Claire Holt on Rebekah Mikaelson and ‘The Originals’

Celebrities, Celebrity Q&A, Featured Article, TV Shows
on February 17, 2014
Claire Holt The Vampire Diaries
Tina Rowden/The CW laire Holt as Rebekah
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Tell me about Claire Holt from “The Originals.”
—Madeleine Holloway, Reno, Nevada

Claire Holt is an up-and-coming Australian actress, who first became known to audiences as Emma Gilbert on the series “H20: Just Add Water,” but she is best known to audiences in America for her role as Rebekah Mikaelson first on “The Vampire Diaries,” and now on its spinoff “The Originals.”

“Executive producer Julie Plec has written such a multidimensional character for me,” the Brisbane, Australia-born actress, 25, says. “The challenge at the start was there is this mean girl that no one wants around, so you have to make her likeable and you have to make the fans want to watch her. It’s been really rewarding to watch the journey from sassy, spunky killer to the girl who just wants to be loved.”

Holt is a graduate of the Stuartholme School, where she was in the school choir. She is also very athletic, participating in several sports including swimming, volleyball, water polo, and she holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

She used her skills to participate in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon, which benefits the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Pediatric Cancer Research Program. It is something she wanted to do after spending her childhood watching her father compete.

“I always thought I’d like to try one myself, so I finally bit the bullet,” she says. “I was taught about the importance of giving back and helping those less fortunate. I think it’s incredibly rewarding. One of the greatest gifts in life is giving. Giving time and giving love. It helps me to stay grateful and happy.”

Holt’s other credits include the motion pictures “Messengers II: The Scarecrow” “Mean Girls 2,” and “Blue Like Jazz,” and a recurring role on the TV series “Pretty Little Liars.”

When not filming in Atlanta, Georgia, Holt resides in Los Angeles, California.