Mikaela Hoover

Mikaela Hoover, born July 12, 1984 in Colbert, Washington, is an American actress of Iranian, Italian, and Spanish heritage who began performing almost as soon as she could walk. She started taking dance lessons at the age of two, appeared in school productions, and landed local commercial spots, laying a foundation of confidence and stage presence that would later define her screen work. After winning admission to Loyola Marymount University's theatre program, she earned a bachelor's degree in theatre, honing classical techniques while immersing herself in the vibrant Los Angeles acting community. Hoover’s professional breakthrough arrived in 2007 with the independent film Frank, followed quickly by a lead role in the web series Sorority Forever (2008), which showcased her comedic timing and on‑camera charisma. Her early collaboration with director James Gunn on the short Humanzee! (2008) proved pivotal, opening doors to a string of roles in Gunn‑produced projects and cementing a recurring creative partnership. In 2010 she made a notable television debut with a guest spot on How I Met Your Mother and appeared in Gunn’s dark comedy Super, establishing her as a versatile supporting actress. Over the next several years she populated a variety of sitcoms—Happy Endings, Anger Management, Two and a Half Men, The League—while also venturing into genre film with a memorable turn as Nova Prime’s assistant in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). Her performance as Raziya Memarian in The Belko Experiment (2016) demonstrated her capacity for intense dramatic material, and she continued to balance television and film with guest roles on Lucifer and 2 Broke Girls as well as parts in The Suicide Squad (2021) and the Netflix rom‑coms Holidate and Love Hard. Most recently, Hoover was cast as Cat Grant in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman for DC Studios, and she will lend her voice to Tony Tony Chopper in the second season of Netflix’s live‑action One Piece adaptation, confirming her steady ascent in both live‑action and voice‑over domains.