# Lara Jean Chorostecki
**Lara Jean Chorostecki** (born 1984) is a Canadian actress from Brampton, Ontario, known for playing tabloid journalist Freddie Lounds on NBC's *Hannibal* (2013–2015), Sergeant Krystina Breeland on CBC's Second World War drama *X Company*, and Molly Beth Gordon on Amazon's *Reacher*.[1](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/band) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1892299/) She works across drama, comedy, crime, science fiction, fantasy, and horror, on screen and stage.[1](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/band)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1984, Brampton, Ontario, Canada[3](https://www.fandango.com/people/lara-jean-chorostecki-118752/biography) |
| Signature role | Freddie Lounds, tabloid blogger on NBC's *Hannibal*, 2013–2015, 13 episodes[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1892299/) |
| Training | Youngest member ever accepted into Stratford's Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre Training; Master's in Classical Acting, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London[1](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/band) |
| Award nomination | 2017 Canadian Screen Award, Best Supporting Actress in a Featured Dramatic Role, for *X Company*[4](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/blog/tag/news) |
| Notable films | *Antiviral* (2012), *Nightmare Alley* (2021), *The King Tide* (2023)[1](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/band) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lara_jean_chorostecki) |
| Recent television | *Reacher* (2022), *Chucky* (2022–2024), *Revival* (2025)[6](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/2547/lara-jean-chorostecki) |
| Other work | Creator, producer, and co-host of the podcast *Women On Screen Out Loud: The Podcast Essays*[1](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/band) |
## Early life and training
Chorostecki grew up in Brampton, where her parents, a banker and a French teacher, encouraged an appreciation of the arts.[7](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/new-blog) She decided on acting at age 8 after seeing a theater production of *Les Misérables* at the [Royal Alexandra Theatre](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-alexandra-theatre) in Toronto; she went home, drew a storyboard of the show, and performed it lip-synching for her family.[1](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/band) • [8](https://larajeanchorostecki.squarespace.com/new-blog/cdaily) She was particularly taken by Susan Gilmour in the role of Fantine, and nine years later found herself in the same production's cast at Stratford: her first professional job was as an apprentice in the chorus of *The Threepenny Opera*, with Gilmour starring.[7](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/new-blog) • [8](https://larajeanchorostecki.squarespace.com/new-blog/cdaily)
She began her professional career as a teenager at the Stratford Festival of Canada and was the youngest member ever accepted into the festival's Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre Training.[1](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/band) She counts Stratford figures Martha Henry and Stephen Ouimette among her mentors.[7](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/new-blog) She then moved to London, England, where she completed a Master's in Classical Acting at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.[1](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/band)
## Television career
Her earliest screen work included one-time appearances on series such as *Doc* (PAX), *72 Hours: True Crime* (CBC), and *Degrassi: The Next Generation*, and the TV movies *Roxy Hunter and the Mystery of the Moody Ghost* (2007) and *Charlie & Me* (2008).[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lara_jean_chorostecki) In 2009 she landed her first recurring role, playing Maya, mother of the title character, in the first season of CTV's *The Listener*, followed by the regular role of Charlie on the CTV comedy *Dan for Mayor*.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lara_jean_chorostecki)
**Freddie Lounds.** Chorostecki's best-known role came on [Bryan Fuller](https://www.edgepedia.org/bryan-fuller)'s NBC series *Hannibal*, adapted from [Thomas Harris](https://www.edgepedia.org/thomas-harris)'s novels, where she played crime blogger Freddie Lounds across all three seasons (2013–2015).[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1892299/) • [9](https://sharpmagazine.com/2014/09/12/a-woman-you-should-meet-lara-jean-chorostecki/) The character, a tabloid reporter in Harris's *Red Dragon*, had previously been played as a man by [Stephen Lang](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-lang) in *Manhunter* and Philip Seymour Hoffman in *Red Dragon*; the series gender-swapped the role.[10](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/new-blog/category/Interviews) Creator Bryan Fuller told Chorostecki that the character was visually modeled on Rebekah Brooks, the former *News of the World* editor, and the character's curly red hair became a defining feature.[9](https://sharpmagazine.com/2014/09/12/a-woman-you-should-meet-lara-jean-chorostecki/) • [11](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/new-blog/ew) Chorostecki described her Freddie as more sophisticated and in-your-face than the earlier screen versions, and noted that the gender change freed her from direct comparison with Hoffman and Lang.[10](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/new-blog/category/Interviews)
**Period drama and later series.** In 2011 she played Bridget, Guinevere's lady-in-waiting, in the Starz miniseries *[Camelot](https://www.edgepedia.org/camelot-tv-series)*, and in 2012 Sybil O'Brien in [BBC America](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-america)'s 1860s New York drama *Copper*.[7](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/new-blog) On CBC's *X Company* (2015–2017), a drama about Camp X, the secret Allied spy school outside Toronto, she played Sergeant Krystina Breeland, right hand to the camp's commander and head of the all-female communications team HYDRA; the role brought a 2017 Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Featured Dramatic Role.[7](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/new-blog) • [4](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/blog/tag/news) She played the villainous Beth MacLeish on ABC/Netflix's *Designated Survivor* (2016–2017, 7 episodes) and Lt. Emily Babbage in season 5 of Amazon's *[The Expanse](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-expanse-tv-series)*.[6](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/2547/lara-jean-chorostecki)
In Syfy's *Chucky* she appeared in two different roles, first as Sister Ruth in season 2 (6 episodes, 2022) and then as Charlotte Collins in season 3 (8 episodes, 2023–2024).[6](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/2547/lara-jean-chorostecki) She played Molly Beth Gordon in two episodes of Amazon's *Reacher* in 2022, and in 2025 appeared as Patty Cypress in Syfy's *[Revival](https://www.edgepedia.org/revival-tv-series)*, an adaptation of the [Image Comics](https://www.edgepedia.org/image-comics) series, and as Jess in an episode of Fox's *Doc*.[6](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/2547/lara-jean-chorostecki) • [12](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1892299/news/) Guest appearances include *The Good Doctor*, *Condor*, *Killjoys*, *Haven*, *Lost Girl*, *Saving Hope*, *Hudson & Rex*, *Frankie Drake Mysteries*, and *Murdoch Mysteries*.[1](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/band)
## Film work
Her feature film debut was [Brandon Cronenberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/brandon-cronenberg)'s science fiction horror film *Antiviral* (2012).[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lara_jean_chorostecki) She followed it with the Canadian romantic comedy *Please Kill Mr. Know It All* (2012), which brought a Canadian Comedy Award nomination.[1](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/band) Later films include *The Masked Saint* (2016), opposite [Diahann Carroll](https://www.edgepedia.org/diahann-carroll); *Hammer* (2019) with [Will Patton](https://www.edgepedia.org/will-patton); *Nose to Tail* (2018) with her *Hannibal* castmate Aaron Abrams; and *Defining Moments* with Burt Reynolds.[1](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/band) She played Louise Hoatley in Guillermo del Toro's *Nightmare Alley* (2021), a Best Picture Oscar nominee, appearing opposite Willem Dafoe, Bradley Cooper, and Toni Collette.[1](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/band) She starred with Frances Fisher in the indie thriller *The King Tide*, which premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.[13](https://larajeanchorostecki.squarespace.com/)
## Theatre and other work
Her stage credits include four seasons with the [Stratford Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/stratford-festival), notably as Drina in Peter Hinton's *The Swanne* and Katie in *Quiet in the Land*; Juliet in *Romeo and Juliet*, Olivia in *Twelfth Night*, and Mary Lennox in *The Secret Garden*; and Arley-Rose in *A Boy Called Newfoundland* for the Toronto company Theatre Smash.[1](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/band)
She created, produced, and co-hosted the limited series podcast *Women On Screen Out Loud: The Podcast Essays*, sponsored by Company 3 and the DGC of Ontario, which highlights Canadian female-identifying and non-binary film industry artists.[1](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/band) In 2024 she completed training with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators, a [SAG-AFTRA](https://www.edgepedia.org/sag-aftra) recognized program, adding intimacy coordination to her work.[1](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/band) She also leads acting and Shakespeare workshops for students from grade 2 through university.[1](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/band)
## References
1. [BIO, Lara Jean Chorostecki official site](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/band)
2. [Lara Jean Chorostecki, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1892299/)
3. [Lara Jean Chorostecki Biography, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/people/lara-jean-chorostecki-118752/biography)
4. [News, Lara Jean Chorostecki official site](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/blog/tag/news)
5. [Lara Jean Chorostecki, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lara_jean_chorostecki)
6. [Lara Jean Chorostecki, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/2547/lara-jean-chorostecki)
7. [Arts Profile: X Company on CBC stars Lara Jean Chorostecki, Post City (via official site)](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/new-blog)
8. [Person to Know: Lara Jean Chorostecki, The C Daily (via official site)](https://larajeanchorostecki.squarespace.com/new-blog/cdaily)
9. [A Woman You Should Meet: Lara Jean Chorostecki, Sharp Magazine](https://sharpmagazine.com/2014/09/12/a-woman-you-should-meet-lara-jean-chorostecki/)
10. [HANNIBAL: Lara Jean Chorostecki on Freddie Lounds' "Armor", IGN (via official site)](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/new-blog/category/Interviews)
11. [Lara Jean Chorostecki teases her return on 'Hannibal', Entertainment Weekly (via official site)](https://www.larajeanchorostecki.com/new-blog/ew)
12. [Lara Jean Chorostecki News, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1892299/news/)
13. [Lara Jean Chorostecki, official site](https://larajeanchorostecki.squarespace.com/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › Canadian actors › Surnames A to Co*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license