Tera Hendrickson

Tera Hendrickson is a multi-lingual American actress and musician of Swedish and Peruvian descent. Also an accomplished dialectician, she has used foreign languages and accents in many of her acting roles, with some characters even utilizing invented languages. In the hit television show Charmed (1998), she portrays the French witch Simone; in Hannah Montana (2006) she plays the role of Hannah's Spanish teacher; in Cory in the House (2007) she co-stars as the Queen of Bahavia, a fabricated country. She has also portrayed Italian, Portuguese, Venezuelan, British and Austrian characters in various film and television productions. After appearing in a handful of independent films, she earned the role of an aspiring singer in the film Gunshy (1998), working alongside Diane Lane and William Petersen. In the Emmy-nominated mini-series The Beach Boys: An American Family (2000), her portrayal of legendary session bass player Carol Kaye afforded her the opportunity to use her skills as a professional musician. Her earliest credits include several music videos directed by Michael Bay and Gore Verbinski, featuring her as a principal dancer. A deep passion for music was sparked in childhood during which time she began her studies of piano and voice. Her acting and musical pursuits eventually dovetailed into a number of unique opportunities. Recruited by Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer, she performed with his orchestra as the Edith Piaf vocalist for the Hollywood premiere of the blockbuster film Inception (2010). She also earned her first film composition credit for Say It in Russian (2007) starring Faye Dunaway, writing and performing the film's title track Embrasse Moi. In addition to acting, she continues to perform an eclectic mix of world music including French cabaret and gypsy jazz with the Les Zazous quartet.