Alexia Fast
Alexia Fast (born September 12, 1992) is a Canadian actress best known for her supporting role as Sandy in the 2012 action thriller Jack Reacher, opposite Tom Cruise and directed by Christopher McQuarrie.[1][2] Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Fast began her career as a child, writing, producing, directing, and starring in the short film The Red Bridge (2002), which premiered at the Atlantic International Film Festival and the Reel to Reel International Film Festival.[3][2][4] She transitioned to professional acting after securing her first talent agent. Her feature film debut came in the zombie comedy Fido (2006). Early television work included guest appearances and roles in TV movies such as His and Her Christmas (2005) and Firestorm: Last Stand at Yellowstone (2006).[5][3] Fast's career gained momentum with independent films like Repeaters (2010) and Hungry Hills (2009), both of which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. She followed this with leading roles in Triple Dog (2010), a teen thriller, and The 19th Wife (2010), a historical drama miniseries adaptation.[5][6] In television, she had guest roles in series such as The Secret Circle (2011–2012), as young Jane, and Bates Motel (2013–2017), as Athena.[1] Her performance in Jack Reacher marked entry into mainstream Hollywood films.[7] In the 2010s and early 2020s, Fast continued to diversify her portfolio with roles in films like The Captive (2014), directed by Atom Egoyan and starring Ryan Reynolds, where she played the grown-up version of an abducted girl; Grace: The Possession (2014), a supernatural horror; and We Had It Coming (2015), a drama exploring female friendships. She also guest-starred in popular series including Supernatural (2005–2020), iZombie (2015–2019), and Diggstown (2019–2021). More recent projects include the sci-fi thriller Apex (2021), co-starring Bruce Willis, the action film The Last Mark (2022), where she played Peyton, and the romantic drama Candid About Love (2023).[8][1][5] Fast's work spans genres from horror and drama to action, in both Canadian and international productions.[5]Early life
Childhood and family background
Alexia Fast was born on September 12, 1992, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.[1] She grew up in the city, immersed in its vibrant urban environment.[9] Fast was raised by her mother, Cheryl-Lee Fast, a film producer, and her father, a songwriter, in a family with strong ties to the arts.[10] This creative household in Vancouver provided an early exposure to storytelling and artistic pursuits.[9]Entry into the entertainment industry
At the age of nine, Alexia Fast made her debut in the entertainment industry by writing, directing, and starring in the short film The Red Bridge in 2002.[11] The project originated from a short story she had written for school, reflecting her early fascination with narrative creation and performance.[12] The Red Bridge premiered at the 2002 Atlantic International Film Festival and was screened at the Reel to Reel Film Festival in 2006, marking Fast's initial exposure to professional filmmaking circles.[12][11] These screenings highlighted her precocious talent and self-driven approach, as she independently produced the film without formal training.[11] By age 11, she had secured her first talent agent, transitioning to professional acting.[2] Fast's entry into the industry stemmed from an innate interest in storytelling, fueled by her Vancouver upbringing in a city known for its vibrant film community that encouraged creative pursuits among youth.[9] This early endeavor demonstrated her multifaceted skills and set the foundation for her subsequent professional path.[12]Career
Early roles and development (2002–2010)
Alexia Fast transitioned from amateur filmmaking to professional acting in her pre-teen years, building on the foundation of her self-produced short film The Red Bridge (2002), which she wrote, directed, and starred in at age seven and which premiered at the Atlantic International Film Festival.[13] After securing her first agent at age 11, she landed her debut television role as Jacqui in the Lifetime holiday movie His and Her Christmas (2005), a romantic comedy about rival newspaper columnists during the holiday season.[14][13] Fast's career gained momentum in 2006 with a series of credited roles across film and television, marking her entry into more substantial projects. She portrayed Sara Shay, the daughter experiencing visions tied to a past-life mystery, in the Lifetime thriller TV movie Past Tense, directed by Penelope Buitenhuis.[15] In the A&E disaster film Firestorm: Last Stand at Yellowstone, she played Maya, a young girl amid a massive wildfire threatening the national park.[16] Fast also made a guest appearance as Missy Bender, a kidnapped teenager, in the episode "The Benders" of the CW series Supernatural, showcasing her ability to handle intense dramatic scenes opposite Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki.[17] Her feature film debut came that same year in the zombie comedy Fido (2006), where she played Cindy Bottoms, the sister of the protagonist in a satirical 1950s world where domesticated zombies serve society; Fast described the experience as her first major acting role, during which she learned key techniques from co-stars like Billy Connolly and Carrie-Anne Moss.[18][11] These early opportunities allowed Fast to develop her craft rapidly, transitioning from minor parts to leads while navigating the demands of on-set work as a young performer.[11] As a teenager entering the industry, Fast balanced her growing schedule of auditions and shoots with formal education, attending school rather than opting for homeschooling, which required careful time management to maintain academic progress alongside professional commitments.[19] This period of frequent roles in 2006–2010 honed her versatility in genres from horror to family drama, establishing her as an emerging talent in Canadian and American productions.[5]Major roles and recent work (2011–present)
Alexia Fast achieved a significant breakthrough in her career with her supporting role as Sandy, a vulnerable witness in the 2012 action thriller Jack Reacher, directed by Christopher McQuarrie and starring Tom Cruise. This performance, in which she portrayed a young woman drawn into a complex murder investigation, marked her transition to major Hollywood productions and garnered attention for her poised screen presence alongside established stars.[20] She followed this with roles in films like The Captive (2014), directed by Atom Egoyan and starring Ryan Reynolds, where she played Cass, a kidnapped girl; and Grace: The Possession (2014), a supernatural horror in which she starred as the possessed teenager Grace, directed by Jeff Chan, which drew comparisons to The Exorcist for its intense demonic themes.[1] Fast expanded her television portfolio in the mid-2010s with notable guest roles that highlighted her range in dramatic and genre work. In 2016, she appeared as Athena, a strip club dancer involved in a tense encounter, in an episode of the A&E series Bates Motel, sharing scenes with Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore in the psychological thriller prequel to Psycho. She followed this with a recurring role as Callie Winter, the daughter of a key scientist, in the 2014–2015 WGN America historical drama Manhattan, which explored the Manhattan Project during World War II. In 2017, Fast portrayed Yvonne in an episode of The CW's iZombie and Mona Wilder, a psychic medium central to a season-spanning mystery, in three episodes of BBC America's Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, adapting Douglas Adams' novel into a surreal sci-fi narrative.[21] In the 2020s, Fast continued to diversify her film roles across thrillers, horror, and romance. More recently, Fast played West, a survivalist hiker, in the 2021 sci-fi horror Apex, where she became involved in a deadly human hunt on a deserted island alongside Bruce Willis. In 2022, she took on the role of Peyton, a determined ally in a heist gone wrong, in the crime thriller The Last Mark. Fast led as Laura, an aspiring photographer navigating love and career ambitions, in the 2023 romantic comedy Candid About Love, showcasing her comedic timing in a lighthearted exploration of modern relationships. Fast's television work has remained active into the mid-2020s, including her portrayal of Teza, a client in a high-stakes family law case, in a 2022 episode of the Global TV legal drama Family Law, opposite Jewel Staite and Victor Garber.[1] This body of work reflects Fast's evolution from early supporting parts to more prominent and varied characters, spanning horror, sci-fi, thriller, and drama genres, while building on the foundational skills honed in her pre-2011 projects.Filmography
Film credits
Alexia Fast's film credits encompass a range of feature films and short films, spanning genres from horror and thriller to drama. The following table lists her roles chronologically, including character names and directors where applicable.[1]| Year | Title | Role | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Red Bridge (short) | Katie | Alexia Fast |
| 2006 | Fido | Cindy Bottoms | Andrew Currie |
| 2009 | What Goes Up | Hannah | Jonny Kaplin |
| 2009 | Hungry Hills | Robin | Steve Hung |
| 2009 | Helen | Julie | Sandra Nettelbeck |
| 2010 | Repeaters | Charlotte Halsted | Carl Bessai |
| 2010 | Triple Dog | Eve | Pascal Franchot |
| 2012 | Last Kind Words | Amanda | Kevin Barker |
| 2012 | Blackbird | Deanna Roy | Jason Buxton |
| 2012 | Jack Reacher | Sandy | Christopher McQuarrie |
| 2014 | The Captive | Cass | Atom Egoyan |
| 2014 | Grace: The Possession | Grace | Jeff Chan |
| 2017 | Eye on Juliet | Jeanine | Kim Nguyen |
| 2018 | The Ninth Passenger | Jess | Corey Large |
| 2019 | We Had It Coming | Olivia | Paul Barbeau |
| 2021 | Apex | West Zaroff | Edward Drake |
| 2022 | The Last Mark | Peyton | Reem Morsi |
| 2023 | Candid About Love | Laura | Amelia Burstyn |
Television credits
Alexia Fast has appeared in various television series, miniseries, and TV movies, often in guest or recurring capacities early in her career, transitioning to more prominent roles in later projects. Her television work spans genres including drama, horror, and science fiction, showcasing her versatility across broadcast and streaming platforms.[1]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | His and Her Christmas | Jacqui | TV movie[22] |
| 2006 | Past Tense | Sara Shay | TV movie; lead performance, earned a Leo Award nomination[23] |
| 2006 | Firestorm: Last Stand at Yellowstone | Maya | TV movie[24] |
| 2006 | Supernatural | Missy Bender | 1 episode ("The Benders"); guest star |
| 2006 | Swimming Lessons | Mean Girl | TV short film[25] |
| 2006–2007 | The 4400 | Lindsey Hammond | 3 episodes; recurring guest star |
| 2007 | Masters of Horror | Marylyn | 1 episode ("We All Scream for Ice Cream"); guest star[26] |
| 2007 | Masters of Science Fiction | Juror #4 (Ginnie) | 1 episode ("Little Brother"); guest star[27] |
| 2007 | Tin Man | Young Azkadellia | Miniseries; 3 episodes; recurring role |
| 2007 | Kaya | Kristin | 10 episodes; main cast |
| 2008 | Left Coast | Bronwyn | TV movie; lead role[28] |
| 2008 | Gym Teacher: The Movie | Suzie | TV movie[29] |
| 2009 | Flashpoint | Ella Brandt | 1 episode ("Perfect Storm"); guest star[30] |
| 2010 | The 19th Wife | Five | TV miniseries[31] |
| 2010 | The Cult | Rachel | TV movie; lead role[32] |
| 2012 | The Secret Circle | Eva | 1 episode ("Fortune"); guest star |
| 2012 | Supernatural | Emma | 1 episode ("The Slice Girls"); guest star |
| 2013 | Red Widow | Bliss | 2 episodes; recurring guest star |
| 2014 | Motive | Janine Boxton | 1 episode ("Dead End"); guest star[33] |
| 2014–2015 | Manhattan | Callie Winter | 15 episodes; main cast (season 1), guest (season 2)[34] |
| 2016 | Bates Motel | Athena | 1 episode ("Lights of Winter"); guest star |
| 2017 | iZombie | Yvonne | 1 episode ("Some Like It Hot Mess"); guest star[35] |
| 2017 | Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency | Mona Wilder | 3 episodes (season 2); recurring role |
| 2020 | Diggstown | Dani Ewing | 1 episode; guest star[36] |
| 2022 | Family Law | Teza | 1 episode; guest star[37] |