Simone Kessell

Simone Kessell had already long since become a beloved actor in her native Southern Hemisphere when she springboarded to fame in the United States on the instant cult hit "Terra Nova" (Fox, 2011-12). Born in New Zealand in 1975, Kessell landed her first major role on the Australian soap opera "Homeward Bound" (TV3, 1992-) when she was just 18. She did not realize until her first day on the set that her character would require her to affect an Australian accent, but the experience helped Kessell learn to always be prepared-and to think on her feet. She would go on to co-star on popular shows like the period series "Greenstone" (TVONE, 1999-) and in the surfing movie "Liquid Bridge" (2003).

She earned major acclaim for her stint on the gritty crime series "Underbelly" (Nine Network, 2008-2013), before she made her big splash stateside on "Terra Nova." Kessell would continue to act in both American and Australian productions, co-starring on the Sydney-set dramedy series "Wonderland" (Network Ten, 2013-15) in 2014 before returning to the U.S. to play Queen Anohim on the Biblical series "Of Kings and Prophets" (ABC, 2016). Kessell would continue on in America for her next project, the sci-fi series "The Crossing" (ABC, 2018-).