Allison Williams

An improv-trained actress, Allison Williams made her mark as one of the core ensemble members of Lena Dunham's highly acclaimed series "Girls" (HBO, 2012-17). The daughter of former "NBC Nightly News" (1970- ) anchor Brian Williams, Williams graduated from Yale, where she was a member of the improv troupe Just Add Water for four years. Although she had made two guest appearances on "American Dreams" (NBC, 2002-05) in 2004 and one on "The League" (FX, 2009-15) in 2011, Williams achieved wider success with a string of viral Internet videos, including writing a series of Funny or Die sketches that featured her as royal newlywed Kate Middleton. On the strength of her improv chops, Williams was tapped to audition for the Lena Dunham/Judd Apatow series "Girls" (HBO, 2012-17) and landed the role of Marnie Michaels, roommate and best friend to Hannah Horvath (Dunham), whose composed, polished exterior hides deep-seated insecurities.

In December 2014, Williams starred in the title role of "Peter Pan Live!" (NBC 2014), a live TV adaptation of the beloved musical version of the J.M. Barrie tale. That same year, Williams co-starred in the indie romance "College Musical" (2014), continuing her streak of projects that showcase both her acting and singing abilities. As "Girls" ended its run, Williams made her first big splash on the big screen as the female lead of Jordan Peele's critically-acclaimed horror smash "Get Out" (2017).