Lauren Cohan is a British-American actress and model, born on January 7, 1982, in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
Known for her dynamic presence on screen, she gained widespread recognition for her role as Maggie Greene (later Maggie Rhee) in the AMC post-apocalyptic horror series The Walking Dead and its spinoff, The Walking Dead: Dead City.
Raised in both the United States and the United Kingdom, Cohan’s multicultural background, with American, Scottish, and Jewish influences, has shaped her versatile career in film, television, and modeling.
She graduated from the University of Winchester with a Bachelor of Arts in Drama and English Literature, where she co-founded a theater group, laying the foundation for her acting journey.
Siblings
Lauren grew up with a blended family, consisting of five younger half-siblings from her parents’ remarriages.
Her mother, Susan Cohan, who is of Scottish descent, remarried a Jewish man when Lauren was seven, leading to the family’s conversion to Judaism and a move to Surrey, UK, when Lauren was thirteen.
Through her mother’s remarriage, Lauren has three younger half-brothers and one half-sister.
Her biological father, Paul, an American with English, Irish, and Norwegian ancestry, also remarried and has two younger children, adding two more half-siblings to Lauren’s family.
Career
Cohan began her acting career in 2005 with a minor role as Sister Beatrice in the film Casanova.
The following year, she appeared in Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj as Charlotte Higginson, marking her early foray into comedy.
Her film roles expanded with projects like Float (2008), Death Race 2 (2010), The Boy (2016), where she played the lead role of Greta Evans, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), portraying Martha Wayne.
She also appeared in All Eyez on Me (2017) and Mile 22 (2018), showcasing her ability to tackle diverse genres from biographical drama to action.
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Cohan’s television career, however, is where she truly made her mark.
In 2007, she landed a recurring role as Bela Talbot, a cunning thief, in the third season of Supernatural.
She continued to build her television resume with roles like Rose, a 560-year-old vampire, in The Vampire Diaries (2010–2012), and Vivian McArthur Volkoff in Chuck (2011).
Her most iconic role came in 2011 when she was cast as Maggie Greene in The Walking Dead.
Initially a recurring character in season two, she became a series regular in season three, earning acclaim for her portrayal of the resilient and resourceful Maggie.
Cohan briefly left the series in 2018 due to a contract dispute but returned as a regular in the eleventh season and starred in the spinoff The Walking Dead: Dead City.
Other notable TV roles include Francesca “Frankie” Trowbridge in Whiskey Cavalier and voicing War Woman in the animated series Invincible.
Beyond acting, Cohan worked as a model, endorsing major brands, and has contributed as an executive producer on The Walking Dead: Dead City.
Accolades
Cohan’s performances, particularly in The Walking Dead, have earned her critical recognition and several awards.
In 2012, she won a Satellite Award for Best Television Cast as part of the The Walking Dead ensemble, shared with co-stars like Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus.
In 2013, she received the Eyegore Award, which honors notable figures in the horror genre, for her role as Maggie Greene.
Cohan has also been nominated for awards such as the Saturn Awards and Critics’ Choice Television Awards for her work in television, reflecting her ability to bring depth to complex characters.
Her contributions to The Walking Dead helped the series achieve record-breaking ratings, making it the highest-rated cable television series in 2015.
Additionally, her voice work in the video game Batman: The Telltale Series as Martha Wayne further showcased her versatility, adding to her industry respect.
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