Alexandra Vandernoot is a Belgian actress of Yugoslavian descent, best known for her role as Tessa Noël in the fantasy series "Highlander: The Series" from 1992 to 1998.
Born in 1965 in Brussels, Vandernoot's father, André Vandernoot, was a renowned music conductor and artistic director, while her mother, Dusanka Sifnios, was a Yugoslavian ballerina and choreographer.
Vandernoot studied drama at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and began her film career in the 1980s, initially taking on minor roles. Her breakthrough role came in 1992 with the period film "The Supper", in which she portrayed Dorothea von Biron, Duchess of Dino.
Vandernoot's first major television role was as Tessa Noël in "Highlander: The Series", a French antique dealer, professional sculptor, and professional illustrator who was the long-term lover and business partner of immortal Duncan MacLeod.
Although her role as Tessa made her famous, Vandernoot found the demanding schedule of the series exhausting and eventually left the show after the first four episodes of season two due to personal reasons. Her character was killed off in a dramatic death scene.
After her departure from "Highlander", Vandernoot started a long-term relationship with French director and screenwriter Bernard Uzan, with whom she had two children, Léo and Julia. She later returned to the series for guest appearances, playing a villain and an alternate reality version of Tessa.
Vandernoot has continued to work in film and television, appearing in the box-office hit "The Dinner Game" and numerous theatrical productions. Despite being 57 years old by 2022, she shows no signs of retiring and continues to perform in various roles.
