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Tracy Spiridakos

Tracy Spiridakos
Spiridakos at PaleyFest 2013
Born
Panagiota Spiridakos

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Other namesPatricia Spiridakos[1]
OccupationActress
Years active2007–present

Panagiota Spiridakos (Greek: Παναγιώτα Σπυριδάκου),[1] known professionally as Tracy Spiridakos (Greek: Τρέισι Σπυριδάκος[2]), is a Canadian actress. She starred as Becky Richards on the Teletoon children's comedy series Majority Rules! from 2009 to 2010. She then starred as Charlotte "Charlie" Matheson on the NBC post-apocalyptic science fiction series Revolution from 2012 to 2014, for which she was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television. She played Annika Johnson on the A&E television drama Bates Motel. From 2017 to 2024, Spiridakos starred on the NBC police drama Chicago P.D. playing the role of Detective Hailey Upton.

Early life

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Spiridakos was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba,[3] to Greek-born parents, restaurant owners George and Anastasia Spiridakos.[4][note 1] She has two brothers.[7] The family moved to her father's hometown, Skala, south of Sparta, a few years after she was born, and returned to Canada in 1992.[8][note 2] She strongly identifies with her Greek heritage and speaks fluent Greek.[10][11] Spiridakos began acting in junior high school, and studied at the Actors Training Centre of Manitoba.[12] She graduated from Oak Park High School in Winnipeg in 2000.[13][14]

Career

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Spiridakos moved to Vancouver in 2007 to pursue acting, and within weeks landed her first television role, a small part on Supernatural.[15][16] She continued working in television, with walk-on roles on Bionic Woman, The L Word, Hellcats, and Psych.[3] Spiridakos appeared in the TV movie Goblin, and the web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy. She also had a recurring role on Being Human as werewolf Brynn McLean.[17]

In 2009, she won her first starring role in the Canadian Teletoon series Majority Rules!, playing 15-year-old Becky Richards.[12] She made her feature film debut in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and filmed the low-budget Michael Greenspan-helmed thriller, Kill for Me, starring across from Donal Logue and Katie Cassidy.[7][16] Spiridakos appeared as Sammi in the 2012 Nickelodeon original movie, Rags. She then landed a lead role on the NBC television series Revolution as Charlotte "Charlie" Matheson, a survivalist in a dystopian future civilization.[4] She auditioned for the role while attending her first pilot season in Los Angeles. Spiridakos shot the pilot in Atlanta, and filmed the first season in Wilmington, North Carolina.[15] She was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television for her performance in the first season, losing out to Fringe's Anna Torv. Production moved to Austin, Texas for the series' second season.[18]

Spiridakos guest starred on season 3 of the Showtime sitcom, Episodes, as Dawn, a daughter of character Morning Randolph (Mircea Monroe).[19] In August 2014, Spiridakos helped to raise awareness of the disease ALS by participating in the Ice Bucket Challenge.[20] Spiridakos began a recurring role on the A&E television drama, Bates Motel in 2015, playing Annika Johnson, a prostitute who arrives at the hotel at the start of the third season.[21] She will also star opposite Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the romantic comedy Byrd & the Bees, directed by Finola Hughes.[22] Spiridakos filmed an untitled television pilot for CBS in 2015, directed by Pamela Fryman. She stars as Holly opposite Adam Brody, playing childhood friends who reconnect later in life.[23]

In 2017, Spiridakos appeared in the three final episodes of the fourth season of the NBC police drama series Chicago P.D., as Detective Hailey Upton, a former Robbery-Homicide detective who joins the Intelligence Unit, before being promoted to a series regular for the series' fifth season.[24]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2011 Rise of the Planet of the Apes Party Girl #2
2013 Kill for Me Hayley Jones
TBA Byrd and the Bees Rebecca Byrd Unreleased[citation needed]

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2007 Supernatural Nurse Episode: "Bedtime Stories"
Bionic Woman Annie Episode: "The List"
Aliens in America Liz Episode: "Church"
2008 Every Second Counts Girl #1 Television film
The Secret Lives of Second Wives Meredith Television film
2009 The L Word Pretty Young Woman Episode: "LMFAO"
Web of Desire Megan Television film
2009–2010 Majority Rules! Becky Richards Main role
2010 Psych Saralyn Episode: "Viagra Falls"
Hellcats Ella Episode: "Beale St. After Dark"
Tower Prep Penny Stosic Episode: "Book Report"
The Boy She Met Online Cami Winters Television film
Goblin Nikki Perkins Television film
2011 Soldiers of the Apocalypse Forty Unsold television pilot
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Blue Web series; episode: "Raiden"
2012 Being Human Brynn McLean 4 episodes
Rags Sammi Television film
2012–2014 Revolution Charlotte "Charlie" Matheson Main role
Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television
2014 Episodes Dawn Randolph Episode Six
2015 Bates Motel Annika Johnson Episodes: "A Death in the Family", "Persuasion", "Unbreak-Able"
Untitled O’Shannon/Warren Project Holly Unsold television pilot
2016 Recon Alexa Unsold television pilot
MacGyver Nikki Carpenter Episodes: "The Rising", "Corkscrew", "Screwdriver"
2017–2024 Chicago P.D. Detective Hailey Upton Recurring role (season 4); main role (seasons 5–11)[24][25]
2018–2024 Chicago Med 3 episodes
Chicago Fire 6 episodes
2020 FBI Episode: "Emotional Rescue"

Notes

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  1. ^ Her father was from a village called Grammousa north of Skala, and her mother is from Athens.[5] George Spiridakos died on August 10, 2013; he was 62.[6]
  2. ^ She moved to Skala with her family when she was four years old, then came back to Canada at age nine.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b Ilana Levine (May 26, 2019). "Little Known Facts With Ilana Levine Episode 145 Tracy Spiridakos". Little Known Facts. Event occurs at 5:06-5:26. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  2. ^ "Η σειρά "Επανάσταση": ηθοποιοί και ρόλοι". ERCH2014 (in Greek). Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Strachan, Alex (September 11, 2012). "Vancouver-based actress Tracy Spiridakos beats the odds to land key role in post-apocalyptic drama". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  4. ^ a b Ryan, Andrew (September 19, 2012). "Tracy Spiridakos hits bull's eye with Revolution". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  5. ^ "REVOLUTION's Tracy Spiridakos on Fight Scenes & Canadian Accents!". Young Hollywood (YouTube Channel). May 6, 2014.
  6. ^ "GEORGE SPIRIDAKOS". Winnipeg Free Press Passages. August 13, 2013.
  7. ^ a b Oswald, Brad (September 15, 2012). "Lights out, dread on". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
  8. ^ Sanderson, David (February 2, 2014). "Grecian formula — for success". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  9. ^ "Interview With Revolution's Tracy Spiridakos". AfterBuzz TV (YouTube Channel). May 1, 2014.
  10. ^ Tsolakidou, Stella (August 27, 2012). "Tracy Spiridakos Will Bring On the "Revolution" for NBC". Greek Reporter. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  11. ^ Satsidis, George (July 9, 2013). "Tracy Spiridakos - Revolution". Retrieved October 4, 2013 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ a b Oswald, Brad (October 20, 2009). "No trick, all treat". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  13. ^ Oswald, Brad (July 28, 2012). "Revolution-ary career step". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  14. ^ "June 2012 Newsletter" (PDF). Oak Park High School. June 2012. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 26, 2012.
  15. ^ a b Oswald, Brad (July 28, 2012). "Revolution-ary career step". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  16. ^ a b Schaeffer, Glen (September 14, 2012). "Tracy Spiridakos is leading the pack of BC actors on the verge of stardom". The Province. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
  17. ^ Miller, Gerri (October 16, 2012). "Tracy Spiridakos kicks plastic bottles, kicks butt on 'Revolution'". Mother Nature Network. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  18. ^ Ginges, Gary (May 13, 2013). "NBC's 'Revolution' to be filmed in Austin". Austin360.com. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  19. ^ Berkshire, Geoff (June 20, 2013). "'Episodes' Season 3 welcomes 'Revolution' star Tracy Spiridakos". Zap2it. Archived from the original on June 22, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  20. ^ Ice Bucket Challenge (November 4, 2014). "Tracy Spiridakos ALS Ice Bucket Challenge" – via YouTube.
  21. ^ Abrams, Natalie (October 21, 2014). "'Revolution' star Tracy Spiridakos checks into 'Bates Motel'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  22. ^ Bahr, Lindsey (June 10, 2014). "Casting Net: Rooney Mara and David Fincher circle 'sexpionage' thriller; Plus, 'Insurgent' finds its Uriah, more". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
  23. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (April 3, 2015). "Tracy Spiridakos To Co-Star In CBS' Dan O'Shannon Comedy Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  24. ^ a b Stanhope, Kate (July 25, 2017). "'Chicago P.D.': Tracy Spiridakos Joins as Series Regular After Sophia Bush's Exit". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  25. ^ Longeretta, Emily (October 25, 2023). "'Chicago P.D.' Star Tracy Spiridakos to Exit After Season 11 (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
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