Rachel Skarsten

{{Infobox person

| name = Rachel Skarsten

| image = Rachel Skarsten.jpg

| caption = Skarsten in 2014

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|4|23}}

| birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada

| education = Queen's University

| occupation = Actress

| years_active = 1998–present

| spouse = {{marriage|Alexandre Robicquet|12 May 2020}}

| children = 1

| website = {{URL|http://www.rachelskarsten.com}}

}}

Rachel Skarsten (born 23 April, 1985){{Cite web |title=Rachel Skarsten |url=https://rachelskarsten.com/rachel/ |access-date=2023-01-22 |website=Rachel Skarsten}} is a Canadian actress. She is known for playing Dinah Lance in Birds of Prey (2002–2003), Tamsin in Lost Girl (2013–2015), Queen Elizabeth I in Reign (2014–2017), and Beth Kane in Batwoman (2019–2022).

Early life

Skarsten was born in Toronto, Ontario.{{cite web |last=Skarsten |first=Rachel |title=Lost Girl |url=http://www.showcase.ca/lostgirl/lostgirlbios.aspx?n=Rachel+Skarsten+%28Tamsin%29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325052229/http://www.showcase.ca/lostgirl/lostgirlbios.aspx?n=Rachel+Skarsten+(Tamsin) |archive-date=25 March 2016 |access-date=9 April 2003}} Her father Dr. Stan Skarsten was from Bergen, Norway, whilst her mother, Mary Aileen Self Skarsten, grew up in India.{{Cite journal |last=Weisz |first=Marnu |title=Rachel Skarsten |url=https://rachelskarsten.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/runway_summer_2015.pdf |journal=Runway |access-date=20 October 2024}}{{Cite web |last=Worcel |first=Dylan |title=Cool Chic |url=https://civilianmag.com/blogs/v1-i5/cool-chic |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=CIVILIAN MAGAZINE}} She also has a younger brother. Skarsten grew up in northern Toronto, and spent time in Bergen during her youth.

Skarsten trained with the Royal Academy of Dance for 12 years, but after an ankle injury she gave up her dancing career and turned to hockey. In 2002 she played goalie for the Toronto Leaside Wildcats.

She attended Claude Watson School for the Arts from grades 4 to 8, majoring in visual arts and the cello. She continued in the Claude Watson Arts Program at Earl Haig Secondary School from grades 9-12, majoring in visual arts.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}} She was discovered by an agent at a memorial for her father.

Acting career

{{expand section|reason=This section is missing most of Skarsten's major TV series roles between Birds of Prey and Batwoman.|date=April 2023}}

After getting an agent, Skarsten went on to be cast as a regular in shows such as Little Men. She landed her "big break" as a co-lead in the Warner Brothers television series Birds of Prey.[http://www.warnerbros.com/studio/news/crime-fighting-never-looked-so-good-when-warner-home-video-releases-%E2%80%9Cbirds-prey-complete "Crime Fighting Never Looked So Good"]"Warner Bros.", Retrieved 7 February 2017. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801221110/https://www.warnerbros.com/studio/news/crime-fighting-never-looked-so-good-when-warner-home-video-releases-%E2%80%9Cbirds-prey-complete |date=1 August 2018 }} After filming wrapped on Birds of Prey, Skarsten left Los Angeles and returned to Canada where she completed a double degree in English Literature and Classical Studies at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Jennifer |date=September 2015 |title=Celebrity News and Interviews featuring Rachel Skarsten of Reign |url=http://fillermagazine.com/culture/film/celebrity-news-and-interviews-featuring-rachel-skarsten-of-reign/ |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=Filler Magazine |language=en-US}} Following this, she returned to acting with arcs on The LA Complex, Flashpoint, and The Listener as well as work in Canadian independents such as Servitude and Two Hands to Mouth. She played Andrea in the movie adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

Skarsten co-starred as Alice/Beth Kane, the main antagonist of the Batwoman television series, from 2019 to 2022.{{cite web |last1=Anderson |first1=Jenna |title='Batwoman' Casts Rachel Skarsten as Red Alice |url=https://comicbook.com/dc/2019/02/08/batwoman-tv-show-the-cw-characters-red-alice-rachel-skarsten/ |website=ComicBook.com |language=en}}{{cite news|last=Littleton|first=Cynthia|title=CW 2019-2020 Primetime Schedule: 'Batwoman' Teams With 'Supergirl' on Sunday|work=Variety|date=16 May 2019|access-date=18 May 2019|url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/cw-2019-2020-schedule-batwoman-sunday-1203216862/}}

Personal life

On 12 May 2020, Skarsten announced on her Instagram account that she had married her boyfriend, Alexandre Robicquet, privately.{{Cite web|author=Rachel Skarsten|title=I married my sweetheart! This wasn't taken on our wedding day, that will stay private, but I wanted to share the news on my own terms....|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CAGTCZ6AcZb/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/CAGTCZ6AcZb |archive-date=24 December 2021 |url-access=registration|website=Instagram|date=12 May 2020|access-date=19 May 2020}}{{cbignore}} In September 2023, Skarsten announced that she was pregnant with their first child who was born later that year.{{Cite web|author=Rachel Skarsten|title=9 months.|url= https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw3JZqoPJXW/ |website=Instagram|date=6 September 2023|access-date=12 November 2023}} In April 2024, she released the first photo of their son.{{Cite web |last=Skarsten |first=Rachel |date=April 24, 2024 |title=The first day of the last year of my 30's was pretty much perfection. Very grateful for another trip around the sun 🌞 |url=https://www.instagram.com/rachieskarsten/p/C6JViiILS1R/ |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=www.instagram.com}}

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
2002 \|Virginia's Run \|Caroline Lofton \|
2003 \|Fear of the Dark \|Heather Fontaine \|
rowspan=2\|2007 \|Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer \|Eve \|
American Pie Presents Beta House \|Sharon \|Direct-to-video film
2011 \|Servitude \|Alex \|
rowspan=2\|2012 \|Two Hands to Mouth \|Leah Whitefield \|
data-sort-value="Vow, The" \| The Vow \|Rose \|
2014 \|In My Dreams \|Jessa \|
2015 \|Fifty Shades of Grey \| Andrea \|
2017 \|Molly's Game \|Leah \|
2018 \|Acquainted \|Claire \|
2023 \|Going In \|{{N/A}} \|Associate producer

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

2002

|Virginia's Run

|Caroline Lofton

2003

|Fear of the Dark

|Heather Fontaine

rowspan=2|2007

|Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer

|Eve

American Pie Presents Beta House

|Sharon

|Direct-to-video film

2011

|Servitude

|Alex

rowspan=2|2012

|Two Hands to Mouth

|Leah Whitefield

data-sort-value="Vow, The" | The Vow

|Rose

2014

|In My Dreams

|Jessa

2015

|Fifty Shades of Grey

| Andrea

2017

|Molly's Game

|Leah

2018

|Acquainted

|Claire

2023

|Going In

|{{N/A}}

|Associate producer

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1998 \| data-sort-value="Famous Jett Jackson, The" \| The Famous Jett Jackson \|Mickey Twitty \|Episode: "Vootle-Muck-a-Heey"
1998–1999 \|Little Men \|Elizabeth "Bess" Lawrence \|Main role
1999 \|Justice \|Actress \|Television film
rowspan=2\|2000 \|Angels in the Infield \|Brigitte \|Television film
Twice in a Lifetime \|Julie Adams \|Episode: "Curveball"
rowspan=2\|2001 \|Jewel \|Raylene Hilburn (age 14) \|Television film
Screech Owls \|Suki Sutherland \|Episode: "A Star Is Gone"
rowspan=2\|2002 \|POV Sports on CBC \|Herself \|Host: Science of Sports
Tracker \|Jamie Swenson / Lontoria \|Episode: "The Miracle"
2002–2003 \|Birds of Prey \|Dinah Lance \|Main role
2003 \|Missing \|Brittney Moore \|Episode: "Basic Training"
2005 \|Category 7: The End of the World \|Lyra Duffy \|Miniseries
2010 \|Made... The Movie \|Andi \|Television film
rowspan=2\|2011 \|Awakening \|Leila \|Television film
Flashpoint \|Natalie Braddock \|4 episodes
2011–2012 \| data-sort-value="Listener, The" \|The Listener \|Elyse \|3 episodes
rowspan=3\|2012 \| data-sort-value="L.A. Complex, The" \| The L.A. Complex \|Roxanne \|3 episodes
Transporter: The Series \|Delia \|Episode: "The General's Daughter"
Beauty & the Beast \|Brooke \|Episodes: "Worth" and "Bridesmaid Up!"
2013–2015 \|Lost Girl \|Tamsin \|Recurring role
2013 \|Lost Girl: An Evening at the Clubhouse \|Herself \|Television film
2014 \| In My Dreams \| Jessa \| Television film
2015–2017 \| Reign \| Elizabeth of England \| Guest role (season 2); main role (seasons 3–4)
2015 \| data-sort-value="Red Dress, The" \| The Red Dress \| Patricia \| Television film
rowspan=2\|2017 \| Wynonna Earp \| Eliza Shapiro \| Episode: "Steel Bars and Stone Walls"
Marry Me at Christmas \| Madeline Krug \| Television film (Hallmark)
2018 \| Imposters \| Poppy Langmore \| Recurring role (season 2)
2019 \| Timeless Love \| Megan \| Television film
2019–2022 \| Batwoman \| Alice / Beth Kane{{efn\|Also makes appearances as Beth Kane from an alternate Earth in 3 episodes of season 1.}} \| Main role
2020 \| Nurses \| Lily Dawson \| Episode: "Lady Business"
2022 \| data-sort-value="Royal Nanny, The" \| The Royal Nanny \| Claire Champion \| rowspan=4\| Television film (Hallmark)
2023 \| Christmas Island \| Captain Kate Gabriel
rowspan=2\|2024 \| Jazz Ramsey: A K-9 Mystery \| Jazz Ramsey
The Christmas Charade \| Whitney

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1998

| data-sort-value="Famous Jett Jackson, The" | The Famous Jett Jackson

|Mickey Twitty

|Episode: "Vootle-Muck-a-Heey"

1998–1999

|Little Men

|Elizabeth "Bess" Lawrence