Tuva Novotny

**Tuva Matilda Moa Karolina Novotny** (nee Hedström; 21 December 1979), also known as **Tuva Novotny-Hedström**, is a renowned Swedish actress, director, and singer. Born in Stockholm, she is the daughter of actor and sculptor Barbro Hedström and Czech film director and academic David Novotny. She spent her youth near Arvika in Värmland County, Sweden, where she received classical ballet training and performed in local youth bands. Upon moving to Stockholm, Novotny actively participated at Vår teater, a children's theatre and studied theatre at St Erik's High School. Her education briefly continued in the Czech Republic at a drama school. Novotny's acting career launched at the age of 16 when she was cast in the leading role for the TV series Skilda världar, which aired from 1996 to 2000. She has since undertaken complex roles in films such as Tic Tac (1997) and The Invisible (2002). Her performance in 2003's play, Limbo, at Stockholm City Theatre was met with acclaim. Further establishing her international reputation, she starred in the American film Eat Pray Love in 2010 and various crime novels adaptations by Maria Lang. In 2018, she played the leading role of Cass Sheppard in the sci-fi thriller Annihilation. As a filmmaker, Novotny directed several episodes of the first season of Norwegian TV series Dag in 2010. She also wrote and directed the Norwegian drama Blind Spot (Norwegian: Blindsone), which premiered in 2018, and other feature films like Britt-Marie Was Here (2019) and Diorama (2022). Her work has been recognized at various film festivals and she's been nominated for the Guldbagge Award multiple times.