Meet Brazilian actress Morena Baccarin, who stars in Deadpool & Wolverine as Ryan Reynolds’ love interest: she’s in Homeland and Gotham, had a messy divorce, and advocates for immigrants and refugees

Morena Baccarin, 45, is of Italian, Lebanese, Portuguese and Brazilian descent and was born on June 2, 1978, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, per her IMDB. Her mother Vera Setta was an actress, and her father, Fernando Baccarin, worked as a journalist.

When Baccarin was seven years old, her family immigrated to the United States, per NY Post. Her father, a TV news editor, was transferred to New York City. She attended LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she earned a place after she auditioned with a dark comic Portuguese monologue and an excerpt from Macbeth. At 17, she furthered her training at the prestigious Juilliard School’s Drama Division, which boasts international household names such is Viola Davis and Anthony Mackie as alumni.

How did Morena Baccarin become an actress?

Even though her mother was a stage and television actress, Baccarin never imagined herself following in Sette’s footsteps.

“My mum is an actress, but she never really pushed me into it, and it was never something I thought I would be doing,” the Gotham star told Den of Geek in a 2010 interview. “She was very happy I decided to, but she certainly doesn’t offer me criticism, because she knows I’d tell her to shut up! Nobody wants to hear that from their mum!”

What else has Morena Baccarin been in – besides Deadpool & Wolverine?

Baccarin landed her debut film role in the 2001 fashion-world comedy film, Perfume. She then worked hard on diversifying her resume with notable roles in projects such as the beloved science-fiction series Firefly, sitcom How I Met Your Mother, espionage thriller series Homeland, legal drama series The Good Wife, and – of course – the Deadpool franchise.

To date, IMDB lists 60 titles to her name and shows six more are on the way, which makes her quite the public figure, but Baccarin prefers to keep her personal life private for the most part. “My personal life is my personal life,” the actress told People in 2020. “All I think about is my son, my family, and my future family. [My son] is going to be of an age where he can go online and look at everything that’s been said and done. What I say is the only thing I can control.”

Who is Morena Baccarin married to – and does she have any kids?

In 2011, Baccarin married American film producer and director Austin Chick, and their son Julius was born two years later. But the pair eventually separated and Chick filed for divorce in 2015.

Various outlets reported that a messy custody battle ensued. And while the court ultimately awarded Baccarin primary custody of Julius, she was ordered to pay Chick US$5,000 a month in spousal support until the end of 2018, and also US$3,500 a month for child support until their son turns 18.

She found love again not long after with actor Ben McKenzie. The two met on the set of the Batman prequel TV series Gotham in 2014, and were confirmed to be an item shortly after the 2015 Emmys in September. The couple announced that Baccarin was pregnant with their first child together that same month, and married in 2017 after the birth of their daughter the year before. They’ve since had one more child together – a son.

She is an avid advocate for women, children and refugees

Beyond acting, Baccarin is a passionate advocate for refugees. According to the International Rescue Committee, which supports those affected by humanitarian crises, the actress was inspired “by her mother’s work as an activist for women’s rights in Brazil” to protect and empower other women and girls. And as an IRC ambassador, Baccarin has worked with the organisation to support refugees in Colombia, and Baltimore and New York in the US. She also wrote an opinion piece for Newsweek in 2019 on how the crisis in Venezuela will contribute to an increase in refugees, and how the US can prepare for it.

Morena Baccarin scored a lead role in Sheriff Country

Looking ahead, Baccarin is set to star in Sheriff Country, a Fire Country spin-off in which Baccarin plays Mickey Fox, a dedicated law enforcement officer who investigates criminal activity in the small town of Edgewater. There is also tension aplenty with Fox’s ex-con father and wayward daughter. The show is slated to debut in the 2025-2026 season on CBS.