Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie, born on 26 July 2000, is a New Zealand actress who has rapidly ascended to international prominence with a series of critically acclaimed and commercially diverse film roles. The granddaughter of renowned New Zealand actress Kate Harcourt, McKenzie was immersed in the performing arts from a young age, making her professional acting debut in the short film A Rose in the Garden in 2012. She gained her first taste of blockbuster filmmaking with a minor role in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies in 2014, but it was her breakout performance in 2018 that truly announced her arrival. In Debra Granik's Leave No Trace, McKenzie delivered a hauntingly nuanced portrayal of a teenage girl living off the grid with her war-veteran father, a role that earned her widespread critical acclaim, including the National Board of Review Award for Breakthrough Performance.

McKenzie’s career trajectory continued its upward swing in 2019, when she demonstrated remarkable versatility across a trio of period films. She appeared as Philippa of Hainault in The King, opposite Timothée Chalamet, and as Mary in Justin Kurzel's True History of the Kelly Gang. However, it was her role as the innocent and morally conflicted Elsa Korr in Taika Waititi's satirical Holocaust comedy Jojo Rabbit that garnered her international recognition and a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress, cementing her status as one of the most promising young actresses of her generation. The year 2021 saw McKenzie navigate a remarkable range of genres, starring as a young woman aging rapidly in M. Night Shyamalan's thriller Old and as the aspiring fashion designer Eloise Turner in Edgar Wright's psychological horror Last Night in Soho. She further showcased her dramatic depth in Jane Campion's acclaimed western The Power of the Dog, starring alongside Benedict Cumberbatch.

In recent years, McKenzie has continued to take on challenging and complex leading roles, solidifying her reputation as a fearless and discerning performer. In 2023, she played the title role in Eileen, a psychological thriller based on the novel by Ottessa Moshfegh, in which she starred opposite Anne Hathaway. She followed this with a portrayal of embryologist Jean Purdy in the 2024 biographical drama Joy, chronicling the real-life scientific breakthrough of in-vitro fertilization. Her upcoming projects demonstrate her continued range and ambition, including the historical musical drama The Testament of Ann Lee and the period satirical comedy Fackham Hall in 2025. With a filmography that consistently prioritizes challenging material and collaborations with visionary directors, Thomasin McKenzie has established herself as a singular and compelling force in contemporary cinema, with a career that continues to evolve in exciting and unpredictable directions.