Alice Evans is a British-American actress best known to international audiences for her role as the immortal vampire matriarch Esther Mikaelson in The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off The Originals, as well as for her film work in 102 Dalmatians. Born Alice Jane Evans on August 2, 1971, in Summit, New Jersey, she was raised in Bristol, England, after her family returned to the UK when she was a young child. She is the daughter of David Evans and Janet Evans. Evans developed an interest in acting and languages, eventually studying French and Italian at University College London, which would later prove instrumental in launching her career.

Her professional breakthrough came in 1998 when she was cast as Nathalie in the Italian-language miniseries Le ragazze di Piazza di Spagna, a role she secured partly due to her fluency in Italian. This exposure led to her feature film debut in the French movie Le Modèle in 1999. Evans quickly transitioned to Hollywood, landing a supporting role opposite Glenn Close and Gérard Depardieu in the 2000 live-action sequel 102 Dalmatians, where she played Chloe Simon. Throughout the early 2000s, she appeared in a variety of films, including the thriller The Christmas Card and the horror movie The Abandoned, while also making guest appearances on television series such as CSI: Miami.

A significant career resurgence came in 2011 when she was cast in the recurring role of the powerful and complex witch Esther Mikaelson on the hit CW series The Vampire Diaries. Her portrayal was well-received, leading to a special guest appearance in the second-season finale of the spin-off series The Originals in 2015. Beyond her genre work, Evans also appeared in episodes of The Almighty Johnsons and The Secret Circle. In her personal life, Evans met Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd on the set of the film 102 Dalmatians. The couple began a relationship years later and married on September 14, 2007. They have two daughters together. The marriage became a frequent topic of public discussion when Ioan Gruffudd filed for divorce in 2021, after which a protracted and highly publicized legal process unfolded. Evans has maintained a lower public profile in recent years, with her acclaimed performance as Esther Mikaelson remaining a standout role in her filmography.