Clea DuVall

On television, DuVall has appeared in recurring and regular roles on series such as Carnivàle (2003–2005), Heroes (2006–2007), American Horror Story (2012–2013), The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015), Better Call Saul (2015–2017), Veep (2016–2019), and The Handmaid's Tale (2018–2022). She also voiced Elsa in the animated sitcom HouseBroken (2021–2023), which she co-created. DuVall's directorial work includes the comedy features The Intervention (2016) and Happiest Season (2020). She also created, wrote, and executive produced the coming-of-age drama series High School (2022).

DuVall was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her forename derives from the novel Clea by Lawrence Durrell. She worked in a coffee shop as a teenager and studied at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.

DuVall made her screen debut in the low-budget horror film Little Witches (1996). This was followed by small parts in several independent features, as well as guest appearances on ER and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (both 1997). Her breakthrough came in 1998 when she starred in Robert Rodriguez's sci-fi horror film The Faculty, receiving positive reviews for her portrayal of Stokely "Stokes" Mitchell, a goth high school student. Also that year, she had a supporting role in the teen comedy Can't Hardly Wait, which later developed a cult following. DuVall had roles in several films released in 1999, including the biographical drama Girl, Interrupted, where she appeared as compulsive liar Georgina Tuskin; teen romantic comedy She's All That, which opened atop the U.S. box office; and the independent features Wildflowers and But I'm a Cheerleader. The latter, a satirical comedy in which she played a lesbian undergoing conversion therapy, is often cited as a favorite among fans of LGBTQ cinema. For her work in Wildflowers, a drama about a 17-year-old intent on finding her birth mother, DuVall received rave reviews, with Barry Johnson noting in his appraisal for The Austin Chronicle, "[she] has those deep, round, chestnut eyes that convey years of experience with a solitary glance... [she] always seems to capture that unique blend of wisdom and naiveté... [here she] takes center stage in an impressive, nuanced performance that makes use of [her] magnetic screen presence".

DuVall made her feature directorial debut with The Intervention (2016), which she also wrote, starred in, and produced. Acquired by Paramount Pictures after its premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, the comedy-drama was positively reviewed; Andy Webster of The New York Times noted that "DuVall juggles the emotional dynamics with fluid editing and light comic touches". That same year, she starred in the independent features Zen Dogs and Heaven's Floor, and guest-starred in three episodes of AMC's Better Call Saul. Between 2016 and 2019, DuVall played Marjorie Palmiotti on HBO's political satire series Veep, for which she was twice nominated—alongside her co-stars—for the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, winning in 2018. She also starred in the independent dramedy All About Nina (2018) and portrayed Sylvia in five episodes of the dystopian Hulu series The Handmaid's Tale (2018–2022), with Judy Berman of Time calling it "the best work of [DuVall's career]". DuVall wrote and directed the 2020 romcom Happiest Season, which premiered on Hulu to a positive critical reception, later winning the 2021 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film. Her next project—as creator, writer, director, and executive producer—was the coming-of-age drama series High School, which ran for a single season on Amazon Freevee. Rolling Stone named it one of the best shows of 2022, writing in their review, "[DuVall captures] the thrilling, horrifying, profoundly uncomfortable experience of adolescence". She earned additional praise that year for her portrayal of Malvina "Tommy" Thompson, personal aide to Eleanor Roosevelt, in the Showtime drama series The First Lady. DuVall's performance in a 2023 episode of the Peacock murder mystery series Poker Face was particularly well received. She returned to direct an episode of the show in 2025. In February 2026, DuVall was cast as a member of the Seraphites in the third season of the HBO post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us.

DuVall is a lesbian. She came out to close relatives and friends when she was 16, publicly coming out in 2016. DuVall has said that she was "very closeted" while making But I'm a Cheerleader. She is close friends with Melanie Lynskey and Natasha Lyonne, with whom she worked on Cheerleader and The Intervention. DuVall is married to Mia Weier and lives in Los Angeles.