Jessica Parker Kennedy

Jessica Parker Kennedy (born October 3, 1984) is a renowned Canadian actress, celebrated for her versatile acting prowess in multiple TV series. She gained significant recognition for portraying Melissa Glaser in the CW series The Secret Circle, Max in the Starz original series Black Sails and Nora West-Allen/XS in The Flash. Apart from these, her impressing performances also include appearances in the acclaimed television series Smallville, Undercovers, Kaya, and Colony. Born to an Afro-Canadian father and a Jewish European mother of Italian and Russian descent, Kennedy spent her early years in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. As a child, she was raised Jewish and was drawn towards the few people of color in her school, eventually finding community with other black people during her later years.

Initiated her career in 2006, her acting journey has been marked with many successes. She depicted the supervillain Plastique in Smallville, became a part of the 2008 comedy film Another Cinderella Story, and graced the MTV's television series Kaya as Natalee. Her run in the J.J. Abrams-produced spy drama series Undercovers was succeeded by her role in The Secret Circle. However, the show was cancelled after one season in May 2012. Later, she was cast as the ambitious Nassau prostitute, Max in the Starz TV show Black Sails, and joined the CW's Arrowverse in 2017, mainly featuring in The Flash. Her guest appearances also include the 3rd season of the sketch comedy TV series 'I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson' in 2023, and the Disney+ series 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' in a guest role as Medusa.