Brit Marling

Brit Marling
File:Brit Marling TIFF 2014.jpg Marling at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	(1982-08-07) August 7, 1982 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Education	Georgetown University (BA)
Occupations	Actress screenwriter
Years active	2007–present
Works	See filmography

Brit Marling (born August 7, 1982) is an American actress and screenwriter. She rose to recognition through her leading roles in films that debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, such as Sound of My Voice (2011), Another Earth (2011), and The East (2013), each of which she co-wrote and starred in. Additionally, Marling co-created, wrote, and headlined the mystery drama series The OA (2016–2019), as well as the thriller miniseries A Murder at the End of the World (2023).

Early life

Born on August 7, 1982, in Chicago, Illinois, Marling is the daughter of John and Heidi Marling, who worked in property development. Her name honors her Norwegian great-grandmother on her mother's side. She has a sister named Morgan. Raised between Winnetka, Illinois, and Orlando, Florida, she attended the arts-focused program at Dr. Phillips High School. Although she showed an early interest in acting, her parents emphasized the importance of academic achievement. Marling graduated as valedictorian from Georgetown University in 2005, earning degrees in economics and studio art.

Career

During her time at Georgetown, Marling connected with future filmmakers Mike Cahill and Zal Batmanglij. She completed an internship as an analyst at investment bank Goldman Sachs, but after receiving a job offer, she chose to decline it and instead relocated to Cuba with Cahill to work on the documentary Boxers and Ballerinas. This project, which she co-wrote and co-directed, brought her early acclaim in 2004.

In 2005, Marling moved to Los Angeles alongside Cahill and Batmanglij. She deliberately avoided conventional horror roles, aiming to pursue characters that defied the usual young actress clichés. Talent agent Hylda Queally discovered her, and Marling concentrated on developing substantial and impactful roles.

By 2009, Marling and Batmanglij embraced a minimalist lifestyle as freegans to explore alternative ways of living. She co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in two 2011 films: Sound of My Voice, directed by Batmanglij, and Another Earth, directed by Cahill. Both films premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, with Another Earth receiving the Alfred P. Sloan Prize for its science-related narrative. In 2012, she appeared alongside Richard Gere in Arbitrage. The following year, Marling co-wrote and starred in The East, directed by Batmanglij; this film was inspired by their experiences as freegans and their concerns regarding the effects of prescription medications.

Together with Batmanglij, Marling created the drama series The OA, which premiered on Netflix in 2016. They collaborated on writing and producing the show with Plan B Entertainment's Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, as well as Michael Sugar from Anonymous Content. Production for the second season began in January 2018, with its release in March 2019, earning favorable critical reception.

In June 2024, Marling and Batmanglij entered into an agreement with independent production company Sister, led by Cindy Holland—former Netflix vice president of original content during the development of The OA—to develop new film and television projects.

While Marling frequently stars in films she helps write, she has expressed a stronger passion for performing roles crafted by others, appreciating the chance to explore diverse viewpoints through her acting.

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2004	Boxers and Ballerinas	—	Documentary Co-directed with Mike Cahill
2007	The Recordist	Charlie Hall	Zal Batmanglij's thesis short film at American Film Institute
2009	Political Disasters	Brit	Available on Amazon Prime Video
2011	Sound of My Voice	Maggie	Co-writer and producer Nominated—Georgia Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
	Another Earth	Rhoda Williams	Co-writer and producer Won—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress and Sitges Film Festival Award for Best Actress Multiple nominations including Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature and Saturn Award for Best Writing
2012	Arbitrage	Brooke Miller
	The Company You Keep	Rebecca Osborne
2013	The East	Sarah Moss / Jane Owen	Co-writer and producer
2014	The Better Angels	Nancy Lincoln
	I Origins	Karen
	The Keeping Room	Augusta
	Posthumous	McKenzie Grain
TBD	Uncanny Valley		Actor and co-writer alongside Natasha Lyonne

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2011	Community	Page	Appeared in the episode: "Early 21st Century Romanticism"
2014	Babylon	Liz Garvey	Lead character
2016–2019	The OA	Prairie Johnson / OA / Nina Azarova	Served as co-creator and co-writer for 10 episodes
2023	A Murder at the End of the World	Lee Andersen	Co-created series, authored 7 episodes, and directed 3 episodes