; her performance earned her two Gemini Award nominations for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role.<ref name=littlereview>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=ew>Template:Cite interview</ref><ref name=wsj>Template:Cite news</ref>
After La Femme Nikita, Wilson starred in the thriller Mercy and, before leaving Toronto, appeared in the Showtime mini-series A Girl Thing (2001).
In 2001, she attended the Moscow International Film Festival alongside Jack Nicholson, Sean Penn and Tilda Swinton. Russian President Vladimir Putin, also present at the festival, reportedly confessed to being a fan of her television series La Femme Nikita.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2002, she portrayed real-life actress Anny Ondra in the television movie Joe and Max. Following this, she returned to Australia to focus on family life and give birth to her son. In 2003, Wilson played the vampire Mina Harker in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen while on set in Prague with her one-year-old son. During her time in Australia, she also starred in the mystery mini-series Two Twisted (2006), appeared in Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns (2006), and took a leading role in the independent film Beautiful (2009).
Returning to Los Angeles in 2010, she made guest appearances on CSI: Miami and The Finder before launching her lingerie label Wylie Wilson in 2012, opening a flagship store in Los Angeles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the following years, she continued with smaller independent productions while maintaining a low public profile. She returned to television with a recurring role in the Australian series Troppo (2022). In 2025, Wilson appeared in Shane Black’s action film Play Dirty.
Personal life
Wilson lived with her longtime boyfriend, director Damian Harris, from 1997 until their separation in 2002.<ref name=a/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They have a son.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Template:Sortname | Angel of Love | |
| 1995 | Naked Jane | Marissa | |
| 1996 | Loser | Alyssha Rourke | |
| 1997 | One of Our Own | Corporal Jennifer Vaughn | |
| 2000 | Mercy | Vickie Kittrie | |
| 2003 | The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen | Mina Harker | |
| 2006 | Superman Returns | Bobbie-Faye | |
| 2007 | Gardens of the Night | Sarah | |
| 2009 | Beautiful | Sherrie | |
| 2010 | Errand Boy | Genie | Short film |
| 2011 | Somewhere Tonight | Girl With Something Extra | Voice role; credited as Vera Lune |
| 2012 | Liberator | Marla Criswell | Short film |
| 2015 | Dutch Kills | Ladye Bishop | Direct-to-video |
| 2025 | Play Dirty | Madge |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Woman Undone | The Receptionist | TV movie |
| 1996 | Strangers | Martha | Episode: "Going Without" |
| 1996 | Highlander | Inspector | Episode: "Promises" |
| 1997 | Vanishing Point | Motorcycle Girl | TV movie |
| 1997–2001 | La Femme Nikita | Nikita | Title role |
| 2001 | Other People | Harriet Stone | Unsold pilot |
| 2001 | Template:Sortname | Alex | Miniseries |
| 2002 | Joe and Max | Anny Ondra | TV movie |
| 2004 | False Pretenses | Dianne / Deedee | TV movie |
| 2005 | Jonny Zero | Aly | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Two Twisted | Mischa Sparkle | Episode: "A Flash Exclusive" |
| 2009 | Malibu Shark Attack | Heather | TV movie |
| 2010 | CSI: Miami | Amanda | Episode: "Sudden Death" |
| 2012 | The Finder | Pope | Episode: "Little Green Man" |
| 2017 | Michael Hutchence: The Last Rockstar | Herself | TV documentary |
| 2022 | Troppo | Eve | Recurring role (season 1) |
Nominations
| Year | TV Show | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | La Femme Nikita | Gemini Award Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | Template:Nom |
| 1998 | La Femme Nikita | OFTA Television Award Best Actress in a Cable Series | Template:Nom |
| 1998 | La Femme Nikita | Saturn Award Best Genre TV Actress | Template:Nom |
| 1999 | La Femme Nikita | Gemini Award Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | Template:Nom |
| 2003 | The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen | Saturn Award Best Supporting Actress | Template:Nom |
References
Further reading
- Heyn, Christopher. "A Conversation with Peta Wilson". Inside Section One: Creating and Producing TV's La Femme Nikita. Introduction by Peta Wilson. Los Angeles: Persistence of Vision Press, 2006. pp. 66–74. Template:ISBN. 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. pp. 1–32. Template:ISBN. Unauthorised biography of Peta Wilson culled from various pre-published sources.
- Edwards, Ted. La Femme Nikita X-Posed: The Unauthorized Biography of Peta Wilson and Her On-Screen Character. Prima Lifestyles, 1998, Template:ISBN.