Anya Chalotra
English actress (born 1995/1996)
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Anya Chalotra (born 1995 or 1996) is an English actress known for her performances across stage and screen. Following her professional debut in Much Ado About Nothing (2017) at Shakespeare's Globe, she made her screen debut in the BBC One drama series Wanderlust (2018) and The ABC Murders (2018). She gained wider recognition for her starring role as Yennefer in the Netflix fantasy series The Witcher (2019–present).
Anya Chalotra | |
|---|---|
Chalotra in 2019 | |
| Born | 1995 or 1996 (age 29–30) Wolverhampton, England |
| Alma mater | Guildhall School of Music and Drama |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2017–present |
Early life and education
Anya Chalotra was born in Wolverhampton,[1] to an Indian father and an English mother. She was raised in Lower Penn, South Staffordshire, alongside an older sister and a younger brother.[2] Chalotra attended St Dominic's Grammar School in Brewood,[3] where she first began performing in school productions and youth theatre groups. To pursue a career in acting, she moved to London to complete a foundation course at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA),[4] followed by a three-year degree at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.[5]
Career
Theatre
Chalotra began her career on the stage and went on to star in several high-profile productions. In 2017, she made her professional debut as Hero in Matthew Dunster's Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare's Globe, for which she was nominated for The Stage Debut Award for Best Actress in a Play.[6] She subsequently earned acclaim for her performance as Jyoti in Nadia Fall's production of April De Angelis' The Village at Stratford East in 2018,[7] and for her supporting role as Sabine in Jonathan Kent's production of David Hare’s Peter Gynt at the National Theatre in 2019.[8] The Guardian's Michael Billington described her as "compelling," noting her transition from a "strong-willed adolescent to fiery militant."[9] She earned further critical acclaim for her performance as Zula when she returned to the stage in 2023 to lead Conor McPherson's stage adaptation of Cold War, directed by Rupert Goold at the Almeida Theatre, a role she performed through early 2024.[10] The Times lauded her "extraordinary élan and ease," as the impassioned, impulsive Zula, noting she appeared "barely to be acting at all," while The telegraph described her as “a bewitching revelation"[11]
Film and television
Chalotra made her screen debut in 2018 as Jennifer Ashman in the BBC comedy-drama series Wanderlust. That same year, she appeared as Lily Marbury in the BBC adaptation of Agatha Christie's The ABC Murders.[12] Shortly after, it was announced that she had been cast as Yennefer in the Netflix fantasy drama The Witcher.[13] Her performance was widely praised and established the role as her international breakthrough.[14] Following a seven-year tenure in the role, Chalotra completed filming the series in late 2025; the fifth and final season is scheduled for release in late 2026. During the production of the series, she also starred in the Sky Arts short film No Masks (2020), which was based on real-life testimonies of frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.[15]
In 2025, Chalotra starred in the satirical thriller Two Neighbors, which premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.[16] In February 2026, it was announced that she had joined the cast of the second Luther feature film for Netflix, alongside Idris Elba.[17]
Voice acting
In 2018, she voiced the protagonist Robin Loxley in the YouTube Originals animated series Sherwood. She went on to headline the sci-fi animation series New-Gen[18] and voiced Sabrina in the 2020 BBC Sounds sci-fi podcast The Cipher.[19] In 2023, she joined the cast of the second season of the Audible mystery drama podcast Moriarty as Agatha, alongside Helen Mirren.[20] Her other voice credits include protagonist Haroona in the 2024 action-adventure game Unknown 9: Awakening, and the goddess Sif in animated series Twilight of the Gods. In 2024, she joined the DC Universe as the voice of Circe in the animated series Creature Commandos.[21]
Acting credits
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep | Yennefer | Voice | |
| Two Neighbors | Becky | |||
| TBA | Luther 3 † | TBA | Filming | |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Wanderlust | Jennifer Ashman | Miniseries; 5 episodes | |
| The ABC Murders | Lily Marbury | Miniseries; 3 episodes | ||
| 2019 | Sherwood | Robin Loxley | Voice; 10 episodes | |
| 2019–present | The Witcher | Yennefer | Main role | |
| 2020 | No Masks | Dr. Anuja | TV Short film | |
| 2024 | Twilight of the Gods | Sif | Voice; 3 episodes | |
| 2024–present | Creature Commandos | Circe | Voice; 3 episodes | |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Theater | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Much Ado About Nothing | Hero | Shakespeare's Globe | |
| 2018 | The Village | Jyoti | Theatre Royal Stratford East | [22] |
| 2019 | Peter Gynt | Sabine | Royal National Theatre | |
| 2021 | Maryland | Mary 2 | Theatre Royal Stratford East | |
| 2023–2024 | Cold War | Zula | Almeida Theatre | [23] |
Podcasts
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2020–2021 | The Cipher | Sabrina (voice) |
| 2023 | Moriarty: The Silent Order | Agatha (voice) |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Unknown 9: Awakening | Haroona (voice) |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | The Stage Awards | Best Actress in a Play | Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare's Globe | Nominated | [24] |
| 2018 | UK / West End BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Actress in a Play | The Village, Theatre Royal Stratford East | Nominated | [25] |
| 2020 | IMDb STARmeter Awards | Breakout Star | The Witcher | Won | [26] |
