# Tamzin Merchant

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{{unreliable sources|imdb=yes|date=March 2026}}
{{short description|British actress}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Tamzin Merchant
| image         = Tamzin merchant2.jpg
| alt           = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software -->
| caption       = Merchant in 2011
| birth_name    = Tamzin Claire Merchant
| birth_date    = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1987|03|04}}
| birth_place   = [Haywards Heath](/source/Haywards_Heath), Sussex, England
| alma_mater    = [Homerton College, Cambridge](/source/Homerton_College%2C_Cambridge)
| occupation    = Actress and author
| years_active  = 2004–present
}}
'''Tamzin Claire Merchant'''<ref name="bio"/> (born 4 March 1987)<ref name="ndy"/> is an English actress and author. She is most notable for her roles as [Georgiana Darcy](/source/Pride_and_Prejudice) in the film ''[Pride & Prejudice](/source/Pride_%26_Prejudice_(2005_film))'' (2005), as [Catherine Howard](/source/Catherine_Howard) in ''[The Tudors](/source/The_Tudors)'' (2009–2010) and as Anne Hale in ''[Salem](/source/Salem_(TV_series))'' (2014–2017). 

==Early life==
Merchant was born 4 March 1987,<ref name="ndy">{{cite news|url= http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/04/05/2009-04-05_a_tudors_tutorial.html|access-date=15 January 2009|date=3 April 2009|title=A 'Tudors' tutorial|work=New York Daily News}}</ref> in [Haywards Heath](/source/Haywards_Heath), Sussex, England.<ref name="author">{{cite web|title=Tamzin Merchant: The Multi-Talented British Actress and Author |url= https://primeheadlines.co.uk/tamzin-merchant-age-relationships-and-career-timeline/ |work= primeheadlines.co.uk |date= Nov 11, 2025|access-date= 25 December 2025}}</ref>{{better source needed|reason=News-farming site; not a legitimate source|date=March 2026}} She was educated at [Windlesham House School](/source/Windlesham_House_School) and [Brighton College](/source/Brighton_College),<ref name="HuffP">{{cite news |title=Tamzin Merchant |work=[HuffPost](/source/HuffPost) |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/tamzin-merchant/ |url-status=live |access-date=17 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409144240/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tamzin-merchant/ |archive-date=9 April 2016}}</ref><ref name= Record>{{cite web | title =Record Oxbridge Success | publisher =Brighton College | date =28 June 2007 | url =http://www.brightoncollege.org.uk/news.asp?id=253930 | access-date = 29 July 2020 | url-status=dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110721001033/http://www.brightoncollege.org.uk/news.asp?id=253930 | archive-date =21 July 2011}}</ref> although she has also lived in [Dubai](/source/Dubai), [United Arab Emirates](/source/United_Arab_Emirates).<ref name= HuffP /> After twice deferring university places to concentrate on her acting career, she eventually studied English and Drama with Education at [Homerton College, Cambridge](/source/Homerton_College%2C_Cambridge).<ref name= Record />

==Career==
Merchant's early credits include [Margo Durrell](/source/Margaret_Durrell) in the 2005 [BBC](/source/BBC) television film ''[My Family and Other Animals](/source/My_Family_and_Other_Animals_(film))'' and Georgiana Darcy in the 2005 film [''Pride and Prejudice''](/source/Pride_%26_Prejudice_(2005_film)).<ref name="bio">{{Cite web |title=Tamzin Merchant Biography |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/tamzin-merchant/bio/3030431405/ |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230829222247/https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/tamzin-merchant/bio/3030431405/ |archive-date=August 29, 2023 |access-date=August 29, 2023 |website=[TV Guide](/source/TV_Guide)}}</ref> In 2006 she appeared in two more BBC dramas, as Sara Fox, the daughter of [Alan Davies](/source/Alan_Davies) and [Michelle Gomez](/source/Michelle_Gomez), in the comedy ''The Good Housekeeping Guide'', and as Probationer Eastwood in the historical drama ''[Casualty 1900s](/source/Casualty_1900s)''.

In 2007, while studying at the [University of Cambridge](/source/University_of_Cambridge), she performed in an audio production of ''[Lady Windermere's Fan](/source/Lady_Windermere's_Fan)'' as Lady Agatha, while in 2008 she appeared in the ensemble drama ''Radio Cape Cod'' in which she plays a summer theatre camper. She appears in the music video for [Jamie T](/source/Jamie_T)'s "If You've Got The Money" and in [Belle and Sebastian](/source/Belle_and_Sebastian)'s "Nobody's Empire". In 2009, she played Alice Davies in ''[Princess Kaiulani](/source/Princess_Kaiulani_(film))''.<ref name="tv"/> 

She was cast playing [Catherine Howard](/source/Catherine_Howard), the fifth wife of [Henry VIII](/source/Henry_VIII), in the third-season and its finale and features heavily in several episodes of the fourth (and final) season of ''[The Tudors](/source/The_Tudors)'' (2009).<ref name="ndy"/><ref name="tv">{{cite web|title= Tamzin Merchant Credits |url= https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/tamzin-merchant/credits/3030431405/ |work= tvguide.com |access-date= 25 December 2025}}</ref>

Merchant played [Daenerys Targaryen](/source/Daenerys_Targaryen) in the unaired pilot of the HBO series ''[Game of Thrones](/source/Game_of_Thrones)'',<ref name="tv"/> based on [George R. R. Martin](/source/George_R._R._Martin)'s ''[A Song of Ice and Fire](/source/A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire)'' series of fantasy novels. The pilot was poorly received, and as a result the first episode was completely remade. Merchant was replaced in her role as Daenerys by [Emilia Clarke](/source/Emilia_Clarke).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hall |first1=Jacob |date=4 February 2016 |title='Game of Thrones' Showrunners Get Honest About the Awful Pilot They Had to Reshoot |work=[Slash Film](/source/%2FFilm) |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/game-of-thrones-pilot/ |url-status=live |access-date=25 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801081528/http://www.slashfilm.com/game-of-thrones-pilot |archive-date=1 August 2017}}</ref>

She played Miranda in the ''[DCI Banks](/source/DCI_Banks)'' episodes "Playing with Fire - Part 1" and "Playing with Fire - Part 2". In early 2012, Merchant played the 17-year-old Rosa Bud in the BBC adaptation of [Charles Dickens](/source/Charles_Dickens)' ''[The Mystery of Edwin Drood](/source/The_Mystery_of_Edwin_Drood)''.<ref name="tv"/> 

Merchant was a series regular for 3 seasons of ''[Salem](/source/Salem_(TV_series))'' on [WGN America](/source/WGN_America) from 2014 to 2017.<ref>{{cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=1 November 2013 |title=Shane West Set As Male Lead of WGN America's 'Salem', Tamzin Merchant Cast as Female Lead |url=https://deadline.com/2013/11/shane-west-set-as-male-lead-of-wgn-americas-salem-tamzin-merchant-cast-625407/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222202721/https://deadline.com/2013/11/shane-west-set-as-male-lead-of-wgn-americas-salem-tamzin-merchant-cast-625407/ |archive-date=22 February 2020 |access-date=29 July 2020 |website=[Deadline Hollywood](/source/Deadline_Hollywood)}}</ref>

In 2019 Merchant was cast as a series regular on the [Amazon Prime](/source/Amazon_Prime) series ''[Carnival Row](/source/Carnival_Row)''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Petski |first=Denise |date=22 September 2017 |title='Carnival Row': Amazon Adds Four To Cast of Fantasy Drama Series |url=https://deadline.com/2017/09/carnival-row-david-gyasi-karla-crome-indira-varma-tamzin-merchant-cast-amazon-fantasy-drama-series-1202174765/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922192912/https://deadline.com/2017/09/carnival-row-david-gyasi-karla-crome-indira-varma-tamzin-merchant-cast-amazon-fantasy-drama-series-1202174765/ |archive-date=22 September 2017 |access-date=29 July 2020 |website=[Deadline Hollywood](/source/Deadline_Hollywood)}}</ref> The series premiered on 30 August and was renewed for a second season.<ref>{{cite web |last=Massabrook |first=Nicole |date=1 September 2019 |title=Will 'Carnival Row' Return For Season 2? Renewal, Cancellation Details |url=https://www.ibtimes.com/will-carnival-row-return-season-2-renewal-cancellation-details-2820770 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190923051608/https://www.ibtimes.com/will-carnival-row-return-season-2-renewal-cancellation-details-2820770 |archive-date=23 September 2019 |access-date=29 July 2020 |work=[International Business Times](/source/International_Business_Times)}}</ref>

In 2020, she starred as Lucy the lead role in the multi-award winning short film ''Gifts of the Heart'', for which she won ''The Cutting Room International Short Film Festival'' Best Actress in a Short (CRISFF Award).<ref name="gifts">{{cite web|title= Gift of the Heart |url= https://giftsoftheheartfilm.com/ |work= giftsoftheheartfilm.com |access-date= 25 December 2025}}</ref>

In 2025, she starred alongside [John Malkovich](/source/John_Malkovich), [Sean Bean](/source/Sean_Bean), [Miranda Richardson](/source/Miranda_Richardson), and [Anton Lesser](/source/Anton_Lesser) in the [biographical](/source/biographical_film) [drama film](/source/drama_film): ''[The Yellow Tie](/source/The_Yellow_Tie)''.<ref name="yellow">{{cite web|title= The Yellow Tie |url= https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film748023.html |work= filmaffinity.com |access-date= 25 December 2025}}</ref>

==Other work==
She wrote the 2021 children's book ''The Hatmakers''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hibberd |first=James |title=Tamzin Merchant on The Hatmakers and Carnival Row season 2 {{!}} EW.com |url=https://ew.com/books/tamzin-merchant-hatmakers-carnival-row/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709183149/https://ew.com/books/tamzin-merchant-hatmakers-carnival-row/ |archive-date=9 July 2021 |access-date=5 July 2021 |website=[Entertainment Weekly](/source/Entertainment_Weekly)}}</ref>

==Filmography==
<ref name="tv"/>
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|2005
|''[Pride & Prejudice](/source/Pride_%26_Prejudice_(2005_film))''
|[Georgiana Darcy](/source/Pride_and_Prejudice)
|
|-
|2008
|''[Radio Cape Cod](/source/Radio_Cape_Cod)''
|Anna
|
|-
|2009
|''[Princess Kaiulani](/source/Princess_Kaiulani_(film))''
|Alice Davies
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 2011
|''[Jane Eyre](/source/Jane_Eyre_(2011_film))''
|Mary Rivers
|
|-
|''Red Faction: Origins''
|Lyra Mason
|
|-
|2012
|''Second Wind''
|Anna
|
|-
|2014
|''[Copenhagen](/source/Copenhagen_(2014_film))''
|Sandra
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 2015
|''[Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse](/source/Dragonheart_3%3A_The_Sorcerer's_Curse)''
|Rhonu
|Direct-to-video film
|-
|''{{sortname|The|Messenger|The Messenger (2015 horror film)}}''
|Sarah
|
|-
|2016
|''[The Dancer](/source/The_Dancer_(2016_film))''
|Kate
|
|-
|2017
|''[Dragonheart: Battle for the Heartfire](/source/Dragonheart%3A_Battle_for_the_Heartfire)''
|Queen Rhonu
|Direct-to-video film
|-
|2020
|''Running Naked''
|Sara
|
|-
|2020
|''Gifts of the Heart''
|Lucy
| Short film <ref name="gifts"/>
|-
|rowspan=2| 2022
|''A Midsummer Night's Dream''
|Helena
|
|-
|''James and Lucia''
|Helen Fleischmann-Joyce
|
|-
|2025
|''[The Yellow Tie](/source/The_Yellow_Tie)''
|Ortancia
|<ref name="yellow"/>
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|2005
|''[My Family and Other Animals](/source/My_Family_and_Other_Animals_(film))''
|Margo Durrell
|rowspan=3| Television film
|-
|rowspan=2| 2006
|''The Good Housekeeping Guide''
|Sara Fox
|-
|''[Casualty 1906](/source/Casualty_1900s)''
|Probationer Eastwood
|-
|2008
|''[Bonekickers](/source/Bonekickers)''
|Helena
|Episode: "Army of God"
|-
|2009–2010
|''[The Tudors](/source/The_Tudors)''
|[Catherine Howard](/source/Catherine_Howard)
|Main role (seasons 3–4), 6 episodes <ref name="ndy"/>
|-
|2009
|''[Game of Thrones](/source/Game_of_Thrones)''
|[Daenerys Targaryen](/source/Daenerys_Targaryen)
|[Unaired pilot](/source/Winter_Is_Coming)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ew.com/tv/tamzin-merchant-game-of-thrones-pilot/|title=Tamzin Merchant breaks silence on playing Daenerys in original Game of Thrones pilot|date=2021-01-28|access-date=2026-02-23|website=[Entertainment Weekly](/source/Entertainment_Weekly)|last=Hibberd|first=James|author-link=James Hibberd (writer)}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=2| 2011
|''[Red_Faction: Origins](/source/Red_Faction)''
|Lyra
|Television film
|-
|''[DCI Banks](/source/DCI_Banks)''
|Miranda Aspern
|Episodes: "Playing with Fire - Part 1", "Playing with Fire - Part 2"
|-
|2012
|''[The Mystery of Edwin Drood](/source/The_Mystery_of_Edwin_Drood_(TV_series))''
|Rosa Bud
|Television film (2 parts)
|-
|2013
|''[Murder on the Home Front](/source/Murder_on_the_Home_Front)''
|Molly Cooper
|Television film
|-
|2014–2017
|''[Salem](/source/Salem_(TV_series))''
|Anne Hale
|Main role<br />Nominated—[''Fangoria'' Chainsaw Award - Best TV Supporting Actress](/source/Fangoria_Chainsaw_Award) (2017)<ref name="salem"/>
|-
|2017
|''[Supergirl](/source/Supergirl_(TV_series))''
|Lyra Strayd
|Recurring role, 5 episodes
|-
|2019
|''Thanks for the Memories''
|Joyce Conway
|2 episodes (the entire film)
|-
|2019–2023
|''[Carnival Row](/source/Carnival_Row)''
|Imogen Spurnrose
|Main role <ref name="Cast">{{cite web|last1=Petski|first1=Denise|title='Carnival Row': David Gyasi, Karla Crome, Indira Varma & Tamzin Merchant Join Amazon's Fantasy Drama Series|url=https://deadline.com/2017/09/carnival-row-david-gyasi-karla-crome-indira-varma-tamzin-merchant-cast-amazon-fantasy-drama-series-1202174765/|website=Deadline|access-date=15 December 2017|date=22 September 2017|archive-date=22 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922192912/https://deadline.com/2017/09/carnival-row-david-gyasi-karla-crome-indira-varma-tamzin-merchant-cast-amazon-fantasy-drama-series-1202174765/|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|2023
|''[Tom Jones](/source/Tom_Jones_(2023_TV_series))''
|Aunt Harriet
|4 episodes
|}

===Music videos===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Artist
|-
|2006
|"[If You Got the Money](/source/If_You_Got_the_Money)"
|[Jamie T](/source/Jamie_T)
|-
|2007
|"[Song 4 Mutya (Out of Control)](/source/Song_4_Mutya_(Out_of_Control))"
|[Groove Armada](/source/Groove_Armada) feat [Mutya Buena](/source/Mutya_Buena)
|-
|2014
|"Nobody's Empire"
|[Belle and Sebastian](/source/Belle_and_Sebastian)
|}

==Stage==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|2008
|''Hay Fever''
| Jackie
|[Queens' College, Cambridge](/source/Queens'_College%2C_Cambridge)
|-
|2008
|''Dahling You Were Marvellous''
|Sister 3, Hanger-on
|[ADC Theatre](/source/ADC_Theatre)
|-
|2009
|''Breakfast at Night''
|Chorus
|ADC Theatre
|-
|2009
|''The 24hr Plays''
|Group 1 Producer
|ADC Theatre
|-
|2010
|''Cigarettes and Chocolate''
|Gemma
|ADC Theatre
|}

==Awards and nominations==
{| width="90%" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="10"  | Year
! width="380" | Award
! width="220" | Category
! width="200" | Nominated work
! width="30"  | Result
! width="10"  | {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference(s)}}
|-
| 2017
| [''Fangoria'' Chainsaw Awards](/source/Fangoria_Chainsaw_Awards)
| [Best TV Supporting Actress](/source/Fangoria_Chainsaw_Award)
| ''[Salem](/source/Salem_(TV_series))''
| {{nom}}
| <ref name="salem">{{cite web|title=Never mind Oscar, here's the 2017 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards Nominees Ballot!|url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180127080748/https://www.fangoria.com/new/never-mind-oscar-heres-the-2017-fangoria-chainsaw-awards-nominees-ballot/|website=FANGORIA®|access-date=14 February 2017}}</ref>
|-
| 2017
| Oxford International Film Festival (OXIFF)
| Best Screenplay
| ''Juliet Remembered''
| {{won}}
| <ref>{{Cite web |title=Awards |url=http://www.oxiff.com/awards |access-date=2026-04-17 |website=Oxford International Film Festival |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
| 2020
| Global Independent Film Awards
| Best Actress in a Lead Role (Bronze)
| ''Gift of the Heart'' (short)
| {{nom}}
| <ref name="gifts"/>
|-
| 2020
| The Cutting Room International Short Film Festival
| Best Actress in a Short (CRISFF Award)
| ''Gift of the Heart'' (short)
| {{win}}
| <ref name="gifts"/>
|}

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{Twitter}}
* {{IMDb name|1708957|Tamzin Merchant}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merchant, Tamzin}}
Category:1987 births
Category:Living people
Category:21st-century English actresses
Category:Actors from Haywards Heath
Category:Actresses from West Sussex
Category:Alumni of Homerton College, Cambridge
Category:English film actresses
Category:English television actresses
Category:People educated at Brighton College
Category:People educated at Windlesham House School

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tamzin Merchant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamzin_Merchant) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamzin_Merchant?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.