Clea DuVall

1996–2000: Career beginnings

DuVall made her screen debut in the low-budget horror film Little Witches (1996). This was followed by small parts in several independent features, as well as guest appearances on ER and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (both 1997). Her breakthrough came in 1998 when she starred in Robert Rodriguez's sci-fi horror film The Faculty, receiving positive reviews for her portrayal of Stokely "Stokes" Mitchell, a goth high school student.^[5][6] Also that year, she had a supporting role in the teen comedy Can't Hardly Wait, which later developed a cult following.^[7]

DuVall had roles in several films released in 1999, including the biographical drama Girl, Interrupted, where she appeared as compulsive liar Georgina Tuskin; teen romantic comedy She's All That, which opened atop the U.S. box office;^[8] and the independent features Wildflowers and But I'm a Cheerleader. The latter, a satirical comedy in which she played a lesbian undergoing conversion therapy, is often cited as a favorite among fans of LGBTQ cinema.^[9][10] For her work in Wildflowers, a drama about a 17-year-old intent on finding her birth mother, DuVall received rave reviews,^[11] with Barry Johnson noting in his appraisal for The Austin Chronicle, "[she] has those deep, round, chestnut eyes that convey years of experience with a solitary glance ... [she] always seems to capture that unique blend of wisdom and naiveté ... [here she] takes center stage in an impressive, nuanced performance that makes use of [her] magnetic screen presence".^[12]

2001–2015: Film and television roles

DuVall played supporting roles in a variety of features throughout the early 2000s, such as Ghosts of Mars (2001), a space Western directed by John Carpenter; ensemble drama Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (2001); The Laramie Project (2002), a documentary-style dramatisation of the murder of Matthew Shepard; coming-of-age sports drama The Slaughter Rule (2002); the James Mangold–directed mystery thriller Identity (2003); and the psychological crime drama 21 Grams (2003), the critically acclaimed English-language debut of Alejandro González Iñárritu.^[13][14]

DuVall appeared as a series regular on the HBO drama series Carnivàle from 2003 to 2005, with the Los Angeles Times pointing out that her portrayal of tarot card reader Sophie was "especially good".^[15] She also starred in the television film Helter Skelter (2004) during that period, earning a Satellite Award nomination for her portrayal of real-life cult member Linda Kasabian; and in the hit horror film The Grudge (2004), which grossed US$187 million at the box office.^[16] Subsequent credits included guest appearances on CSI (2005), Lie to Me (2009), Numb3rs, Bones, and Law & Order (all 2010), as well as key parts in films such as David Fincher's Zodiac (2007)^[17] and the recurring role of Audrey Hanson on the NBC sci-fi series Heroes (2006–2007).

Following appearances in Anamorph (2007) and Passengers (2008) and a small part in the legal drama Conviction (2010), DuVall co-starred in Ben Affleck's Argo (2012), a political thriller based on the Iran hostage crisis of 1979–1981. For her portrayal of Cora Amburn-Lijek, one of the six American diplomats rescued from Iran in 1980, DuVall was awarded—alongside her co-stars—the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Also in 2012, she appeared in the recurring role of Wendy Peyser on the second season of the FX anthology series American Horror Story.^[18] Writing for Slate, Alyssa Rosenberg said of her work in the latter projects, "Where DuVall often played strong, even aggressive characters in the past, in both American Horror Story and Argo, she's turned in good performances by playing deeply vulnerable people trying to be strong in threatening circumstances".^[19]

DuVall starred as Emma Borden, sister of Lizzie Borden—played by Christina Ricci—in the Lifetime television film Lizzie Borden Took an Ax (2014), reprising the role for the limited series The Lizzie Borden Chronicles the following year. The show received mixed reviews, but critics praised the performances of Ricci and DuVall; writing for The Hollywood Reporter, Keith Uhlich said the actresses "have a delectable rapport not too far removed from Bette Davis and Joan Crawford at their hag-horror peak in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?".^[20]

Since 2016: Directorial debut and subsequent work

DuVall made her feature directorial debut with The Intervention (2016), which she also wrote, starred in, and produced.^[21][22] Acquired by Paramount Pictures after its premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival,^[23] the comedy-drama was positively reviewed; Andy Webster of The New York Times noted that "DuVall juggles the emotional dynamics with fluid editing and light comic touches".^[24] That same year, she starred in the independent features Zen Dogs and Heaven's Floor, and guest-starred in three episodes of AMC's Better Call Saul.

Between 2016 and 2019, DuVall played Marjorie Palmiotti on HBO's political satire series Veep, for which she was twice nominated—alongside her co-stars—for the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, winning in 2018.^[25] She also starred in the independent dramedy All About Nina (2018) and portrayed Sylvia in five episodes of the dystopian Hulu series The Handmaid's Tale (2018–2022), with Judy Berman of Time calling it "the best work of [DuVall's career]".^[26]

DuVall wrote and directed the 2020 romcom Happiest Season,^[27] which premiered on Hulu to a positive critical reception,^[28] later winning the 2021 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film.^[29] Her next project—as creator, writer, director, and executive producer—was the coming-of-age drama series High School, which ran for a single season on Amazon Freevee.^[30] Rolling Stone named it one of the best shows of 2022,^[31] writing in their review, "[DuVall captures] the thrilling, horrifying, profoundly uncomfortable experience of adolescence".^[32] She earned additional praise that year for her portrayal of Malvina "Tommy" Thompson, personal aide to Eleanor Roosevelt, in the Showtime drama series The First Lady.^[33]

DuVall's performance in a 2023 episode of the Peacock murder mystery series Poker Face was particularly well received.^[34][35] She returned to direct an episode of the show in 2025.^[36]

In February 2026, DuVall was cast as a member of the Seraphites in the third season of the HBO post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us.^[37]

Film

Television