Odessa A’zion: Age, Family, Movies, TV Shows, Awards and What Is Next

Odessa A’zion is an American actress who went from steady young-actor work to one of the most talked-about names in Hollywood in just a few years. Many people first noticed her in late 2025, when she appeared in the HBO comedy I Love LA and in the A24 film Marty Supreme within the same season. What looks like a sudden rise is actually the result of more than ten years of acting work, which began when she was a child. This guide brings together her background, family, career, awards, public moments and upcoming projects in one place, and it clears up a few details that are often listed wrongly online.

Quick Facts About Odessa A’zion

Who Is Odessa A’zion?

Odessa A’zion is an actress known for playing bold, funny and emotionally messy characters who feel real rather than polished. She has worked across comedy, horror, teen drama, crime thrillers and prestige film, which is unusual for someone who is still in her twenties. Her name is pronounced ə-ZY-on, and some fans search for her under spelling variations such as Odessa Azion or Odessa Azion actress, so it helps to know they all point to the same person.

Her professional name is different from her birth name. She was first credited as Odessa Adlon in her early television and film roles, and she later began working under the name Odessa A’zion. This change is the reason older articles, cast lists and fan pages sometimes show two different names for the same actress.

Early Life, Family and Education

Odessa A’zion was born in Sacramento, California, and she grew up mostly in Los Angeles. Her childhood also included time in Boston, Massachusetts, and in Neufahrn, Germany, which fits with her dual American and German citizenship. A few websites say she was born in Los Angeles, and a few low-quality pages even give the wrong birth month, but the most reliable biography records give June 17, 2000, and Sacramento as the place of birth.

She comes from a family with deep roots in entertainment. Her mother is actress and creator Pamela Adlon, and her father is the German director Felix Adlon. Her paternal grandfather was the German filmmaker Percy Adlon, and her maternal grandfather was the American writer and producer Don Segall. Her sister, Gideon Adlon, is also an actress. Through her father’s side, she is related to Lorenz Adlon, the German hotelier whose name is tied to a famous hotel in Berlin.

On her mother’s side, her family background is Jewish, and her English-born maternal grandmother converted to Judaism. For school, she attended the Charter High School of the Arts, often shortened to CHAMPS. Growing up around film sets and storytelling made acting feel natural to her, and she has said in interviews that she wanted to act from a young age, drawing early inspiration from children’s television shows.

The Nepo Baby Question

Because her mother is a well-known television figure, Odessa A’zion is sometimes described online as a “nepo baby.” Her first screen credit came in 2011, when she appeared as a child in the film Conception alongside her mother. At the same time, she has pushed back on the idea that she appeared out of nowhere, pointing out that she had already been acting for about ten years when her breakout moment arrived. A fair way to see it is that her family gave her early access to the industry, while the range of roles she has taken on since then, from horror to period drama, was something she had to earn through auditions and performances.

Career Beginnings: Television and Early Film Work

Her early television credits were small but steady. She appeared in an episode of Better Things in 2016, which was created by her mother, and then took a recurring part as Liv in the fifth season of Nashville in 2017. In 2018 she appeared in the film Ladyworld, a modern take on the idea behind Lord of the Flies with an all-female cast, and critics noticed the young actors in it.

Her first main television role came in 2019 on the CBS sitcom Fam, where she played Shannon, the younger sister of Nina Dobrev’s character. In the same period she had guest and voice roles on shows such as Wayne, Milo Murphy’s Law and Day by Day. In 2020 she starred in the one-shot horror film Let’s Scare Julie, which was filmed to look like a single continuous take.

Grand Army: The First Big Breakthrough

The first role that really made critics pay attention was Joey Del Marco in the 2020 Netflix drama Grand Army. The series was based on the play Slut and followed students at a Brooklyn high school dealing with pressure, identity and consent. Joey was the central character in the early story, and A’zion shared critical praise with her co-star Odley Jean for the performances in the show.

Although the series ran for only one season, it proved that she could carry heavy dramatic material. It also gave casting directors a clear example of her range, since it looked very different from her work on a network sitcom the year before.

Horror, Indie Films and Genre Work

After Grand Army, A’zion built a varied film résumé. In 2021 she appeared in the independent comedy Mark, Mary & Some Other People and in Supercool. In 2022 she took a lead role as Riley McKendry in the Hellraiser reboot, which introduced her to horror fans, and she also starred in the thriller The Inhabitant. She had supporting parts in Am I OK? and Good Girl Jane as well.

In 2023 she starred opposite Yara Shahidi in Sitting in Bars with Cake, a comedy-drama about friendship and grief that was reviewed by major critics. She also appeared in Fresh Kills, a crime drama written and directed by Jennifer Esposito, who also acted in it. In 2025 she joined the cast of Until Dawn, the horror film based on the popular PlayStation video game, where she played Nina Riley, and she appeared in the crime thriller She Rides Shotgun and the indie drama Pools.

She has also done voice work. She voiced Olly in The Tiny Chef Show, had a recurring role as Stephanie on the supernatural comedy Ghosts, and in 2026 lent her voice to a major new character in the Netflix animated series Stranger Things: Tales From ’85.

Marty Supreme: The Role That Changed Everything

The film that pushed Odessa A’zion into the awards conversation was Marty Supreme, directed by Josh Safdie and released in theaters on Christmas Day in 2025. The movie stars Timothée Chalamet as Marty Mauser, an ambitious table tennis hustler in 1950s New York, and the cast also includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Tyler, the Creator and Fran Drescher. A’zion plays Rachel Mizler, Marty’s childhood friend and longtime lover, a young woman stuck in an unhappy marriage who still feels pulled toward him.

The way she got the part is a story fans enjoy. She recorded her audition as a self-tape while she was working all-night shoots on another movie, and A24 later shared the tape publicly. She has said she wanted the role badly, and she has described Rachel as a dream character. Critics and viewers often point to Rachel as the emotional center of the film, since she adds warmth and vulnerability to a story built around a very flawed lead.

The recognition that followed was significant. She earned nominations for the Actor Awards (formerly known as the SAG Awards) for supporting actress and for the cast of the film, and a BAFTA nomination for best supporting actress. Her other nominations included the Astra Film Awards, the Chicago Film Critics Association, the London Film Critics’ Circle and the New York Film Critics Online, which nominated her both as supporting actress and as a breakthrough performer. The Boston Society of Film Critics gave the film’s ensemble its best ensemble award. Although Marty Supreme earned nine Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, A’zion herself was not nominated for an Oscar, so any page claiming otherwise is incorrect.

I Love LA: Playing Tallulah Stiel

In the same season, A’zion became a fan favorite on the HBO comedy I Love LA, created by and starring Rachel Sennott. She plays Tallulah Stiel, a chaotic and charismatic influencer who moves in with her friend Maia, a talent manager played by Sennott, and tries to rebuild her career in Los Angeles. The ensemble also includes Josh Hutcherson, Jordan Firstman, True Whitaker and Leighton Meester.

The first season began airing in November 2025 and ended on December 21, 2025, and HBO renewed the show for a second season on November 20, 2025, before the first season had finished. A’zion has said she is excited to return and hopes Tallulah gets into even more trouble. Her work on the show also earned her a 2026 Gotham TV Awards nomination for outstanding supporting performance in a comedy series. At the time of writing, a firm release date for season two had not been widely confirmed, so it is best to check HBO or HBO Max for the latest update.

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85

In April 2026, Netflix released Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, an animated series set in the winter between the second and third seasons of the original show. A’zion voices Nikki Baxter, a new character created for the series, who joins the familiar group from Hawkins. The show was made with the involvement of the Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer, and Netflix has confirmed that it will return for a second season. For fans of the franchise, this role showed that A’zion is now trusted with major characters in large, established worlds.

Honors and Public Moments in 2026

Her year included several notable moments beyond award nominations. At the Cannes Film Festival in 2026, she was honored with the Trophée Chopard as the female revelation of the year, a prize that has traditionally highlighted rising actors. She also appeared in the music video for “In The Stars” by The Rolling Stones, and she took part in the 2026 short film Confessions II connected to Madonna, appearing as herself.

Not every story from the year was a celebration. In January 2026, she was announced as the lead in an A24 adaptation of Deep Cuts, directed by Sean Durkin, playing a character who is written as Mexican in the original book. After online backlash, she said she had not read the book and was unaware of the character’s ethnicity, and she stepped away from the project only two days after the announcement. Her response was widely reported and is a useful reminder that casting choices attract close attention, especially as an actor’s profile grows.

There are also lighter stories. She has said she once auditioned for Ariel in the live-action The Little Mermaid, but she was so nervous that she forgot the lyrics and did not get a callback. Looking back, she treats it as an embarrassing memory, and the role went to Halle Bailey. Her hairstyles have also drawn fashion and beauty coverage, with several outlets writing about her curls and her mullet-inspired cut.

Upcoming Projects

According to the most recent public filmography listings, A’zion has several projects in the pipeline. These include Closing Night, where she plays Lucy and which has been completed, Nickels, where she plays Harper Monroe and which is in post-production, and a film titled Fonda, which was in production with her role still to be announced. Alongside these, the second season of I Love LA and the second season of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 are both expected. Release dates and production details can change quickly, so it is wise to check trusted entertainment news before sharing them.

Complete Filmography at a Glance

Film: Conception (2011), Ladyworld (2018), Let’s Scare Julie (2020), Supercool (2021), Mark, Mary & Some Other People (2021), Am I OK? (2022), Good Girl Jane (2022), Hellraiser (2022), The Inhabitant (2022), Fresh Kills (2023), Sitting in Bars with Cake (2023), Until Dawn (2025), She Rides Shotgun (2025), Pools (2025), Marty Supreme (2025).

Television: Better Things (2016), Nashville (2017), Love (2018), Wayne (2019), Fam (2019), Milo Murphy’s Law (2019), Day by Day (2020), Grand Army (2020), Ghosts (2022 to 2025), The Tiny Chef Show (2022 to 2025), I Love LA (2025 to present), Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 (2026).

What Makes Her Acting Style Stand Out

Across her best-known roles, a pattern appears. A’zion tends to play people who are loud, funny or reckless on the surface and hurt or uncertain underneath, and she lets both sides show without making the character feel fake. That is why Tallulah can be ridiculous and still feel human, and why Rachel in Marty Supreme can be frustrating and heartbreaking within the same scene. Reviewers have also noted that she looks equally comfortable in a 1950s period drama and in a modern comedy about internet fame, which suggests range that goes beyond a single type of role.

Frequently Asked Questions About Odessa A’zion

How old is Odessa A’zion?

She was born on June 17, 2000, so she is 26 years old as of October 2026.

Is Odessa A’zion related to Pamela Adlon?

Yes. Pamela Adlon is her mother, and the actress Gideon Adlon is her sister.

Why does she use A’zion instead of Adlon?

She was credited as Odessa Adlon early in her career and later began using Odessa A’zion professionally. Her birth name is Odessa Zion Segall Adlon.

Which movie made Odessa A’zion famous?

Marty Supreme is widely seen as her breakout film, though her role in I Love LA helped reach a wider audience during the same period.

Was Odessa A’zion nominated for an Oscar?

No. She was nominated for a BAFTA and for Actor Awards for Marty Supreme, but she did not receive an Academy Award nomination

What is Odessa A’zion doing next?

She is expected to return in I Love LA season two and in the second season of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, and she has films including Closing Night, Nickels and Fonda listed in recent filmographies.

Final Thoughts

Odessa A’zion’s story shows how a long run of small and medium roles can build into a breakthrough that feels sudden to the public. From a child credit in 2011 to a BAFTA nomination, a Cannes honor and a place in two of the most discussed projects of 2025, she has moved quickly from promising young actor to a name that casting directors and audiences now watch closely. With several films and two returning series ahead, her career is still in an early and exciting stage.

Disclaimer: This article is for general information and entertainment purposes only. It was prepared from publicly available reports as of October 2026, and details such as release dates, award results, casting and project status can change without notice. Some websites list conflicting facts about public figures, so readers are encouraged to confirm important details with official studio, network or award-body announcements. This article is not affiliated with or endorsed by Odessa A’zion, her representatives or any company mentioned.

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