Jodelle Ferland
About
Biography
Biography
Jodelle Ferland was only 12 years old when she landed the role of Alessa, the vengeful, isolated spirit in "Silent Hill" (2006), and her uncanny maturity and sparkling intelligence helped make the video game adaptation a surprise success. Though she was a new face for American audiences, Ferland was already a seasoned actress, having worked in her native Canada since she was just 2. With other roles in such high-profile projects as the blockbuster "Twilight" series, Terry Gilliam's oddball fantasy "Tideland" (2004) and the clever stop-motion spookfest "ParaNorman" (2012), Ferland established herself as a keenly talented actress and a horror genre mainstay.
Born in British Columbia, Canada in the fall of 1994, Ferland began acting in commercials just two years later. After transitioning to TV with several minor roles, Ferland was cast in the cable drama "Mermaid" (Showtime, 2000) as Desi, a young girl struggling to accept her father's death. The movie, which followed Desi's mental deterioration until a life-saving intervention from a kindly stranger, was positively received and earned Ferland the distinction of being the youngest-ever nominee for a Daytime Emmy. Though she didn't win that year, the nomination proved to be a launching pad for Ferland's introduction to America.
The next decade was a whirlwind of activity for the young actress. She appeared on dozens of primetime TV series, including the short-lived "X-Files" spin-off series "The Lone Gunmen" (Fox, 2001), the post-apocalyptic "Dark Angel" (Fox, 2000-02), and the Superman origin story "Smallville" (The CW, 2001-2011). After portraying the young telekinetic in a made-for-TV update of Stephen King's "Carrie" (NBC, 2002), Ferland played child ghost Mary Jensen in Stephen King's adaptation of "Kingdom Hospital" (ABC, 2004). A year later she landed her biggest role to date when British director Terry Gilliam cast her as Jeliza-Rose in the controversial "Tideland," about a lonely girl who explores a barren Texas landscape with only her thoughts and a handful of Barbie heads for company.
Ferland's affinity for dark, unusual roles was also on display in "Silent Hill," where she portrayed Alessa, a young girl whose torture at the hands of a cult sends her into an existential rage. She continued establishing herself in horror films such as "The Messengers" (2007) and "Case 39" (2009), and confessed to not knowing much about the popular "Twilight" series (she blames the home schooling) until being cast as newborn vampire Bree Tanner in "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" (2010). After a small but memorable role as an abused farm girl in Joss Whedon's "The Cabin in the Woods" (2012), Ferland branched out into voice acting with a performance in the stop-motion picture "ParaNorman" (2012), playing another misunderstood youngster vowing supernatural vengeance. Since then, she was cast as Kris Kristofferson's daughter in the direct-to-DVD "Wild Stallion" (2013), about a family struggling to save their farm.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
2000
Became the youngest Emmy Award nominee ever when she received a Daytime Emmy nomination for her role in the made-for-TV movie "Mermaid."
2004
Supporting role in ABC and Stephen King's reboot of Danish TV mini-series "Kingdom Hospital."
2005
Landed the lead role of an imaginative, isolated young girl in Terry Gilliam's fantasy-thriller "Tideland."
2006
Played the central role of Sharon/Alessa in the feature film adaptation of horror survival video game "Silent Hill."
