Azie Tesfai

Name: Azalech “Azie” Tesfai

Introduction: Azie Tesfai is an American actress, writer, and producer. She is widely recognized for her roles in popular television series, notably as Detective Nadine Hanson in “Jane the Virgin” and as Kelly Olsen / Guardian in “Supergirl.” Tesfai is also known for her entrepreneurial endeavors and philanthropic work.

Date of birth: December 20, 1982

Height: Approximately 5 feet 3 inches (1.60 m). Some sources also cite 5’5″.

Place of birth: Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Family:

Parents’ names: Tesfai is the daughter of Eritrean immigrants who grew up in Ethiopia. Their names are not widely publicized, though she honored her mother by naming an Ethiopian restaurant in a “Supergirl” episode after her. She has stated that her parents “escaped war” to give her a better life.
Siblings: She is an only child.
Spouse: No publicly known spouse.
Children: No children.
Relatives: Not widely publicized beyond her immediate family.

Profession: Actress, writer, producer, entrepreneur.

Nationality: American (of Eritrean descent)

Religion: Information not consistently available.

College or university attended: University of California, Berkeley (received a degree in business administration).

Biography and What Famous For:

Azie Tesfai was raised in Los Angeles, California, by her Eritrean immigrant parents. While studying business administration at UC Berkeley, she began attending auditions and acting classes, eventually leading her to pursue a career in entertainment. She initially pursued a business degree, considering a career in law, but discovered her passion for acting during her last semester of college.

Her first significant role was as Cherry Milton in “Wicked Wicked Games” (2006–2007), where she appeared in 30 episodes. She then went on to secure guest and recurring roles in several popular television series, demonstrating her versatility across various genres.

Tesfai is famous for her roles in:

“Jane the Virgin” (2014–2016): She played the recurring character Detective Nadine Hanson in the critically acclaimed CW series.
“Supergirl” (2019–2021): She joined the fourth season as Kelly Olsen, the sister of DC Comics character James Olsen (played by Mehcad Brooks). She was promoted to series regular for the fifth season and eventually took on the mantle of Guardian, becoming the first Eritrean/Ethiopian actress to play a superhero in the Arrowverse. She also made history by co-writing episode 12 of the sixth and final season (“Blind Spots”), making her the first Arrowverse actor to receive a writing credit on an Arrowverse series. Through this, she incorporated personal touches, like an homage to her mother’s dream of opening an Ethiopian restaurant, and integrated themes of racial inequality and PTSD.

Beyond her acting, Tesfai is also known for her entrepreneurial spirit and humanitarian work. She founded a jewelry company called Fortuned Culture in Los Angeles. A significant aspect of this venture is its philanthropic mission: 100% of the proceeds from sales benefit children in developing countries such as Mexico, Ethiopia, and Cambodia. Each piece of jewelry is designed to symbolize human needs like health, love, faith, wisdom, and balance, with the goal of fulfilling these needs for those less fortunate through the sales.

She is also actively moving into writing and producing, with two series currently in development: “The Chase” with Universal Television for NBC, and “Sheba,” a drama series about the first queen on the continent of Africa, which landed at Onyx Collective for Hulu with Ryan Coogler’s Proximity Media producing. Tesfai has expressed her passion for telling stories that promote representation and Black joy, moving beyond narratives solely focused on trauma.

Have participated (Selected Filmography and Ventures):

Television: