Rachel Skarsten (born 23 April 1985) is a Canadian actress. She is known for playing Dinah Lance in The WB's Birds of Prey (2002–2003), Tamsin in Showcase's Lost Girl (2013–2015), Queen Elizabeth I in the CW's Reign (2014–2017), and Beth Kane in the CW's Batwoman (2019–2022).

Early life

Skarsten was born in Toronto, Ontario. Her father Dr. Stan Skarsten was from Bergen, Norway, whilst her mother, Mary Aileen Self Skarsten, grew up in India. She also has a younger brother. Skarsten grew up in northern Toronto, and spent time in Bergen during her youth. Skarsten trained with the Royal Academy of Dance for 12 years, but after an ankle injury she gave up her dancing career and turned to hockey. In 2002 she played goalie for the Toronto Leaside Wildcats. She attended Claude Watson School for the Arts from grades 4 to 8, majoring in visual arts and the cello. She continued in the Claude Watson Arts Program at Earl Haig Secondary School from grades 9-12, majoring in visual arts. She was discovered by an agent at a memorial for her father.

Acting career

After getting an agent, Skarsten went on to be cast as a regular in shows such as Little Men. She landed her "big break" as a co-lead in the Warner Brothers television series Birds of Prey. After filming wrapped on Birds of Prey, Skarsten left Los Angeles and returned to Canada where she completed a double degree in English Literature and Classical Studies at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. Following this, she returned to acting with arcs on The LA Complex, Flashpoint, and The Listener as well as work in Canadian independents such as Servitude and Two Hands to Mouth. She played Andrea in the movie adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey. Skarsten co-starred as Alice / Beth Kane, the main antagonist of the Batwoman television series, from 2019 to 2022.

Personal life

On 12 May 2020, Skarsten announced on her Instagram account that she had married her boyfriend, Alexandre Robicquet, privately. In September 2023, Skarsten announced that she was pregnant with their first child who was born later that year. In April 2024, she released the first photo of their son.

Filmography

Film

Television