Rachel Talalay

Rachel Talalay is an American producer, writer, and director. She is best known for directing films such as Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, Ghost in the Machine (1993), and Tank Girl (1995). Her television credits include episodes of Ally McBeal, Supernatural, Doctor Who, Sherlock, Riverdale, Doom Patrol, Superman & Lois, and Quantum Leap.

Talalay was also a professor at the University of British Columbia until 2020.

Early life and education Talalay was born in Chicago. Her father Paul Talalay was a pharmacologist, born in Berlin to a Belarusian Jewish family, and her mother Pamela is an English biochemist. She has two sisters and a brother. She was raised mostly in Baltimore, with two years of her childhood in Britain. She also ran the Yale Film Society. Her work with the earlier Nightmare films utilized her computer skills and finding ways to create better special effects while still keeping costs low.

Talalay also directed Tank Girl in 1995, and was looking into re-optioning the rights to make a new film in 2008. As a film producer, Talalay worked with director John Waters on the films Hairspray (1988) and Cry-Baby (1990). She was also a production assistant on Waters' 1981 film Polyester.

Talalay stated that she wanted to work on Doctor Who ever since it was revived in 2005. She directed all three of Peter Capaldi's series finales: series 8's "Dark Water" and "Death in Heaven", series 9's "Heaven Sent" and "Hell Bent"—the former considered by many to be one of the best episodes in the show's history —and series 10's "World Enough and Time" and "The Doctor Falls", as well as the Doctor Who 2017 Christmas special, "Twice Upon a Time". She returned to Doctor Who in 2023 for "The Star Beast", with David Tennant and Catherine Tate returning as the Fourteenth Doctor and Donna Noble as part of the show's 60th anniversary. In 2019, she directed a film adaptation of Joe Ballarini's A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting for Netflix.

Personal life Talalay met British film producer Rupert Harvey while working on Android in 1982. They began a relationship soon after, and were married in 1990, with John Waters officiating the wedding. Talalay and Harvey have a daughter named Lucy.

On 13 May 2026, Talalay announced she had lost her husband two weeks before.

Filmography Films Director Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) (also story writer) Ghost in the Machine (1993) Tank Girl (1995) A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting (2020)

Producer Hairspray (1988) A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) Cry-Baby (1990) The Borrowers (1997)

Television TV movies A Tale of Two Wives (2003) The Wind in the Willows (2006) Hannah's Law (2012) The Dorm (2014) Unclaimed (2016)

TV series Year Title Episodes 1997 Band of Gold "Tainted Love (Part 1)" "Tainted Love (Part 2)" 1998 To Have & to Hold "Turkey Day Blues" "Who's Sorry Next?" Touching Evil (U.K. Series) "War Relief: Part 1" "War Relief: Part 2" 1999–2002 Ally McBeal "Saving Santa" "Prime Suspect" "Two's a Crowd" "Blowin' in the Wind" 2000 Boston Public "Chapter Five" Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) "Mental Apparition Disorder" "A Blast From the Past" 2001 That's Life "Miracle at the Cucina" State of Grace "Eve of Discussion" Wolf Lake "Tastes Like Chicken" Dice "Episode #1.1" "Episode #1.2" "Episode #1.3" "Episode #1.4" "Episode #1.5" "Episode #1.6" 2002 Without a Trace "He Saw, She Saw" Crossing Jordan "Four Fathers" 2002–2007 The Dead Zone "Shaman" "Symmetry" "Ego" 2002–2003 The Division "A Priori" "Castaways" 2003 Cold Case "Sherry Darlin" 2004 Touching Evil (U.S. Series) "Y Me" Life as We Know It "Natural Disasters" Unfabulous "The Perfect Couple" 2005 Sex, Love & Secrets "Protection" (Unaired) Terminal City "Episode #1.1" "Episode #1.2" "Episode #1.7" "Episode #1.8" 2006 Whistler "In The Air" "After The Fall" "Scratching The Surface" "Meltdown" 2007 Supernatural "Hunted" Greek "Separation Anxiety" Kyle XY "Hands on a Hybrid" "Leap of Faith" 2008 Flash Gordon "Blame" 2009 Da Kink in My Hair "Of Papers and Patois" "Playing Social" "Honesty the Best Policy?" Durham County "Boys Do Things" "Consumed" 2010 Cra$h & Burn "Lawyers, Guns & Money" "Bond Blame Baptize" Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures "How to Get Ahead in Medical School" "Family Practice" "Unhappy Endings" Haven "Harmony" "Surviving the Fall" 2011 Endgame "Gorillas in Our Midst" Hiccups "Sexual Healing" 2012 Continuum "Time's Up" XIII: The Series "Breakout" "Mousetrap" 2013 Bomb Girls "Party Line" "Fifth Column" Played "Cars" "Revenge" 2014 Reign "Sacrifice" 2014–2015, 2017,2022–2023 Doctor Who "Deep Breath" (2014) (uncredited, 1 scene) "Into the Dalek" (2014) (uncredited, 1 scene) "Dark Water" (2014) "Death in Heaven" (2014) "Heaven Sent" (2015) "Hell Bent" (2015) "World Enough and Time" (2017) "The Doctor Falls" (2017) "Twice Upon a Time" (2017) "The Power of the Doctor" (2022) (uncredited, 1 scene) "The Star Beast" (2023) 2015 South of Hell "Judge and Fury" "White Noise" 2016–2023 The Flash "Fast Lane" "The Present" "Fury Rogue" "Cause and XS" "Masquerade" "The Mask of the Red Death, Part 2"2016–2021 Legends of Tomorrow "Last Refuge" "Meat the Legends" 2016–2019 Supergirl "Welcome to Earth" "Suspicious Minds" 2017 Sherlock "The Six Thatchers" 2018–2021 Riverdale "Chapter Twenty-Five: The Wicked and the Divine" "Chapter Forty-One: Manhunter" "Chapter Fifty-Seven: Survive the Night" "Chapter Eighty-Four: Lock & Key" 2018 Iron Fist "The City's Not for Burning" Chilling Adventures of Sabrina "Chapter Six: An Exorcism in Greendale" 2019 Doom Patrol

Partial Accolades

Leo Awards

Best Direction Dramatic Series - Winner - Terminal City - For Episode 8