Actor · Telugu cinema
Catherine Tresa
Catherine Tresa movies: 14 Telugu films on file, 2013–2026. Earliest on file: Chammak Challo (2013). Latest release: Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu (12 January 2026).
- Films on file
- 14 (14 as actor)
- Years on file
- 2013–2026
- Born
- 10 September 1989 · September birthdays (Wikidata)
- Selected films on file
- Rudhramadevi, Iddarammayilatho, Sarainodu
- Record
- Q5052949 on Wikidata
Catherine Tresa (born Catherine Tresa Alexander, 10 September 1989) is an Indian actress and model who has built her career across Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam films. After starting out as a model, she made her film debut in the Kannada film Shankar IPS (2010), and became known to Telugu audiences through Chammak Challo and Iddarammayilatho (both 2013).
Early life
Catherine was born in Dubai to Frank Mario Alexander and Tresa Alexander. She completed her schooling there, volunteered with Emirates Environment, and began amateur modelling at 14 for fashion design students. She then moved to Bengaluru for higher studies. Along the way she learned the piano and trained in singing, dancing, ice skating and debating.
Modelling
After moving to India she modelled for brands such as Nalli Silks, Chennai Silks, Fast Track and Josco Jewellers, shot for Srikantadatta Wodeyar’s Maharaja Calendar, and walked in numerous ramp shows in collaboration with Prasad Bidapa.
Early films
Her first film was Shankar IPS (2010), opposite Duniya Vijay. She followed it with the Malayalam films The Thriller and Uppukandam Brothers: Back in Action, and the Kannada films Vishnu (2011) and Godfather (2012). In Godfather, opposite Upendra, she played an older woman with a mental disability, a role that earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 60th Filmfare Awards South.
Telugu breakthrough
Her first Telugu film, Neelakanta’s Chammak Challo (2013), cast her as a bold, urbane young woman. The film failed commercially, but her performance was noticed and well reviewed. Later that year she played one of the two female leads in Puri Jagannadh‘s Iddarammayilatho, as Akanksha, and received strong reviews.
She then appeared in Krishna Vamsi‘s Paisa (2014), in a role she described as the opposite of her part in Chammak Challo, and in Dasari Narayana Rao’s Erra Bus (2014). In Gunasekhar‘s 3D historical film Rudhramadevi (2015) she was part of an ensemble led by Anushka Shetty.
Tamil films and later work
Her Tamil debut was Madras (2014), opposite Karthi, followed by Pandiraj’s Kathakali (2016), with Vishal, and Kanithan (2016), opposite Atharvaa. Back in Telugu, she appeared in the well-received action dramas Sarrainodu (2016), Goutham Nanda (2017) and Nene Raju Nene Mantri (2017). She has also worked repeatedly with the director Sundar C on comedies, including Kalakalappu 2 (2018), Vantha Rajavathaan Varuven (2019) and Gangers (2025).
Career on file
Catherine Tresa appears in 14 Telugu films on file at Tollywood Desk, dated from 2013 to 2026. The earliest of them is Chammak Challo (2013), and the most recent release is Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu (2026). Measured by how many Wikipedia language editions cover them, the best-known titles here are Rudhramadevi (2015), Iddarammayilatho (2013) and Sarainodu (2016). Other recent releases on file are Waltair Veerayya (2023), Macherla Niyojakavargam (2022) and Bimbisara (2022).
Allu Arjun and Prakash Raj are the most frequent co-stars, each sharing three films with Catherine Tresa, followed by Rakul Preet Singh (2) and Rana Daggubati (2). Among directors, Boyapati Srinu cast Catherine Tresa most often, in two films. Music on three of them is by Devi Sri Prasad, with S. Thaman (2) next. Across these films the credits on file name 13 different directors, 12 music directors and 51 other credited actors.
Runtime is on file for 11 of them; they average 154 minutes, and the longest is Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu at 165 minutes. Eight of them have a streaming (OTT) release noted on the site. By decade the list splits into 2010s (9) and 2020s (5).
Figures come from the films on file at Tollywood Desk and change as records are added.