It's easy to imagine the life of an actor from a hit TV show as jumping from one role
to the next, but even talented performers sometimes have periods where it's hard to
find work. Sadly, that has been the case for actress Deborah Ann Woll, who co-starred in
several of Netflix's now-defunct Marvel properties most notably Daredevil.
Since the series was canceled in 2018, Woll says she has so far been unable to land a
follow-up role.
In an emotional interview on the YouTube series Joe Q's Mornin' Warm Up, hosted by legendary
comics artist and current Marvel Creative Director Joe Quesada, Woll opened up about
her struggles with navigating the industry, and how the lull in her career has affected
her. As she put it,
"If I'm not acting, I'm not sure who I am."
"It's been two years since Daredevil finished — a little more, two-and-a-half years — and
I haven't had an acting job since, and that's been really hard for me."
She also opened up about the toll working as an artist in a tumultuous industry can
take on a person's sense of self-worth.
I'm just really wondering whether I'll get to work again, whether anyone wants to work
with me again... all of those scary things.”
What makes Woll's plight all the more shocking is the fact that she's... well, really good
at her job. If you never caught her work on Daredevil, you've still probably seen her
on some other hit TV series over the last decade or so.
It was only after a handful of guest spots on Law & Order and ER that Woll finally managed
to land her breakout role one that many people probably still recognize her from.
In 2008, she was cast in the HBO series True Blood as Jessica Hamby, a timid young woman
raised in a deeply religious household who underwent a bit of a personality change when
she was turned into a vampire, and introduced to all of the powers that came with that supernatural
status. In a show full of memorable characters, Jessica was one of the best-liked, thanks
in no small part to Woll's performance, which found just the right balance of innocence
and edge.
"How do you know I'm a nice girl?"
"Because of your smile."
She even had her own web spin-off series of shorts called Jessica's Blog, which was meant
to expand the True Blood universe, successfully doing so with 38 episodes over the course
of several years.
"Hey everyone. I've had a little too much time on my hands, lately."
When True Blood ended in 2014, it was no surprise that Woll quickly lined up her next high profile
TV gig, starring as the assertive journalist Karen Page on Daredevil.
Woll also appeared as Karen in the crossover series The Defenders. She also appeared in
another Marvel Netflix series, The Punisher, in which her character was originally not
intended to appear. But showrunner Steve Lightfoot changed his mind about that after seeing the
chemistry between Woll and Punisher actor Jon Bernthal, who made his debut as antihero
Frank Castle in Daredevil's second season.
Lightfoot said during a presser,
"I asked to have her, because she and Frank are so great. [...] Frank is a closed-off
military guy, and this is a woman he treats like an equal more than anyone else."
Quesada, who served as an executive producer on Daredevil, both empathized with Woll and
expressed surprise that she would have trouble finding work.
"First of all, my jaw hit the ground, because you're an amazing talent."
He wasn't the only former co-worker of Woll's to speak up about her talents as an actor.
After the interview, Woll's Daredevil co-star and screen legend Vincent D'Onofrio tweeted
his support.
"@DeborahAnnWoll can play any part written for an actor to play. I think of her as being
one of my favorite scene partners in my career, because of her talent. Every actor depends
on their scene partner. You'd be lucky to have her with you. Unstoppable. A gift to
storytelling."
Bernthal replied to that tweet to offer his own support, writing,
"That right there's the truth. Big love to both of y'all. What an honor and joy to have
rolled with you guys."
With so much support from those who have worked closely with her, let's hope the end to Woll's
dry spell comes quickly. In the meantime, you can still check out her work on the Netflix
Marvel series, or stream the entirety of True Blood on Hulu.
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