Born: May 16, 1977
Date of Birth: May 16, 1977
Texas native Viola Lynn Collins was born in Houston. After discovering her passion for acting, Collins attended the Juilliard School for Drama. Her strong classical background led her to play Ophelia in Hamlet as well as Juliet in a Los Angeles production of Romeo and Juliet.
Collins' Shakespearean experience helped her land the role of Portia in the 2005 film William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, despite being relatively unknown. The well-received movie had her sharing scenes with Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons.
While Collins would continue to land supporting roles in movies, it wasn't until 2009 that she became recognizable. During that year she was cast as both Hugh Jackman's love interest, Kayla Silverfox, in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Dawn the waitress in HBO's True Blood.
In 2012, Collins rejoined fellow Wolverine actor Taylor Kitsch in Disney's John Carter, playing Dejah Thoris, the Princess of Mars.
Collins is married to actor Steven Strait and divides her time between New York and London.
Filmography