Jeananne Goossen

Born in Toronto, Ontario, on January 3, 1985, Jeananne was raised in the eclectic Kensington Market and Chinatown neighborhoods, attending French bilingual programs in the city and Japanese language schools in Japan. Her mother, Tam Goossen, emigrated from Hong Kong and became an activist and school board trustee, while her father, Ted Goossen, is a professor of Japanese literature and film, famous for translating works by Haruki Murakami. Jeananne herself nearly pursued a different path: she majored in Biochemistry at McGill University, with plans to become a gynecologist, but the pull of acting won out. She left Montreal for York University's theater program, and her first role soon followed.

Her film debut came in the TIFF title Breakfast With Scot, and roles in The Vow, Riverworld, and Falcon Beach built her momentum. After moving to Los Angeles, she guest-starred on shows like Alcatraz and landed the lead in The Following pilot opposite Kevin Bacon. She later starred as Krista Bell-Hart on NBC's The Night Shift and appeared in The Walking Dead, Criminal Minds, and Nashville, where her singing led to two recorded songs on iTunes. Jeananne speaks Japanese, French, and some Cantonese and Mandarin, and plays guitar and piano. She turned down college basketball and volleyball scholarships to pursue acting, a choice that has clearly paid off.