Before Cleopatra Coleman became a familiar face on American television and in film, she was just another aspiring actress with a dream. What makes her story compelling is how she has steadily worked her way up. Over the years, her career hasn’t been defined by overnight fame but by a steady stream of impressive performances.
Cleopatra Coleman made her screen debut in 2004. Since then, the actress has worked extensively on the big and small screens. Like many Australian actors before her, Coleman began her acting career in Australian television before moving to the United States. With an acting career now spanning over two decades, here’s every role that has defined Cleopatra Coleman’s career.
Silversun
Cleopatra Coleman got her very first major acting role on the Australian children’s sci-fi series Silversun in 2004. She was cast as Zandie Brokow, one of the teenage crew members aboard the spaceship Star Runner. Coleman was 16 years old when the show premiered on June 28, 2004. Silversun centered around a group of young spaceship crew members on a mission to colonize a new planet. For Coleman, Silversun was more than just a debut role.
In her mid-teens, Coleman gained valuable experience working in front of the camera on a long-form series that demanded consistency and discipline. Besides providing an opportunity for more projects in Australian television, before her eventual transition to Hollywood, the show’s sci-fi setting set the stage for her later work in the genre. So, while Silversun wasn’t internationally famous, it was the role that launched Cleopatra Coleman into acting and laid the groundwork for her versatility.
Step Up Revolution
Long before she became known in Hollywood, Cleopatra Coleman was introduced to international audiences through Step Up Revolution (2012). The fourth installment in the Step Up film series was Coleman’s film debut. Joining the cast as DJ Penelope, Coleman’s character was part of the Miami-based crew, “The Mob,” that used dance as both art and protest. While her role was smaller compared to the lead characters, it gave Coleman exposure in a globally recognized franchise.
The Last Man on Earth
For many American television audiences, Cleopatra Coleman became a familiar face thanks to her role as Erica Dundee on the Fox comedy series The Last Man on Earth. With the cast led by Will Forte, the show imagined a world where most of humanity had been wiped out, leaving a handful of quirky survivors to navigate life after an apocalypse. Coleman’s Erica is an Australian political staffer who survived the deadly virus. The show, which aired for 4 seasons, was a critical success. It further introduced Coleman to a wider international audience. It also cemented her reputation as a versatile actress capable of thriving in ensemble-driven storytelling.
In the Shadow of the Moon
By the late 2010s, Cleopatra Coleman’s career had taken an upturn. She was cast in a major role in Netflix’s sci-fi thriller In the Shadow of the Moon as Rya. The movie tells the story of a Philadelphia police officer, Thomas Lockhart (Boyd Holbrook), obsessed with tracking a mysterious time-traveling killer. Coleman plays Rya, the time-traveling killer and a key character whose presence ties the story’s central mystery together. While the film itself drew mixed reviews, Coleman’s contribution was widely acknowledged as one of its strengths. The movie also starred Bokeem Woodbine and Michael C. Hall.
Infinity Pool
In Brandon Cronenberg’s 2023 sci-fi body horror Infinity Pool, Cleopatra Coleman plays Em Foster. Her character is the wealthy, measured, and increasingly disillusioned wife of Alexander Skarsgård’s character. Following her career journey, Coleman has truly never shied away from independent projects that experiment with tone and narrative style. Although not her first horror project, Coleman showed she could hold her own with horror greats like Skarsgård and Mia Goth.
Cobweb
Cleopatra Coleman followed her Infinity Pool performance with another horror film, Cobweb. In Cobweb, Coleman plays Miss Devine, a substitute school teacher who becomes increasingly concerned about one of her students, Peter (Woody Norman). Her performance showed she had the potential to one day be a “Scream Queen.” Although the movie wasn’t exactly a Box Office juggernaut, it helped solidify Coleman’s rise in Hollywood.
Rebel Moon Films
In Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon movies, Cleopatra Coleman plays Devra Bloodaxe. Her character is a key figure in the insurgency against the oppressive regime known as the Imperium. Coleman portrays Devra as the strategic mind and political heart of their operation. She co-leads the rebel army with her brother, Darrian Bloodaxe (Ray Fisher). The role was a major milestone in Coleman’s career, as it was her first major studio film. Both films, Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire (2023) and Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver (2024), were made on a shared $166 million budget.
Black Rabbit
In Netflix’s crime thriller Black Rabbit, Cleopatra Coleman plays Estelle, the interior designer for the upscale New York City venue called “Black Rabbit.” Estelle isn’t just a hired aesthetic consultant; she’s part of Jake Friedken’s (Jude Law) inner circle. She’s also romantically involved with Wes (Sope Dirisu), an investor of Black Rabbit. Black Rabbit is Coleman’s latest project, in which she shares screen with Law and Jason Bateman. While she’s yet to receive a nomination from a major award association, Cleopatra Coleman’s performance hasn’t gone unnoticed, especially with her rising profile and casting in major studio and streaming giants’ projects.
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