Television
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ByCarolyn Jenkins
Dick Wolf seems to do no wrong when it comes to his procedural dramas. He has tackled crime for most of his career but spread his horizons when he created the One Chicago franchise, which includes series such as "Chicago Med." The show is now in its 7th season and continues to highlight life-saving heroism as well as the internal drama between the doctors. The show still remains popular, and as certain actors leave, that leaves room for new faces to join the cast, either as regulars or as guest stars.
One familiar new face is that of the actress who plays Milena Jovanovic. First appearing in "Things Meant to Be Bent Not Broken," seemingly as a drug dealer, there is more to her than meets the eye, as Dr. Dylan Scott (Guy Lockard) soon learns.The character is portrayed by Riley Voelkel, and she's apparently confirmed for at least one more episode, hinting at what could be an interesting arc ahead of her. Voelkel is no stranger to this sort of drama in her previous acting credits. Apart from playing Milena on "Chicago Med," she has appeared in many other recognizable roles.
She was a young version of an iconic actor on American Horror Story
FX
"American Horror Story" is known for a lot of things, but mainly forRyan Murphy's penchant for using the same actors. Jessica Lange showcased her acting talents in the first four seasons of the series, playing some of its most memorable characters. One of her more notable appearances was as Fiona Goode in Season 3. "Coven" followed a group of witches at an academy dedicated to honing their craft. Fiona was known as the Supreme, the most powerful witch in the coven. Lange's performance was notable for how cutthroat and power-hungry Fiona was, though she was not the only person to portray the character that season as Fiona also appeared in flashbacks to the 1970s.
Riley Voelkel appeared in three episodes as Fiona during the era when she first grabbed power as the Supreme. Voelkel makes an impressive performance, perfectly emulating Lange and demonstrating how that character would act at the time. Just as brutal as her older version, Fiona takes the position of Supreme by force and never looks back. This explains Fiona's fear later in the season and reluctance to give her power over to her daughter Cordelia (Sarah Paulson). Though it was one of her first roles, Voelkel's acting made quite an impression.
She was yelled at by Jeff Daniels on The Newsroom
HBO Max
In the HBO series "The Newsroom," Aaron Sorkin utilizes many well-written speeches to get his point across. None are so powerful as the first one featured at the beginning of the series. In the first episode, news anchor Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) is adrift. He plays it safe on his news show, hoping to remain politically moderate as to not upset his fanbase. This all changes at one appearance at Northwestern. After college student Jennifer (Voelkel) asks a pointed question of "what makes America the greatest country in the world," Will goes on a tear and proclaims that it isn't.
Though there is merit to this answer, Will takes out his frustration on Jennifer, who is abused for a full three minutes. Jeff Daniels stated that this scene saved his career but it also has another meaning. The incident kicks Will into high gear, starting the process of realizing he needs to make a better news program. Unfortunately, he terrorizes an innocent, albeit naive young woman in the process.
Although she suffers his abuse, Jennifer isn't down and out. She returns as an intern for News Night, coming back not to get back at Will but because she was inspired to pursue a career in news. Without Voelkel's character, there would be no show. And as difficult as it is to see Will scream at a college student, it is necessary for the show to start.
She appears in The Vampire Diaries universe as a powerful witch
The CW
The CW doesn't just have a united universe of superhero series. It also created a connected franchise of supernatural series. Starting with "The Vampire Diaries," The CW has seen success, with the stories of Elena Gilbert in Mystic Falls segueing into "The Originals." These shows are set in the same universe of vampires, witches, and doppelgängers, exploring their relationships and drama. Riley Voelkel first appeared in the initial spinoff series "The Originals." Taking place in New Orleans, morally gray Klaus Mikaelson (Joseph Morgan) joins up with his brother Elijah (Daniel Gillies) to take back what belongs to their family. The two brothers have an extensive family that includes their sister Freya (Voelkel).
Though their family is known as the Original Vampire Family, Freya represents a different aspect. Presumed to have died of the plague hundreds of years ago, Freya reappears in the present day as a powerful witch to the surprise of Klaus and the rest of the Mikaelsons. As payment for a debt, Freya was imprisoned for centuries, having one of the saddest stories of the series. Even after she reveals herself to her siblings, they meet her with suspicion and do not accept her as their own. Freya's character arc is full of emotion, lasting all the way to the final season.
Additionally, Voelkel appears as Freya in another spinoff, "Legacies,"which follows a boarding school of supernatural teenagers.
She finds herself in the middle of a crime investigation on Hightown
Cape Cod has never been less idyllic than in the Starz series "Hightown," which centers around the issues of drug addiction and murder. Monica Raymund plays JackieQuinones, a drug addict who is pulled into a mystery after finding a dead body. Once the police become involved, they uncover a rampant drug industry as well as many other criminal enterprises.
Detective Ray Abruzzo (James Dale Badge) starts to investigate the murder, which leads him to an exotic dancer named Renee Segna (Voelkel). Renee, who is engaged to drug kingpin Frankie Cuevas Sr. (Amaury Nolasco), eventually becomes an informant to the police, though she causes problems for Abruzzo, who has fallen in love with her. The compelling series maintains an 80% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, and fans are excited to see what happens next as "Hightown" has just been renewed for a 3rd season, per Deadline.
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