Riley Voelkel is an American-Canadian actress who portrays Freya Mikaelson on The Originals and reprised her role on Legacies.
Biography[]
Riely was born in Elk Grove, California, USA, but raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She was very involved in sports and school, being a part of a softball team for 9 years.
Just a month away from going to college, she heard over the radio that a modeling scout was coming to her town and she decided to go and see what could happen. After being picked up by a scout she went to New York, though none wanted her. As a last attempt she came to Los Angeles and almost all of the agencies handed her contracts. Though she first moved to LA to model, she ended up joining an acting class that her modeling agency recommended.[1]
On September 23, 2022, she married Michael Robertson.[2]
Career[]
Voelkel's first big break into the industry came when she went to a film audition for the role of a club girl in The Social Network. After finishing the picture, she signed with an agent and booked her first lead in an independent film, The Secret Lives of Dorks, released in 2013. In 2012, she joined the HBO series The Newsroom only for the pilot episode, but later became the character of Jenny. In 2014, she has been cast as one of the leads in Point of Honor.
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Type | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Roswell, New Mexico | TV Series | Cameron |
| 2014-2018 | The Originals | TV Series | Freya Mikaelson |
| 2017 | Big Science Bad Business | Short | Distressed Wife |
| 2017 | Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television | TV Series | Parker Starr |
| 2017 | Scrambled | Movie | Cristina |
| 2016 | Advance & Retreat | TV Movie | Alison |
| 2015 | Point of Honor | TV Movie | Lorelei Summer |
| 2012-2014 | The Newsroom | TV Series | Jenna Johnson/Jennifer Johnson |
| 2014 | Glee | TV Series | Sam |
| 2013 | American Horror Story | TV Series | Young Fiona Goode |
| 2013 | The Secret Life of Dorks | Movie | Carrie |
| 2013 | Synthesizers | Video Short | Club Girl |
| 2012 | Hidden Moon | Movie | Christine Brighton |
| 2012 | The Mentalist | TV Series | Tristan |
| 2011 | Prom | Movie | Claire |
| 2010 | Glory Daze | TV Series | Caroline |
| 2008 | Blush: The Search for America's Greatest Makeup Artist | TV Series | Greta Garbo |
Trivia[]
- She is the only American born actor/actress besides Devon Allowitz among the Original Mikaelson siblings. Joseph Morgan (Klaus) is from Wales. Daniel Gillies (Elijah) is from Canada and a New Zealand transplant. Caspar Zafer (Finn) is from Ukraine. Both Claire Holt and Nathaniel Buzolic (Rebekah and Kol, respectively) are from Australia.
- Her character is the oldest of the Mikaelson siblings even though Riley is the youngest actress among (excluding Devon) them seeing as Claire is two years older than her.
- She played a younger Fiona Goode in American Horror Story: Coven, another series based in New Orleans.
- She was in Prom with Danielle Campbell even though their characters didn't interact at all.
- She was in Point of Honor with Nathan Parsons.
- Riley appears in more episodes than any other non-lead starring cast member during Season Three.