Rachel Luttrell

Born: 19/01/1971 (52 yo)
Birth place: Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania)

Citizenship : Canada

Occupation : Actress

Summary

Rachel Luttrell is an actress best known for her role as Teyla Emmagan, an Athosian warrior leader on Stargate Atlantis.

Biography

Luttrell was born in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, the daughter of Veronica Makihio Shenkunde Luttrell of the Washambala tribe of The Usambara Mountains and Dr. William Leon Luttrell from Bossier City, Louisiana. She is one of four daughters. Her family emigrated to Canada when she was five years old, and she was raised in Toronto. Her family was very musical; her father, a former member of the critically acclaimed Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, trained Luttrell's soprano voice. She studied ballet at the Russian Academy of Classical Ballet School and also studied piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

Luttrell's training in dance and music naturally led her to the stage. She made her professional début in Canada's Premier Production of Miss Saigon in Toronto and the Premier Canadian Production of Disney's Beauty And The Beast in Toronto. She would go on to appear in many other stage productions, such as Once On This Island, Goblin Market, and the premier performance of Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Lynn Nottage's Las Meninas.

Following a move to Los Angeles, Luttrell would go on to appear in many guest star roles on television.

Frustrated with some of the roles being offered to her at the time, she was considering giving up on her acting career, and enrolling in UCLA to study architecture. She ventured to The UK instead and studied at the British American Drama Association on a midsummer course at Balliol College, Oxford. Shortly after her return to Los Angeles, Luttrell was cast in her most high-profile role to date, as Teyla Emmagan on Stargate Atlantis.

In 2011 Luttrell released her debut Jazz album "I Wish You Love", which was produced by Austrian record producer Gerrit Kinkel and features Jazz greats like Jeff Hamilton, Jennifer Leitham, Graham Dechter and Konrad Paszkudzki. She was considered for the role of Storm in X-Men

Personal life

Luttrell is married to Loyd Bateman, and they have a son, Caden Dar Bateman, born 10 October 2007, and a daughter, Ridley Asha Bateman, born 5 October 2012.

Luttrell has two younger sisters, Erica Luttrell, who is also an actress, and Amanda Luttrell Garrigus, who is an on-air personality for fashion and entertainment.

Luttrell is sometimes credited as Rachel Z. Luttrell.