Evan Rachel Wood has continued to portray complex and daring roles since her breakout as Tracy Louise in the 2003 film Thirteen. She received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance and has racked up various Golden Globe and Emmy nominations since (unfortunately, no wins as of yet). Before her movie debut, she was cast in TV shows like American Gothic and Once and Again.
Currently, she is the lead actress on HBO's Westworld, playing the sentient robot Dolores Abernathy, a prophesied heroine of the androids abused by Westworld's wealthy guests. To celebrate the show's return, we ranked her top 10 roles according to IMDb.
American Gothic
Only running for one season from 1995-1996, American Gothic follows the town of Trinity, South Carolina. A dark and twisted show, the plot revolves around a sadistic sheriff Lucas Buck, played by Gary Cole, who uses supernatural abilities to rape, murder, and manipulate the citizens of Trinity.
Wood plays Rose Russell, a minor character in the show who appears in three episodes. She is first introduced in "Eye of the Beholder" where Lucas Buck tries to adopt the protagonist, a young boy named Caleb Temple, played by Lucas Black, who is the biological son of Sheriff Buck through the rape of his mother.
Doll & Em
An HBO series that premiered in 2013, Doll & Em follows Dolly Wells and Emily Mortimer, who both write the show and play their characters. A British comedy, Em is an emerging actress who hires her best friend Doll to be her assistant. While the two navigate the entertainment industry focusing mostly on one of Em's upcoming films, the show is a navigation of their friendship.
Evan Rachel Wood is introduced alongside Olivia Wilde in the second part of the series as Doll and Em go to New York City to work on creating an off-Broadway play. Both Wood and Wilde are interested in starring in the piece, and Wood appears for five out of the six episodes.
Touched By An Angel
Wood appears in one episode of Touched By an Angel, a 9 season-long show that started in 1994. Centered around three angles, Roma Downey, Della Reese, and John Dye, the trio is sent to earth to remind people in various states of distress that God is there for them.
Wood plays Sara Radcliff, a young girl who is lured by a sexual predator through a chatroom on the internet. The episode, entitled "Pandora's Box," comes with a lesson from Monica (Roma Downey) who claims the internet is one of God's greatest gifts to the world. However, just as God gave this gift, it is easily abused by evil people. The episode serves as a PSA on the beauty and danger of the internet.
West Wing
Aaron Sorkin's smart and romantic take on politics, The West Wing revolves around President Bartlett (Martin Sheen) and his dedicated staff at the White House. Many popular stars were featured on this show including Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn, one of the president's speechwriters, and Allison Janney as C.J. Cregg, the White House Press Secretary.
Wood is featured in the twentieth episode of season 3 "The Black Vera Wang" where she plays the niece of C.J. Her role accelerates the foil between C.J. and her secret service protection (Mark Hamon). CJ bristles at the extra protection, but she is attracted to him as well. While taking her niece (Wood) shopping for a prom dress, she tries on a Vera Wang piece. Hamon is so distracted by Cregg's beauty in the dress, he fails to identify the man stalking her while shopping at the mall.
What We Do In The Shadows
A much more recent role for Wood, she plays Evan the Immortal in this FX original TV show popularized after the film by the same name. The series follows a group of vampire-roommates who live in Staten Island.
This episode, "The Trial," involves Wood as a member of the Vampire Council, charged with sentencing Nanda, Nadjor, and Laszlo who are accused of murdering Baron Afanos. Her role follows a string of cameos based on famous vampire portrayals from past actors. Wood's role recalls her days as Sophie-Anne Leclerq from True Blood. Other cameos include Tilda Swinton (Only Lovers Left Alive), Danny Trejo (From Dusk 'Til Dawn), and Paul Reubens (Buffy The Vampire Slayer).
Drunk History
Described as an "Educational" Comedy Television program, Drunk History makes light of famous historical moments and people. Wood appears as Mary Shelley in "Are You Afraid of the Drunk," an episode that covers the writing of Frankenstein. As a drunk narrator Rich Fulcher recollects how Mary Shelley wrote the famous book, actors portray the dialogue (sometimes while lipsynching).
What makes the show educational are the dates and the story itself. Creator Derek Waters takes the time to craft each episode according to history while making the dialogue hilarious. Other comedic performances in this episode include Seth Rogen as Victor Frankenstein and Will Ferrell as The Monster.
The Wrestler
The 2008 film directed by Daron Aronofsky stars Mickey Rourke as a has-been wrestler who holds desperately to his hey-days in the 1980s. Throughout the film, he falls in love with a stripper, played by Marisa Tomei, and tries to redeem himself to his daughter Stephanie, played by Wood, whom he abandoned as a child.
The film centers itself around Rourke's descent but gets its heart from Wood and Tomei. Tomei continually refuses Rourke's advances because of her job while Wood expertly plays the wounded daughter. There is no redemption for Rourke and Wood as when she finally gives her father a second chance, he blows it.
True Blood
True Blood takes place in the fictional town of Bon Temps Lousiana, following Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) a telepath who falls in love with the vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer). The series began in 2008 and ran for 6 seasons. The conflict revolves around their relationship as vampires battle for equal rights after entering the public sphere because of a recent invention, synthetic blood, "Tru Blood."
One of Wood's most popular roles, her performance as Sophie-Ann Leclerq, Vampire Queen of Louisiana was her first role on an HBO series, before Westworld. She recurs on the show for seasons 2,3 and 4 playing a 400-year-old vampire.
Once And Again
An ABC show that lasted three seasons, Once and Again follows two single parents recently divorced, Lily Manning (Sela Ward) and Rick Sammler (Billy Campell) who spark a love affair while raising their own children. Woods plays Rick's twelve-year-old daughter Jessie, a bulimic and vulnerable teen. Their family includes teenage Eli (Shane West) who is revealed to have a learning disability.
Wood is a major character in this show, as she is wary toward her father's new love interest. She wants to go back to the days when her biological mother and father were together. Jesse's inner desire is a microcosm of the conflict that drives the show: can these two parents be together despite the conflict it causes within their individual families?
Westworld
At number 1, Evan Rachel Wood's character as Dolores in Westworld comes as no surprise. The HBO series adapted from the 1973 film is now in its 3rd season. Watching Wood evolve from Dolores the rancher's daughter to the anti-hero for the hosts of the park is a performance with breadth. Her character's transformation is one of inward distress as she slowly realizes that the life she knew is a lie on loop.
Her role brings up serious existential questions about reality and choice in a dystopic world. In this season, Dolores has entered the human world with a vendetta against those who have wronged the hosts. Her goal is to destroy the potential of immortality that William has been working on. Whatever the result, Wood is sure to provide us with a stellar performance.