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Meet Brazilian actress Morena Baccarin, who stars in Deadpool & Wolverine as Ryan Reynolds’ love interest: she’s in Homeland and Gotham, had a messy divorce, and advocates for immigrants and refugees

Morena Baccarin plays Vanessa, Ryan Reynolds’ love interest in the Deadpool franchise Photos: @morenabaccarin/Instagram, Getty Images
Morena Baccarin plays Vanessa, Ryan Reynolds’ love interest in the Deadpool franchise Photos: @morenabaccarin/Instagram, Getty Images

  • Besides her Marvel break, Baccarin has over 60 titles under her belt – from The Good Wife, How I Met Your Mother and Firefly, to upcoming CBS TV show Sheriff County
  • She was ordered to pay thousands in spousal and child support to her ex-husband, film producer and director Austin Chick, but is currently married to Ben McKenzie, with whom she shares two kids

For many actors, a role in a Marvel film is a chance of a lifetime. And Morena Baccarin scored that chance when she nabbed the part of Vanessa Carlysle opposite Ryan Reynolds in the Deadpool franchise.

With her return to Deadpool & Wolverine confirmed since the film’s release on July 26, let’s take a look back at her remarkable journey to this milestone.

What is Morena Baccarin’s background?

Morena Baccarin was born and raised in Brazil before moving to the United States with her family when she was a little girl. Photo: @morenabaccarin/Instagram
Morena Baccarin was born and raised in Brazil before moving to the United States with her family when she was a little girl. Photo: @morenabaccarin/Instagram
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Morena Baccarin, 45, is of Italian, Lebanese, Portuguese and Brazilian descent and was born on June 2, 1978, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, per her IMDB. Her mother Vera Setta was an actress, and her father, Fernando Baccarin, worked as a journalist.

When Baccarin was seven years old, her family immigrated to the United States, per NY Post. Her father, a TV news editor, was transferred to New York City. She attended LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she earned a place after she auditioned with a dark comic Portuguese monologue and an excerpt from Macbeth. At 17, she furthered her training at the prestigious Juilliard School’s Drama Division, which boasts international household names such is Viola Davis and Anthony Mackie as alumni.

How did Morena Baccarin become an actress?

Morena Baccarin’s mother, Vera Setta, was an actress in the 70s and 80s. Photo: @morenabaccarin/Instagram
Morena Baccarin’s mother, Vera Setta, was an actress in the 70s and 80s. Photo: @morenabaccarin/Instagram

Even though her mother was a stage and television actress, Baccarin never imagined herself following in Sette’s footsteps.

“My mum is an actress, but she never really pushed me into it, and it was never something I thought I would be doing,” the Gotham star told Den of Geek in a 2010 interview. “She was very happy I decided to, but she certainly doesn’t offer me criticism, because she knows I’d tell her to shut up! Nobody wants to hear that from their mum!”

What else has Morena Baccarin been in – besides Deadpool & Wolverine?

Ryan Reynolds (left) and Morena Baccarin at the 20th Century Fox panel during 2015 Comic-Con in San Diego, California. Photo: Getty Images)
Ryan Reynolds (left) and Morena Baccarin at the 20th Century Fox panel during 2015 Comic-Con in San Diego, California. Photo: Getty Images)

Baccarin landed her debut film role in the 2001 fashion-world comedy film, Perfume. She then worked hard on diversifying her resume with notable roles in projects such as the beloved science-fiction series Firefly, sitcom How I Met Your Mother, espionage thriller series Homeland, legal drama series The Good Wife, and – of course – the Deadpool franchise.