Here's Why Makkari From Eternals Looks So Familiar

The long-awaited release of Marvel's "Eternals" is almost here, and it's shaping up to be one of the biggest non-"Avengers" movies the MCU has delivered to date. The film follows a race of immortal alien beings who've secretly been shaping the history of mankind for thousands of years. Picking up after the events of "Avengers: Endgame," the film finds its central immortal beings forced out of hiding in order to face off against one of mankind's oldest enemies: the Deviants. In case you're wondering, yes, "Eternals" will also address why this particular team of heroes didn't participate in the battles against Thanos (Josh Brolin) that took place in both "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Endgame."

"Eternals" boasts a sprawling lineup of new characters as well, and from the looks of the film's electrifying trailers, its titular group may turn out to be every bit as impressive as Marvel's other iconic, superpowered teams. To make matters even more exciting, the film's cast also features a diverse group of recognizable stars like Angelina Jolie, Kit Harrington, Salma Hayek, and Kumail Nanjiani, as well as actors on the rise, such as Barry Keoghan, Gemma Chan, and Bryan Tyree Henry.

With the film's premiere so close, Marvel fans should go ahead and start counting the actor who plays Makkari in "Eternals" as a performer worth watching out for too. Her name is Lauren Ridloff. Here's why she looks so familiar.   

If Lauren Ridloff's face does look familiar to you, it's likely because you're a fan of AMC's long-running zombie drama, "The Walking Dead." Ridloff made her first appearance in the post-apocalyptic series in its ninth season as Connie, the deaf member of the small group of survivors led by Nadia Hilker's Magna. Connie is, of course, the first deaf character to appear in "The Walking Dead" universe, and yes, Ridloff herself is deaf, which has made her performance as the character as entrancing as it is refreshingly authentic.

Like most of the characters in the zombie-infested lands of "The Walking Dead," Connie has seen her fair share of ups and downs over the years. One of the ups was, obviously, her crew teaming with the Alexandrian and Hilltop factions just after their fateful showdown with the Saviors. Soon after that, Connie forged a close relationship with everybody's favorite crossbow-wielding tough guy, Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus), but appeared to meet her end during a fight with the Whisperers.

Thankfully, Connie made it out of that mess alive, though, things have certainly gotten complicated for her since her return. Here's to hoping things turn back around for Connie moving forward. 

If you're not into the flesh-eating hordes and post-apocalyptic madness of "The Walking Dead," it's possible you've still seen Lauren Ridloff on the small screen, as 2019 saw her giving a remarkable one-off appearance on one of television's best-loved medical dramas, "New Amsterdam" (via IMDb). The NBC primetime series follows the trials and tribulations of a group of talented doctors working at America's oldest hospital and is currently airing its fourth season.

Ridloff's "New Amsterdam" appearance came in the 19th episode of the show's first season. The episode, titled "Happy Place," primarily focuses on the hospital's frantic efforts to help a police officer who has been badly injured in the line of duty. However, Ridloff's storyline proved to be a far more emotional affair. The episode saw the actor portray a woman who'd gone through with a cochlear implant procedure, only to realize she was much happier living as a deaf person. 

Ridloff's work in the episode is the very definition of scene-stealing, and her storyline stands as not only one of the season's highlights but also one of the series' best subplots to date.

Although she's about to get some serious big-screen exposure courtesy of her upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, "Eternals" is far from Lauren Ridloff's first movie. In fact, her first credited screen gig is a role in the 2011 indie film, "If You Could Hear My Own Tune." A few years later, Ridloff made an appearance in Todd Haynes' overlooked 2017 drama, "Wonderstruck." However, if you missed Ridloff's work in those films, here's to hoping you caught her turn in the Oscar-winning 2020 drama, "Sound of Metal."

The film — one of the very best of 2020 — follows the heart-wrenching story of Ruben Stone (Riz Ahmed), a rock drummer whose life is turned upside down when he's struck with the sudden and irreversible loss of his hearing. Worried he'll relapse into past addiction problems, Ruben elects to join a small deaf community in the hopes that its residents can both help him stay sober, and learn how to adapt to his new life.

One of those residents is Ridloff's kind deaf teacher, Diane, who offers Ruben a chance to help younger deaf people in her classroom. As with most of her performances, Ridloff speaks nary a word in "Sound of Metal," but manages to communicate more with her silence and physicality than most actors can with lengthy, scene-chewing monologues.