Dafne Keen

Dafne Keen Fernández was born on January 4, 2005, in Madrid, Spain, to British actor Will Keen and Spanish actress and director María Fernández Ache. Her familial background in the arts, including her paternal great-grandfather Edward Curzon, 6th Earl Howe, laid the foundation for her early career. Keen made her acting debut at age 10 in 2015, starring alongside her father in the BBC television series “The Refugees,” where she played Ana “Ani” Cruz Oliver. This role provided her initial exposure to the industry, with the series running for one season.

Keen’s breakthrough came in 2017 with her role as Laura Kinney / X-23 in the superhero film “Logan.” Her portrayal of the mutant clone of Wolverine, a role she reprised in 2024 for “Deadpool & Wolverine,” garnered critical acclaim. Lisa Liebman of Vanity Fair described Keen’s performance as “extraordinary” and “memorable,” specifically citing her ability to convey a fierce yet innocent nature. This performance earned her the Empire Award for Best Newcomer and several nominations, including from the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards and Saturn Awards. Following her success in “Logan,” Keen was cast as Lyra Belacqua in the BBC/HBO series “His Dark Materials” in 2018, an adaptation of Philip Pullman’s book trilogy. She starred in the series from 2019 to 2022, a period during which she developed her character and gained further recognition, earning a nomination for the British Academy Cymru for Best Actress in 2020. Her performance was praised by Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter as “star-studded.

In 2020, Keen co-starred with Andy García in the comedy-drama film “Ana.” More recently, she joined the cast of the Star Wars series “The Acolyte” in 2022, playing Jecki Lon, a role specifically created for her by showrunner Leslye Headland after witnessing Keen’s work in “Logan.” “The Acolyte” premiered on Disney+ in 2024. Her return as Laura in “Deadpool & Wolverine” in 2024 marked her highest-grossing release to date, achieving significant commercial success. Keen is also slated for upcoming projects, including the horror film “Whistle,” Jay Hernandez’s directorial debut “Night Comes,” and the third season of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.”