Kristin Kreuk

Kristin Laura Kreuk (born December 30, 1982) is a Canadian actress and producer, known for her portrayal of Lana Lang in the American television series Smallville. She was also a regular cast member on the Canadian teen drama Edgemont, and has starred in movies such as Eurotrip and Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.

Early life

Kreuk was born in Vancouver, British Columbia.[2] Her father, Peter Kreuk, is of Dutch descent; her mother, Deanna Che, is of Chinese descent, but was born in Indonesia; her maternal grandmother was born in Jamaica of Chinese descent.[3][4] Both parents are landscape architects. She has a sister named Justine, who is about five years younger.[citation needed] Kreuk trained in karate[5] and gymnastics at the national level until high school but quit in Grade 11 due to scoliosis.[5] She attended Edith Cavell Elementary School (vide Edith Cavell) and Eric Hamber Secondary School in Vancouver.[citation needed]
Kreuk planned to study psychology, environmental science, or forensic science at Simon Fraser University, when a casting director for the CBC TV series Edgemont contacted her secondary school, looking for an Asian girl to play the part of a Chinese Canadian, Laurel Yeung, on show, which was shot in Vancouver. Kreuk's drama teacher convinced Kreuk, who had no previous acting experience other than in musicals at her high school, to audition for the role, which she won.[citation needed]
[edit]Career

[edit]Television
After shooting the first season of Edgemont (a teenage soap opera set at a Vancouver-area high school) and getting herself an agent, Kreuk landed the lead role of Snow White in a TV movie titled Snow White: The Fairest of Them All. The film, shot in Vancouver, also starred Miranda Richardson and was directed by Caroline Thompson. It aired on ABC, and later released on DVD, in 2002.[6] In 2003, Kreuk ended her role on Edgemont. In the summer of 2004, Kreuk took the role of Tenar for the Sci Fi Channel two-part miniseries Legend of Earthsea. The miniseries was filmed in Vancouver, directed by Rob Lieberman and broadcast on December 13, 2004.
After Snow White, Kreuk's agent sent an audition tape to screenwriters Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who at the time were putting together the cast of a show they had created for the WB Network entitled Smallville. The series, which was slated to be shot in Vancouver, revolves around the life of teenager Clark Kent before he becomes Superman. Gough and Millar called Kreuk to WB's studios in Burbank, California to audition for the role of Clark Kent's first love, Lana Lang. After seven seasons, Kreuk left Smallville in the beginning of 2008, when her character leaves town. She returned as a guest star in the show's season eight for five episodes to conclude her storyline.
In 2009, Kristin Kreuk signed on for a multi-episode arc in season three of Chuck.[7] She played Hannah, a computer troubleshooter who joins the Buy More Nerd Herd after being laid off from her previous job.
In 2010, she portrayed Ben Hur's sister Tirzah in the TV movie Ben Hur, which aired in Canada.
[edit]Advertising work
Neutrogena made her the spokesmodel for their new worldwide advertising campaign. In this role, Kreuk followed in the footsteps of fellow teen stars such as Jennifer Love Hewitt and Mandy Moore. In 2005, she renewed her contract with Neutrogena for another two years, making her the company's longest-serving model spokesperson.[8]
[edit]Films
In 2003, Kreuk appeared in her first feature film, with a minor role in Eurotrip, starring Scott Mechlowicz and Michelle Trachtenberg. The film, shot in Prague, Czech Republic, also featured cameos by Matt Damon and Lucy Lawless. It debuted in theaters on February 20, 2004.
In early 2005, Kreuk signed on to the independent feature film Partition. She plays Naseem, a vulnerable 17-year-old whose world is shattered by the trauma of the Partition of India in 1947; she falls in love with ex-British Indian Army officer Gian Singh (played by Jimi Mistry). Neve Campbell also stars. The film is directed by Vic Sarin and is a co-production between Canada, South Africa and the United Kingdom. The film was released to Canadian theaters on February 2, 2007, with a subsequent Region one (US and Canada) DVD release on June 26, 2007.
In the summer of 2006, Kreuk starred in the short film, Dream Princess by comic book writer/artist Kaare Andrews. The film is a modern sci-punk retelling of the tale of Sleeping Beauty, with a twist.[9]
Kreuk starred in the 2009 film Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, in which she played the title character, Chun Li.[10] The film received generally negative reviews.[11]
In early 2010, Kreuk signed onto the Japanese horror film Vampire.[12] In 2010, Kreuk also starred in the music video "I Heard" by musician Hill Zaini.[13][14]
Kreuk with Rosena Bhura, of who Kreuk met on the set of Partition, started a production company called Parvati Creative Inc, which focuses on “human-centric films as seen through a female lens”.[15][16] Parvati's first production is a short film starring Mark Hildreth and directed by Rick Rosenthal called Blink, of which Kreuk is listed as an executive producer.[17]
Kreuk stars as Heather in the 2011 film, Irvine Welsh's Ecstasy, based on Irvine Welsh's novel.
[edit]Charity work
Along with her friend Kendra Voth, Kreuk established "Girls By Design," a project to empower teenage girls through creative and educational endeavors.
Kreuk is an active member of Team Power Smart,[20] an organization dedicated to promoting energy conservation,[21] and a member of the American Red Cross.[22]
[edit]Personal life
Kreuk resides in her hometown Vancouver[23][24] with her French bulldog Dublin. As of late 2011, she bought a home in Los Angeles with her actor boyfriend Mark Hildreth. On her weblog on the Girls By Design website, she stated that she doesn't eat meat.