Lesley-Ann Brandt

Lesley-Ann Brandt
Born (1981-12-02) 2 December 1981
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Residence Los Angeles, California, United States
Occupation Actress
Years active 2007–present
Known for Naevia in Spartacus, Mazikeen in Lucifer
Website www.lesley-annbrandt.com

Lesley-Ann Brandt is a South African-born actress (of Cape Coloured descent) 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.[1] Since January 2016, she plays the role of Maze (Mazikeen) on the FOX television series Lucifer.

Early life

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Brandt is of East Indian, German, Dutch and Spanish descent.[2] She is a fluent Afrikaans speaker[3] and lists yoga, hockey and baseball amongst her interests.[4] In South Africa, she played competitive field hockey.[5]

In 1999, Brandt emigrated to Auckland, New Zealand, with her parents and her younger brother. Brandt started work in retail sales in Auckland[6] before securing work as an information technology recruitment consultant. She also worked as a promo-girl for Red Bull.[5][7] Following some modelling work she was cast in a number of New Zealand television advertisements.[8] She studied acting and was trained in the Meisner technique in 2008.[4]

Career

Brandt's first significant acting role was in the New Zealand television series Diplomatic Immunity.[1] 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.[9]

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.[4] and the New Zealand coming of age feature film "The Hopes & Dreams of Gazza Snell" [7] about the victim of a kart racing accident filmed in Howick, a suburb of East Auckland].[10] 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.[11] 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.[12]

Brandt was featured in the film InSight in which she plays a nurse called Valerie Khoury.[13] In May 2010 Brandt guest starred on Legend of the Seeker, another Rob Tapert/Sam Raimi produced show which was filmed in New Zealand (2009). She appeared in the Season 2 season finale Episode 22 "Tears" in the role of Sister Thea.[4] In 2011 she guest appeared in TNT's Memphis Beat[14] which was soon followed by a lead role (she played Cassie) in Syfy's highest rated original feature for 2011 Zombie Apocalypse (film) 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.[15] In 2014 she guest starred as Larissa Diaz/Copperhead on Gotham,[16] and appeared as the reoccurring character Lamia in The Librarians.[17]

In 2015 she won the role of Maze in the 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.[18]

Brandt is based in Los Angeles.[19]

Personal life

Brandt married actor Chris Payne Gilbert in 2015, after being together since 2012.[20]

Filmography

Brandt in 2012
Film and television
Year Title Role Notes
2007 Shortland Street Sonia Episode: "16.178"
2009 Diplomatic Immunity Leilani Fa'auigaese Main role, 13 episodes
2010 Spartacus: Blood and Sand Naevia Main role, 13 episodes
2010 Legend of the Seeker Sister Thea Episode: "Tears"
2010 Hopes & Dreams of Gazza Snell, TheThe Hopes & Dreams of Gazza Snell Sharon
2010 This Is Not My Life WAI Field Reporter / Hine Episode: "1.7"
Episode: "1.10"
2011 Chuck Fatima Tazi Episode: "Chuck Versus the Seduction Impossible"
2011 Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Naevia Main role, 6 episodes
2011 CSI: NY Camille Jordanson Episode: "Smooth Criminal"
Episode: "Food for Thought"
2011 InSight Valerie Khoury
2011 Memphis Beat Adriana Episode: "The Things We Carry"
2011 Duke Violet
2011 Zombie Apocalypse Cassie TV film
2012 Beautiful Soul, AA Beautiful Soul Angela Barry
2013 Drift Lani
2014 The Librarians Lamia Recurring role, 5 episodes
2014 Single Ladies Naomi Cox Recurring role, 11 episodes
2014 Gotham Larissa Diaz/Copperhead Episode: "Lovecraft"
2015 Painkillers Guts
2015 Heartlock Tara Sharpe
2016- Lucifer Mazikeen Main role.
Music videos
Year Band Title Character Director
2007 Battle Circus "Love In A Fallout Shelter"[21] Lead Female Anton Steel
2007 Nesian Mystik "R.S.V.P."[21] Lead Female Luke Sharpe

External links

References

  1. 1 2 "Biography for Lesley-Ann Brandt". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  2. ↑ Twitter https://twitter.com/LesleyAnnBrandt/status/191022911103053824. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ↑ "Official Lesley-Ann Brandt Fan Site - Biography". lesleyannbrandt.ausxip.com. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Lesley-Ann Brandt". Karen Kay Management. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
  5. 1 2 "Cast Bios: Lesley-Ann Brandt (Naevia)" (PDF). starz.com. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
  6. ↑ "AUSXIP Interviews Spartacus Actress Lesley-Ann Brandt". talkingxena.yuku.com. 6 December 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  7. 1 2 Suggs, Bob (1 January 2010). "Lesley-Ann Brandt - Plays Naevia on Spartacus". Screen Rave. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  8. ↑ "Burger King Commercial Banned in New Zealand". YouTube.
  9. ↑ Baillie, Russell (30 July 2010). "TV Review: 'This Is Not My Life'". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
  10. ↑ "Hopes and Dreams: New film attracts strong cast". New Zealand Film Commission. 16 November 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  11. ↑ http://www.citypress.co.za/entertainment/burning-up-hollywood/
  12. ↑ http://www.thewrap.com/tv/column-post/lesley-ann-brandt-would-stay-spartacus-price-24836/
  13. ↑ "InSight (2011)". Internet Movie Database. 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  14. ↑ "Memphis Beat (2010-2012)". Internet Movie Database. 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  15. ↑ Schillaci, Sophie. "'Single Ladies' Season Three: These Rookies Are Shaking Things Up". MTV. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  16. ↑ Maglio, Tony. "'Gotham's' Copperhead Debuts on Fox's Fall Finale". The Wrap.
  17. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie. "TNT Eyes 'The Librarian' Series; Noah Wyle, Bob Newhart & Jane Curtin May Return". Deadline. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  18. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie. "Lesley-Ann Brandt Joins 'Lucifer' Fox Pilot In Recasting". Deadline. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  19. ↑ "Biography". Lesley-Ann Brandt Official Website. 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  20. ↑ Rello, Gabriella (January 25, 2016). "Actress Lesley Ann Brandt's Vermont Wedding". Brides.com. Retrieved April 18, 2016..
  21. 1 2 "Lesley-Ann Brandt - Music Video". Karen Kay Management Limited. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
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