Lesley-Ann Brandt is a South African-born actress who is based in
Auckland, New Zealand, and Los Angeles, United States. Brandt has acted in a
number of New Zealand television series and first came to international notice
with her role as a slave girl Naevia in the series Spartacus: Blood and Sand.
She currently plays the role of Maze on the FOX television series Lucifer.
Early life Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Brandt
is of East Indian, German, Dutch and Spanish descent. She is a fluent
Afrikaans speaker and lists yoga, hockey and baseball amongst her interests. In
South Africa she played competitive field hockey. In 1999 Brandt emigrated
to Auckland, New Zealand, with her parents and her younger brother. Brandt
started work in retail sales in Auckland before securing work as an information
technology recruitment consultant. She also worked as a promo-girl for Red
Bull. Following some modelling work she was cast in a number of New Zealand
television advertisements. She studied acting and was trained in the Meisner
technique in 2008. Career
Brandt's first significant acting role was in the New Zealand television series
Diplomatic Immunity. As well as her lead role in Diplomatic Immunity, Brandt has
appeared in guest roles on the New Zealand hospital based soap opera series
Shortland Street and This Is Not My Life, a science fiction series set in
the 2020s in the fictional town of Waimoana.
She originally auditioned for the role of Sura in Spartacus: Blood and Sand but
the casting director suggested to audition for the role of Naevia instead.
Her role as the slave girl Naevia in the series Spartacus: Blood and Sand led to
a part in the Spartacus prequel miniseries Spartacus: Gods of the Arena.
and the New Zealand coming of age feature film "The Hopes & Dreams of
Gazza Snell" about the victim of a kart racing accident filmed in Howick, a
suburb of East Auckland. Brandt guest starred on CSI: NY: "Smooth Criminal"
and "Food for Thought", but did not renew her contract for the second season
of Spartacus titled Spartacus: Vengeance in 2011.
Brandt would not return as Naevia for season two of Spartacus after the hiatus
during Andy Whitfield's passing due to production delays. Her manager, Steven
Jensen, stated to The Wrap, "She'd like to go back, but they really haven't
gotten the number we're looking for." He said she would reconsider "if they step
up." STARZ had no comment. Brandt was featured in the film InSight
in which she plays a nurse called Valerie Khoury. In May 2010 Brandt guest
starred on Legend of the Seeker, another Rob Tapert/Sam Raimi produced show which
was filmed in New Zealand. She appeared in the Season 2 season finale Episode 22
"Tears" in the role of Sister Thea. In 2011 she guest appeared in TNT's Memphis
Beat which was soon followed by a lead role in Syfy's highest rated original
feature for 2011 Zombie Apocalypse starring opposite Ving Rhames and Taryn
Manning, the feature film Drift starring opposite Sam Worthington and Xavier
Samuel and Duke starring CSI: NY star Carmine Giovinazzo.
In 2013 she had a reoccurring role in the third season of the television
series Single Ladies as Naomi Cox. In 2014 she guest starred as Larissa
Diaz/Copperhead on Gotham, and appeared as the reoccurring character Lamia in
The Librarians. In 2015 she won the role of Maze in the
upcoming FOX television series Lucifer, who was originally played by actress
Lina Esco but was recast after the first table read. Brandt had reportedly tested
for the role but was passed over for Esco, but was reconsidered after Esco
was released. Brandt is now permanently based in Los
Angeles. Personal life
Lesley Ann Brandt wed actor Chris Payne Gilbert in September 2015.
Filmography External links
Official website Lesley-Ann Brandt at the Internet Movie
Database Lesley Ann Brandt on Twitter
Lesley-Ann Brandt on Instagram Official site of Spartacus: Blood and
Sand, a Starz original series Official site of Diplomatic Immunity
Official site of the Lucifer TV Series Lesley-Ann Brandt answers fan questions
- February 2011 References