Dichen Lachman
Nepalese-Australian actress

Dichen Lachman

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Nepalese-Australian actress
Gender:
Female
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Birth:
22 February 1982(Kathmandu)
Star sign:
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The details
Biography

Introduction

Dichen Lachman (བདེ་ཆེན།) (/ˈdiːtʃən ˈlækmən/; born 22 February 1982) is a Nepali-born Australian actress and producer of German, Tibetan, and Nepali descent. She appeared in the soap opera Neighbours as Katya Kinski and Joss Whedon's science fiction drama television series Dollhouse as Sierra. Lachman portrayed Suren in the American remake of Being Human as a main character during the show's second season. Lachman has starred also in the 2014 film Lust for Love and had a recurring role in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Jiaying, Skye's Inhuman, ageless mother.

Early life

Lachman (བདེ་ཆེན།) was born in Kathmandu, where she lived until she was eight years old. She moved to Adelaide, Australia in late 1988 with her family.

Her mother is Tibetan and her Australian father is of German heritage. She attended West Lakes Primary School, Gilles Street Primary School, Norwood Morialta High School, St Mary's College, Adelaide, Annesley College and the University of Adelaide. Lachman moved to Los Angeles shortly after she finished with the Australian TV drama Neighbours in 2007.

Career

Lachman filmed an ad for Wanadoo which was filmed in Australia and aired in the United Kingdom. In 2005, she joined the cast of the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Katya Kinski. She had auditioned for the role of Elle Robinson, but the producers decided to create the part of Katya for her.

Lachman at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con.

Lachman played a small role in the feature film Aquamarine. After she finished shooting the role of Aaren in the film Bled, Lachman joined the cast of the film Aztec Rex in Hawaii. In an interview with The Soap Show, Lachman said she had appeared on the BBC television show Ready Steady Cook while visiting England in late 2006. In the interview, she explained that she is in Los Angeles to advance her acting career, but said she would love to work in the UK and Australia.

On 26 March 2008, it was announced that Lachman would portray Sierra in the television series Dollhouse, created by Joss Whedon. Her character is an Active (or "doll"), whose real name is Priya Tsetsang. Sierra is one of many who can be "programmed" with multiple personalities and abilities to engage in specific assignments.

In an interview with ScifiNow, Lachman responded to the rumor that she would star in the upcoming television show based on Star Wars by saying, "I am a huge George Lucas fan. I love those movies and it would be a dream come true — I'd love to do it, it would be incredible."

She was named one of the 100 hottest women on screen for 2009, by the lesbian media site AfterEllen.com. "What a privilege to be there," she said.

She guest starred as an insurance agent/street racer on NCIS: Los Angeles. She also appeared as Amy Hanamoa, the widow of a murdered police officer, in an episode of Hawaii Five-0. Lachman made a guest appearance in an episode of the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood, for its fourth series Torchwood: Miracle Day. Additionally, in 2011 it was announced in Variety that Lachman would be joining the cast of Being Human as a series regular. Lachman also made a brief appearance in the web-series The Guild during Season 5, episode 8 as a party guest during a gaming convention.

In 2012, it was announced Lachman would be joining the Shawn Ryan driven pilot Last Resort for ABC, and she subsequently appeared as a main character during the show's 13-episode run. She also guest starred in the second season of the Jane Espenson scripted web series, Husbands.

Between 2010 and 2013, while working on other productions, Lachman and her close friend Anton King produced Lust for Love. King wrote the script in 2010 and used Kickstarter to raise funds to make the movie. The initial goal was to raise USD$70,000; however, when the deadline was reached on 11 November 2011 over 1,500 people had pledged money, with a final figure of USD$101,030. To complete the movie additional funds were raised through friends and family. British filmmaker Jack Wylson came on board as a producer, Australian actor Adam J. Yeend as co-producer, and Adam Bricker as director of photography. Alessandro Ongaro of Luna Pictures Entertainment also made major contributions during post production.

In 2014, Lachman began shooting in Canada, where she joined the cast of The 100 in the role of Anya. and had a recurring role on ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..

On 11 June 2015, a new movie called Too Late, starring Lachman, was released during the Los Angeles Film Festival.

On 22 October 2015, it was announced that Lachman landed a recurring role on the third season of Michael Bay’s action-adventure TNT series The Last Ship. Lachman has been cast as Jesse, the helicopter pilot who lives off the grid. She is set to star as Reileen Kawahara in Netflix's upcoming television series, Altered Carbon, which is currently in production.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2005 Eastworld Thug #4 Short film
2006 Safety in Numbers News Reporter
Aquamarine Beth-Ann
2009 Bled Aaren
2010 Sunday Punch Jill Short film
2014 Lust for Love Cali also producer
2015 Too Late Jilly Bean
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2005–2007 Neighbours Katya Kinski Series regular; 103 episodes
2007 Tyrannosaurus Azteca Ayacoatl TV movie
2009–2010 Dollhouse Sierra / Priya Tsetsang Series regular; 27 episodes
2010 NCIS: Los Angeles Allison Pritchett/Allysia Takada Episode: "Full Throttle"
Hawaii Five-0 Amy Hanamoa Episode: "Manaʻo"
2011 Torchwood: Miracle Day Lyn Peterfield Episode: "Rendition"
The Guild Herself Episode: "Social Traumas"
2012 Being Human Suren Season 2: Series regular
Don't Try This at Home Jen Episode: "Sex/Death, Part II"
The Glades Chef Lana Kim Episode: "Food Fight"
Husbands Pillow Girl #1 Episode: "Appropriate Is Not the Word"
The League Marbella Episode: "12.12.12"
2012-2013 Last Resort Tani Tumrenjack Series Regular; 13 episodes
2013 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Jessica Lowell Episode: "Fearless"
King & Maxwell Benny Recurring; 7 episodes
2014 The 100 Anya Recurring; 7 episodes
2014–2015 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Jiaying Recurring; 9 episodes
2014–2015 Shameless Angela Recurring; 6 episodes
2016 The Last Ship Jesse Recurring; 8 episodes
2016 Supergirl Roulette/Veronica Sinclair Guest
TBA Altered Carbon Reileen Kawahara Series regular
Web
Year Title Role Notes
2014 Spooked (Web series) Carol Episode: "Paranormal Professionals"
2015 Hollywood Hitmen Eva also producer

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated Work Result Source(s)
2015 E! Online Best. Ever. TV. Awards Best Fight (Shared with Eliza Taylor) The 100 Runner-up