Tabitha Foster on Netflix’s 'Trinkets'

Quintessa Swindell | Biography 2021

Anna on 'Euphoria'

• By Nischal Niroula
• Update : April 18, 2022

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Quintessa Swindell is an American performer famous for their portrayal of Tabitha Foster in the Netflix teen drama series Trinkets. 

Who is Quintessa Swindell?

An American actor famous for her role-play on Trinkets, Tabitha Foster is a non-binary person. 

Hailing from Virginia, Swindell made their first debut in the drama series Euphoria. Swindell is also accredited for their role in movies such as Voyagers and Granada Nights. Swindell has also been signed for the movie Black Adam which will be released in July 2022.

Early Bio and Education

Swindell was born on 7 February 1997 in Virginia. They grew up in a single-parent family. Swindell started loving entertainment after their father brought a compact television to their home. Their father would allow them to go to Blockbuster to rent up movies. This exposure to movies helped Swindell to shift out of their regular environment to something different. 

Swindell did theater at a performing arts high school in Virginia. At that point, they realized that it wasn’t exactly a theater that they adored, but it was a movie.  

After Swindell graduated from high school, they headed to New York City to study acting in the BFA program at Marymount Manhattan College. There, they found an unanticipated culture of inclusiveness. Swindell acknowledges their experiences of New York as a student for helping them to embrace their own racial and gender identity.

Made Her Debut in the HBO Series 'Euphoria’

Swindell made her acting debut in 2019 with the HBO teen drama television series Euphoria. 

Euphoria follows a group of high school students dealing with drugs, love, social media, and money while attempting to build their identities. Rue Bennett, played by Zendaya, a recovering adolescent drug addict who tries to find her place in the world, stars in the series.

Sam Levinson developed and wrote the HBO teen drama Euphoria, based on Ron Leshem and Daphna Levin's Israeli miniseries of the same title. The HBO series Euphoria was first released on 16 June 2019 and later won 3 ‘Primetime Emmys’ awards.

Also Read: Sophia Rose Wilson - Euphoria, Family, Boyfriend - Biography

Swindell portrayed Anna on Euphoria. They made their debut in the 8th episode of the first series named ‘The Trials and Tribulations of Trying to Pee While Depressed.’  Since the moment Anna was fixing Jules' makeup in an episode, Anna has had an attraction to him. They have a significant conversation regarding Jules' attempts to "conquer femininity," in which Anna asserts that being feminine does not require the presence of a male. Anna appears to be genuinely interested in Jules, asking if she only hooks up with guys.

Tabitha Foster on Netflix’s ‘Trinkets’

Released on 14 June 2019, Swindell portrayed the role of Tabitha Foster on Netflix’s Trinkets. In the series, their character is wealthy. After getting the role, Swindell didn’t really find herself in Foster – not only due to the character being cisgender but also because of the character’s inclination towards Kleptomania.

But later, Swindell says they connected with the character because of a few commonalities: artsy Instagram craze, cool style, and a habit of raising a voice against injustice. Just after filming the final season, which is the second season, Swindell perceived they have more resemblance with Foster than they had ever thought. “In the beginning I was like, ‘I’m so not her,’ but I think in retrospect, there are so many [commonalities].” 

Although Swindell’s character Foster belongs to a privileged and wealthy family, her family background doesn’t shield her from racism. In one of the episodes of Season 2, a local store owner racially profiles Foster and asks her to empty her pockets while they are shopping with her mother.

Swindell relates to the painful experiences that their character Foster encountered. They convey that they have been confronted with a similar situation multiple times. “When we started filming [the scene], I was like, ‘damn, these are still such raw feelings. I still know where this sits in my heart and within my body.’” 

Swindell could relate to the search for belonging that has always existed at the heart of Foster’s story. Despite the fact that Foster enters the series as a popular girl—who is pretty much concentrated on keeping up appearances than expressing her authentic self—they eventually finds acceptance in her ex-best friend Moe (Kiana Madeira) and new girl Elodie (Brianna Hilderbrand), two eccentrics they meets in Shoplifters Anonymous, a self-help group for Shoplifters.

Swindle remains very proud that the creators provided them with the opportunity to do something extraordinary and be a part of something they loved. “I’m also proud of myself for just being able to take a hold of this character, be confident in the choices that I was making and just be respectable and to be of service to those that are probably going through something similar around the same age or in the past. I’m super proud of it. When I look back, I’m like, ‘We did that!’” 

‘Granada Nights’

The movie was released on 28 May 2021 in the United States and was written, produced, and directed by Abid Khan. Swindell played Amelia in the film. It also stars Antonio Aakeel, Tábata Cerezo, and Oscar Casas in the crucial roles.

The movie is about a heartbroken British tourist stuck in Granada, Spain, where he bonds with a group of young foreigners. He then dives out of his comfort zone, trying to reshape his life. He befriends a gang of young foreigners and smashes into the center of the international student scene, feeling lost and abandoned.

He drives himself out of his comfort zone to begin his life, but there are reminders of his ex-girlfriend and his quest for closure around every corner. A love letter to Granada that blends factual and fiction to create a genuine and passionate analysis of the self-discovery process.

‘Voyagers’

Directed by Neil Burger, Voyagers was released on 19 April 2021. Swindell portrayed Julie in the movie, which is set in the near future that features the odyssey of 30 young males and females who are deployed into space for a multi-generational purpose. They are in search of a new habitat. The crew discovers a disturbing secret about the mission, and everything turns ugly as the crew defy their training and start executing their primitive behaviors and impulses.

A Superhero Character in 'Black Adam'

Black Adam is a new American superhero film based on the same-named DC Comics character. It is a spin-off of the 2019 movie Shazam! and the eleventh edition in the DC Extended Universe. Moreover, in the DC Universe, Shazam and Black Adam are arch enemies. 

The character of Black Adam first appeared in DC Comics in the 1940s as a villain corrupted by power before evolving into an anti-hero in the early 2000s who disobeyed all laws and traditions. The Black Adam plotline details have been kept under wraps by New Line and DC. Johnson is producing the movie alongside Seven Bucks Productions' Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia, as well as Beau Flynn of FlynnPictureCo.

The movie is produced by New Line Cinema, DC Films, Seven Bucks Productions, and FlynnPictureCo. and set for distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures (DCEU).

Jaume Collet-Serra directs the film and stars Dwayne Johnson in the lead role as Teth-Adam / Black Adam. Swindell is all set to portray the superhero character Maxine Hunkell aka Cyclone. Aldis Hodge plays Hawkman, and Atom Smasher is played by Noah Centineo, both of whom are members of DC's Justice Society. Actress Sarah Shahi has also been cast as a university lecturer and a liberation fighter in the imaginary country of Kahndaq.

Cyclone is a Justice Society member that has the ability to manipulate wind and sound. Aerokinesis, Deflection, Air Blasts, Cyclone Creation, and Flight are among her supernatural capabilities.

Swindell discussed embracing the realm of superheroes with Black Adam in a 2022 interview with Collider. In their words,

"Yeah because there's a level of realism in the character and that's just really beautiful. Seeing what they're doing with the script and seeing what they're doing with DC as a whole is just really beautiful. It's inspiring, the direction that they're going in, and being able to be a part of that process lines up with every other project. It definitely means something. The values that it has at its core are values that line up with what I believe in and what I look up to."

A Lead Role in an Upcoming Movie 'Dead Point'

According to April 2022 reports from Deadline, Spyglass Media Group has confirmed the lead star for their next picture Deadpoint as Quintessa Swindell. According to the article, they will play the lead in a "rock climbing thriller," according to the article.

While her role has been confirmed, the rest of the cast is yet to be revealed.

Deadpoint is believed to follow Swindell's character as they attempt to complete the treacherous mountain climb that claimed their father's life. However, the journey becomes more difficult when they witness a murder on the mountain and must now flee a band of criminals to silence the only witness to their crime. 

Swindell's character must withstand the harsh weather as they continue their ascent up the mountain, with no alternative but to go up, to escape.

Swindell is Non-Binary & Prefers They/Their Pronoun

Swindell previously revealed that it has been difficult for them to find roles playing their gender because they don't fit stereotypes about all non binary people being androgynous. However, they were also thrilled to play a cisgender girl in Trinkets because the show's focus on Black identity resonated with them. 

"One of the more beautiful experiences I had while shooting this season was diving back into past high school experiences and finding strength in many things I had not in the past. I found strength and resilience in fighting for Tabitha, given many of the tribulations they finds herself within this season," they said in a 2019 interview with GLAAD.

When asked why it was significant for her to talk about being non-binary right now and what pronouns Swindell used, they replied, "I use they/them/theirs pronouns. I feel as though there is an absolute necessity, given the current political climate, to draw focus to the many queer communities that lack representation on television and in film. Without proper representation for queer communities, people who are exploring their identity can be pushed to the side. In my experience, if I had not moved out of my small town and found a way to be surrounded by queer peoples, I would not be who and where I am today."

Swindell also talked about wanting people to know and grasp what it means to be non-binary. They believe it is critical to emphasize that every queer and non-binary person is unique, adding that all of their experiences should be accepted and embraced accordingly. 

"To be non-binary is to explore one's self outside of the bounds of heteronormative society. Fighting for the underrepresented is both a duty and privilege at the same time. Being where I am today, nothing means more to me than being a voice for my chosen family," Swindell added.

Similarly, they also shared their personal experiences opening up about their identity to friends and family.

"As a non-binary person, there was… as long as I can remember… since I was a kid, being queer, of course people come out and how do I do that? Of course it'll be terrible, right? And so, there was kind of that period… yeah, so realizing, I can subtly do it and I was in a safe enough space to be like 'oh I'm queer' and then when I got to college I was like 'can I tell people I'm more masc? (masculine) and I feel trans… and of course we can all understand it but it turned into more of a safety issue," Swindell stated.

Moreover, Swindell disclosed on 23 June 2021 that they are fine being referred to as he/him as well as they/them, and that they work as an LGBTQ activist.

They Would Love to Play a Transgender/ Non-Binary Role

They have played a cisgender girl in Trinkets and an LGBTQIA+ role on HBO's In Treatment. However, they wouldn't miss a chance to play transgender/binary roles again. Swindell would love to add life to the queer representation on-screen. In her words,

"Absolutely! I would love to bring my life experiences onto set in all aspects. Representation is one of the most important aspects of one's coming-of-age, and to think that someone, somewhere, struggling with what I have dealt with, may see my work and be inspired is the goal of my career."

In a Relationship 

In a 2019 interaction with GLAAD, Swindell revealed that they were hesitant to express their gender identification when they first started dating their present partner. However, as the months passed, Swindell began to feel more at ease. 

"I mentioned one night that on some days I don't feel like a girl. That I feel like I'm trying to understand and explain how I want to be identified, gender-wise. His response was welcoming and loving, and I wondered why I hadn't mentioned it earlier to him. It was like he knew the entire time, and he was supportive from day one," they continued.