 In the script of " The Gathering " , Tessa is described as " ... a beautiful , <unk> casual woman , artist , free spirit , and proprietor of the most unusual antique shop in the city . " The script of the episode " Saving Grace " says that she has grace and style . Tessa is portrayed as a tall , thin woman with blonde hair and blue eyes . Because Highlander : The Series was an international co @-@ production , the producers cast a French @-@ speaking actor to play Tessa . Producer Gary Goodman explained that they wanted someone " ... that would be appealing on a television screen ... in the sense that you were comfortable with her accent and her character " . They chose Belgian actress Alexandra Vandernoot because she " ... was able to be exotic , pretty and not so unfamiliar to an American audience that she was accepted . " 
