Brosnahan’s career began with supporting roles in films like “The Unborn” (2009) and “Beautiful Creatures” (2013), and TV appearances on series like “House of Cards” and “Manhattan.” She gained significant recognition for her role in “House of Cards,” where she played Rachel Posner, which led to an Emmy nomination. In addition to her television success, Brosnahan has appeared in films such as “I’m Your Woman” (2020) and “The Courier” (2020), showcasing her range in dramatic roles. She also returned to the stage in productions like “The Big Knife” and “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window.” Brosnahan’s career continues to evolve, and she took on the iconic role of Lois Lane in the 2025 DC Universe film “Superman.”
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Early Life
Rachel Brosnahan was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 12, 1990. Her father, Earl Brosnahan, is the brother of the late fashion designer Kate Spade. Kate got the last name Spade when she married Andy Spade. Andy is comedian David Spade’s brother. From the age of four, Brosnahan was raised in Highland Park, Illinois. She attended Wayne Thomas Elementary School, Northwood Junior High School, and Highland Park High School. In high school, Brosnahan did musical theater and spent two years on the wrestling team. For her higher education, she went to New York University, graduating from the Tisch School of the Arts in 2012.
Television Career
Brosnahan made her film debut with a small part in the 2009 supernatural horror film “The Unborn.” She had a much bigger role two years later in “Coming Up Roses,” in which she starred opposite Bernadette Peters. In 2012, Brosnahan appeared in the thriller “Nor’easter,” and in 2013 she was in the romantic gothic fantasy film “Beautiful Creatures.” She subsequently appeared in a pair of short films directed by Ari Aster, “Munchausen” and “Basically.” Brosnahan also starred in the 2014 film “I’m Obsessed with You (But You’ve Got to Leave Me Alone).” In 2015, she appeared in Joachim Trier’s film “Louder Than Bombs.” Brosnahan appeared in three films in 2016: the action thrillers “The Finest Hours” and “Patriots Day” and the crime film “Burn Country.” Two years later, she starred in the drama “Change in the Air.” In 2019, Brosnahan lent her voice to the animated comedy “Spies in Disguise.” She subsequently starred in two films in 2020: the period spy film “The Courier” and the period crime film “I’m Your Woman.” Brosnahan went on to star in Walter Hill’s Western “Dead for a Dollar” in 2022. Her credits after that include the spy thriller “The Amateur” and James Gunn’s reboot of “Superman,” in which she plays Lois Lane.
Theater Career
On the theater stage, Brosnahan made her professional debut in the play “Up” at the Steppenwolf Theatre in 2009. She made her Broadway debut in 2013, in a revival of Clifford Odets’s “The Big Knife.” A few years after that, Brosnahan played Desdemona in a New York Theatre Workshop production of “Othello.” Her other theater credits include the 2023 Broadway revival of Lorraine Hansberry’s play “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window,” in which she starred opposite Oscar Isaac.
Personal Life
In 2016, Brosnahan married actor and producer Jason Ralph.
