- Annie Wesching was best known for her roles in ’24,’ ‘Bosch,’ and ‘The Vampire Diaries’
- The actress lent her voice talents to the 2013 video game ‘The Last of Us,’ which is now a hit HBO series
- After a battle with cancer, Wesching died in January 2023 at the age of 45
Hollywood lost another star too soon as Annie Wesching passed away in January 2023 at the age of 45 following a private battle with cancer. The young actress was best known for her roles in 24, Bosch, and The Vampire Diaries. More recently, Annie landed the role of Leslie Dean, the mother of alien superhero Karolina on Marvel’s Runaways, which she chronicled on her Instagram.
Following the sad news of her death, Annie’s husband Stephen Full released a statement. “There is a cavernous hole in the soul of this family today. But she left us the tools to fill it,” read the message, per The Hollywood Reporter. “She found wonder in the simplest moment. She didn’t require music to dance. She taught us not to wait for adventure to find you. ‘Go find it. It’s everywhere.’ And find it we shall.”
“As I drove our boys, the true loves of her life, down the winding driveway and street, she would yell BYE! until we were out of earshot and into the world,” he continued, referencing their three sons. “I can still hear it ringing. Bye my Buddie. ‘I love you little family…’”
Keep reading to learn about the late star, below.
1. Where was Annie from?
The talented star was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Sandy and Frank Wesching. The parents must have been overjoyed, as Annie was one adorable baby, as proven in the Christmas photo shared to her social media account here. Annie grew up performing in musical theater and competitive Irish dance before attending Millikin University, where she graduated in 1999 with a BFA, according to THR.
2. She got her Hollywood start on a soap opera
Her first major role, and longest running with 80 episodes, was as television producer Amelia Joffe on General Hospital. She then played Renee Walker in Seasons 7 and 8 of 24, and had major stints in Runaways, Extant, Timeless, and The Rookie, per her IMDB. And Annie found a new legion of fans playing the mother of Paul Wesley and Ian Somerholder’s vampires, Stefan and Damon, on The Vampire Diaries.
More recently, she had an incredible part in the latest series for the Star Trek franchise called Star Trek: Picard. Rocking an out-of-this world full body costume and makeup, Annie was every inch the Borg Queen, as seen on her Instagram.
3. Annie voiced Tess in the original video game ‘The Last of Us’
Annie voiced the character of Tess in the 2013 video game of The Last of Us, playing a hardened survivor of a zombie apocalypse in Boston. HBO now has an adaptation of the game starring Pedro Pascal, with the character of Tess played by Anna Torv.
4. Her Hollywood bosses shared sweet tributes to her
Following the news of her death, Annie’s boss and showrunner of The Vampire Diaries, Julie Plec, paid tribute to her online. “I became a fan from ‘24’ and was lucky to be able to have Annie play mama to two of the hottest vamps in town… RIP Annie, you wonderful soul,” Julie tweeted.
This is Us creative director Neil Druckmann also shared a heartbreaking message about the actress. “We just lost a beautiful artist and human being. My heart is shattered,” he wrote on Twitter. He added that a GoFundMe page had been created to help support her family.
4. Annie was a loving mother to 3 sons
As Annie’s husband Stephen mentioned in his statement, Annie’s three sons were the “true loves of her life.” In her GoFundMe notes, Annie was also said to have “lived for her family.” The note added, “She loved her work and cherished her friends, but Steve and the boys were her absolute everything. It’s so Steve can have time to grieve without the pressure of needing to work. So he can be daddy to Freddie (12), Ozzie (9) and Archie (4) as they navigate the future without their mom, without sweet Annie.”