The first reviews for Marvels’ Thunderbolts* are out, and after receiving an impressive 89% score on Rotten Tomatoes, fans of the superhero franchise are looking forward to returning to old ways. Leading the film’s cast are Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Lewis Pullman, David Harbour, and more. But one name among the cast, Mel, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s (portrayed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) assistant in film, played by Australian actor Geraldine Viswanathan. Most of us already know her for her roles in Blockers and Bad Education.
All about Geraldine Viswanathan?
Geraldine Viswanathan and her younger sibling, Indira Viswanathan, grew up in an Indian-Swiss household. The 29-year-old was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Her father, Suresh Viswanathan, an Indian with Tamil roots, works as a doctor in the nuclear medicine field. While her mother, Anja Raith, is from Switzerland and is a daughter of a filmmaker and professional ballet dancer. Geraldine was just 4 when she appeared in a commercial. When Geraldine turned 15, the family briefly moved to California, where she took her first steps in the industry, securing a manager with hopes of landing Disney or Nickelodeon roles. After appearing in a few commercials and receiving the Heath Ledger Scholarship for comedy and stand-up sketches, Geraldine made her onscreen debut in the 2016 musical comedy Emo the Musical.
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Since then, her acting career has seen steady growth. She became a familiar face thanks to her role as Bonnie in ABC’s drama series Janet King. Additionally, she served as the reader for the Australian casting process for Crazy Rich Asians. It wasn’t until 2018 that Geraldine had her big break in Blockers, which earned her the label of the film’s breakout star. That year proved to be lucky for her as she landed her first Netflix role in The Package and the drama film Hala. After gracing a few magazine covers as a rising star, Geraldine wowed everyone with her acting in the anthology series Miracle Workers and the true-event-based film Bad Education. Her performance in Bad Education earned critical acclaim at the Toronto Film Festival.
Geraldine Viswanathan on her MCU role
In a recent interview with Marvel.com, both Louis-Dreyfus and Geraldine opened up about their boss-assistant relationship. Geraldine was asked about how she landed the role, which came out of the blue when she was sick in bed. She shared, “I was really sick, and they were like, ‘Jake wants to talk to you.’ We got on Zoom, and he was being very elusive and vague, trying to explain the script to me.” She explained how they weren’t allowed to read the script before signing on for the role. When asked directly if she wanted to join, Geraldine recalled the director asking, “So, do you want to do it?” Before she knew it, she was calling her parents to tell them she might have just joined the Marvel universe.
Speaking about her character in the film, she added, “ I love the way Val cuts Mel off if she tries to insert herself, tell a joke, or hand her coffee in the wrong moment. Those little details were really fun to play with. Or when you say my name wrong.” To which Dreyfus added, “That was born out of an improvisation, I think, if I remember correctly!”
