Dichen Lachman
Encyclopedia
Dichen Lachman is an Australian actress. She is best known for appearing in the soap opera Neighbours
as Katya Kinski
and Joss Whedon
's science fiction
drama
television series Dollhouse
as Sierra
. Lachman is currently playing Izumi in the supernatural drama
television series Being Human.
, Australia.
Her mother was born in India and is of Tibetan
descent, and her father is Australian. She attended Norwood Morialta High School
, St Mary's College, Adelaide
, Annesley College
, and the University of Adelaide
.
, Lachman filmed an advert
for Wanadoo
telecommunications which was filmed in Australia and aired in the United Kingdom. In 2005, Lachman joined the cast of the long-running Australian soap opera Neighbours as Katya Kinski
. She originally auditioned for the role of Elle Robinson, but the producers decided to create the part of Katya for her instead.
Lachman also played a small role in the feature film Aquamarine
. After she finished shooting the role of Aaren in the film Bled, Lachman then visited Hawaii to film Aztec Rex
with director Brian Trenchard-Smith
. In an interview with The Soap Show, Lachman mentioned how she visited England in late 2006 and appeared on the BBC
television show Ready Steady Cook
. In the interview, she explained that she is in Los Angeles
to further her acting career, but mentioned she would love to work in the UK and Australia in the future.
On March 26, 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 addressed the rumors that she would be starring in the upcoming television show based on the Star Wars franchise. She responded 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 as one of the 100 hottest women on screen for 2009, on 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 guest at a party during a gaming convention.
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
as Katya Kinski
Katya Kinski
Katya Sarah Kinski is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Dichen Lachman. She made her first on-screen appearance on 12 December 2005. Katya arrived shortly before her father Alex died and she reunited with her younger siblings...
and Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
's science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
television series Dollhouse
Dollhouse (TV series)
Dollhouse is an American science fiction television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon under Mutant Enemy Productions. It premiered on February 13, 2009, on the Fox network and was officially cancelled on November 11, 2009. The final episode aired on January 29, 2010...
as Sierra
Sierra (Dollhouse)
Sierra is a fictional character portrayed by Dichen Lachman in the Fox science fiction series Dollhouse, created by Joss Whedon. Within the series' narrative, Sierra is an "Active" or a "doll", one of a group of men and women who can be programmed with memories and skills to engage in particular...
. Lachman is currently playing Izumi in the supernatural drama
Supernatural drama
Supernatural drama is a subgenre of fantasy combining elements of supernatural fiction and the drama genre. This genre deals with ghosts and other paranormal topics, but without the tone and scares associated with the horror genre...
television series Being Human.
Early life
Lachman was born in Kathmandu, Nepal, and lived in Nepal until she was eight years old, before her family moved to AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Australia.
Her mother was born in India and is of Tibetan
Tibetan people
The Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
descent, and her father is Australian. She attended Norwood Morialta High School
Norwood Morialta High School
The Norwood Morialta High School is a dual-campus, co-educational, public High School. The school’s two campuses are both located in the Eastern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia...
, St Mary's College, Adelaide
St Mary's College, Adelaide
St Mary's College is a private, Catholic girls' school located within the "square mile" of the city of Adelaide, South Australia. Its current principal is Mrs Eileen Young, supported by Deputy Principal Ms Lorna Starrs.- History :...
, Annesley College
Annesley College
Annesley College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for girls, located in Wayville, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia....
, and the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
.
Career
Before NeighboursNeighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
, Lachman filmed an advert
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
for Wanadoo
Wanadoo
Wanadoo is the former name of the ISP division of Orange SA, which is a subsidiary of France Télécom. It operated in France, Spain, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Senegal, Mauritius, Madagascar, Lebanon, and Jordan...
telecommunications which was filmed in Australia and aired in the United Kingdom. In 2005, Lachman joined the cast of the long-running Australian soap opera Neighbours as Katya Kinski
Katya Kinski
Katya Sarah Kinski is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Dichen Lachman. She made her first on-screen appearance on 12 December 2005. Katya arrived shortly before her father Alex died and she reunited with her younger siblings...
. She originally auditioned for the role of Elle Robinson, but the producers decided to create the part of Katya for her instead.
Aquamarine (film)
Aquamarine is a 2006 Australian-American teen fantasy comedy film starring Sara Paxton, Emma Roberts, and Joanna "JoJo" Levesque . The film, which was made in both the United States and Australia, was released in North America on March 3, 2006...
. After she finished shooting the role of Aaren in the film Bled, Lachman then visited Hawaii to film Aztec Rex
Aztec Rex
Aztec Rex, also known as Tyrannosaurus Azteca, is a motion picture by director Brian Trenchard-Smith that stars Ian Ziering. The story follows a fictional journey of a small group of 16th century conquistadores led by Hernán Cortés who encounter a tribe of Aztecs who worship a pair of living...
with director Brian Trenchard-Smith
Brian Trenchard-Smith
Brian Trenchard-Smith is an English film and television director, producer, writer, consultant and actor who is notable for his contributions to the horror and action genre during the 1970s and 1980s in Australia. Most of his work has been in television, and the majority of his films have been...
. In an interview with The Soap Show, Lachman mentioned how she visited England in late 2006 and appeared on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television show Ready Steady Cook
Ready Steady Cook
Ready Steady Cook was a BBC daytime TV cooking programme it first debuted on 24 October 1994 and the last edition was broadcast on the 2 February 2010. The programme was hosted by Fern Britton from 1994 until 2000 when celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott became the new host...
. In the interview, she explained that she is in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to further her acting career, but mentioned she would love to work in the UK and Australia in the future.
On March 26, 2008, it was announced that Lachman would portray Sierra
Sierra (Dollhouse)
Sierra is a fictional character portrayed by Dichen Lachman in the Fox science fiction series Dollhouse, created by Joss Whedon. Within the series' narrative, Sierra is an "Active" or a "doll", one of a group of men and women who can be programmed with memories and skills to engage in particular...
in the television series Dollhouse
Dollhouse (TV series)
Dollhouse is an American science fiction television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon under Mutant Enemy Productions. It premiered on February 13, 2009, on the Fox network and was officially cancelled on November 11, 2009. The final episode aired on January 29, 2010...
, created by Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
. Her character is an Active (or "doll"), whose real name is Priya Tsetsang. Sierra is one of many who can be "programmed"
Mind control
Mind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
with multiple personalities and abilities to engage in specific assignments.
In an interview with ScifiNow, Lachman addressed the rumors that she would be starring in the upcoming television show based on the Star Wars franchise. She responded 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 as one of the 100 hottest women on screen for 2009, on 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
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
spin-off Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
, 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
The Guild
The Guild is an American comedy web series created and written by Felicia Day, who also stars as Cyd Sherman . It premiered on YouTube on July 27, 2007. Subsequent webisodes premiered on Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace, Zune Marketplace, and MSN Video. The webisodes were later made available on...
" during Season 5, episode 8 as a guest at a party during a gaming convention.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Safety in Numbers | News Reporter | |
| 2006 | Aquamarine Aquamarine (film) Aquamarine is a 2006 Australian-American teen fantasy comedy film starring Sara Paxton, Emma Roberts, and Joanna "JoJo" Levesque . The film, which was made in both the United States and Australia, was released in North America on March 3, 2006... |
Beth-Ann | |
| 2007 | Tyrannosaurus Azteca | Ayacoatl | TV movie |
| 2009 | Bled Bled (film) Bled is a 2009 horror film directed by Christopher Hutson and written by Sxv'leithan Essex.-Plot:Sai, a young artist living in a downtown warehouse delves into an ancient world of blood and lust... |
Aaren | |
| 2010 | Sunday Punch Sunday Punch (film) Sunday Punch is a 1942 film directed by David Miller. It stars William Lundigan and Jean Rogers.Sunday Punch is also the title of the 2010 short film directed by Dennis Hauck starring Dichen Lachman, Sam Levine and David Yow.-Cast:... |
Jill | Short film |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–2007 | Neighbours Neighbours Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems... |
Katya Kinski Katya Kinski Katya Sarah Kinski is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Dichen Lachman. She made her first on-screen appearance on 12 December 2005. Katya arrived shortly before her father Alex died and she reunited with her younger siblings... |
Series regular |
| 2009–2010 | Dollhouse Dollhouse (TV series) Dollhouse is an American science fiction television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon under Mutant Enemy Productions. It premiered on February 13, 2009, on the Fox network and was officially cancelled on November 11, 2009. The final episode aired on January 29, 2010... |
Sierra Sierra (Dollhouse) Sierra is a fictional character portrayed by Dichen Lachman in the Fox science fiction series Dollhouse, created by Joss Whedon. Within the series' narrative, Sierra is an "Active" or a "doll", one of a group of men and women who can be programmed with memories and skills to engage in particular... |
Series regular |
| 2010 | NCIS: Los Angeles | Allison Pritchett/Allysia Takada | Episode: "Full Throttle" |
| 2010 | Hawaii Five-0 | Amy Hanamoa | Episode: "Manaʻo" |
| 2011 | Torchwood: Miracle Day | Lyn Peterfield | Episode: "Rendition Rendition (Torchwood) "Rendition" is the second episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Torchwood, and was broadcast in the United States on Starz on 15 July 2011, in Canada on Space on 16 July 2011, and in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 21 July 2011.-Synopsis:As Rex brings the... " |
| 2011 | The Guild The Guild The Guild is an American comedy web series created and written by Felicia Day, who also stars as Cyd Sherman . It premiered on YouTube on July 27, 2007. Subsequent webisodes premiered on Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace, Zune Marketplace, and MSN Video. The webisodes were later made available on... |
Herself | Episode: "Social Traumas" |
| 2012 | Being Human | Izumi | Series regular |