Alice Krige facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alice Krige
Krige in October 2006
Born	Alice Maud Krige (1954-06-28) 28 June 1954 (age 70) Upington, Cape Province, South Africa
Education	Rhodes University Central School of Speech and Drama
Occupation	Actress, producer
Years active	1976–present
Spouse(s)	Paul Schoolman ​ (m. 1988)​

Alice Maud Krige (born June 28, 1954) is a talented actress and producer from South Africa. She became well-known in 1981 after starring in the British film Chariots of Fire and the American horror film Ghost Story. She also won a special award for her acting in a play called Arms and the Man and later joined the famous Royal Shakespeare Company.

Alice Krige has acted in many films and TV shows from different countries. She is famous for playing the scary Borg Queen in the science fiction movie Star Trek: First Contact (1996), a role for which she won an award. She played this character again in Star Trek: Voyager (2001), Star Trek: Lower Decks (2021), and Star Trek: Picard (2023). Some of her other well-known movies include The Little Vampire (2000), Silent Hill (2006), and the A Christmas Prince movies (2017-2019). She also played the main role in the 2021 horror film She Will.

On television, Krige has appeared in many series and TV movies. She played Lucie Manette in A Tale of Two Cities (1980) and had roles in miniseries like Ellis Island (1984) and Dream West (1986). Later, she played Lady Jessica in Frank Herbert's Children of Dune (2003) and had regular roles in shows like Tyrant (2014–15) and The OA (2016–19).

Alice Krige's Early Life and Education

Alice Krige was born in Upington, South Africa. Her mother was a psychology professor, and her father was a doctor. Her family later moved to Port Elizabeth, where Alice grew up happily with her two brothers. One brother became a doctor, and the other became a professor of surgery.

Alice first planned to become a psychologist and studied at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. However, she discovered her love for acting after taking an acting class. She then earned a degree in drama with high honors. After that, she moved to London to study at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

Alice Krige's Acting Career Highlights

Alice Krige started her acting career in 1976 in a South African film called Vergeet My Nie.

In 1979, she moved to England and began acting on British television. The next year, she starred in the American TV film A Tale of Two Cities. In 1981, she had two big movie roles: Sybil Gordon in Chariots of Fire and Eva Galli in Ghost Story.

After these successes, she joined the famous Royal Shakespeare Company. There, she performed in many classic plays, including King Lear, The Tempest, and Cyrano de Bergerac.

TV and Film Roles in the 1980s and 1990s

Alice Krige starred in many TV movies and miniseries. She was in the miniseries Ellis Island (1984) and Dream West (1986). She also played country singer Patsy Cline in the TV film Baja Oklahoma (1988).

In movies, she played Bathsheba in King David (1985) and starred with Mickey Rourke in Barfly (1987), which critics liked. She also played Mary Shelley in Haunted Summer (1988) and the main female role in See You in the Morning (1989).

In 1992, Krige starred in the horror film Sleepwalkers, written by Stephen King. That same year, she appeared in an episode of the popular teen show Beverly Hills, 90210. She continued to act in many TV films throughout the 1990s, including Sharpe's Honour (1994) and Joseph (1995). She also starred in the drama film Institute Benjamenta (1995).

Krige at a Star Trek event

Becoming the Borg Queen and Other Sci-Fi Roles

In 1996, Alice Krige took on one of her most famous roles: the Borg Queen in the science fiction film Star Trek: First Contact. The Borg Queen is a powerful villain who tries to take over Earth. Krige won the Best Supporting Actress award at the 1997 Saturn Awards for this role. She returned to play the Borg Queen in the Star Trek: Voyager series finale in 2001 and later voiced the character in the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks (2021) and the series finale of Star Trek: Picard (2023). Many consider the Borg Queen to be one of the greatest villains in Star Trek history.

She also appeared in other fantasy and horror films, such as The Little Vampire (2000) and Silent Hill (2006), where she played the main villain, Christabella.

Recent Work and Notable Performances

In 2008, Krige starred in the film Skin, which told the true story of a girl classified as "Coloured" in South Africa during Apartheid, even though her parents were white. This film received good reviews. In 2012, Krige also produced a film called Jail Caesar, which explored the early life of Julius Caesar.

Her other recent movies include Solomon Kane (2009), The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010), and Thor: The Dark World (2013).

On television, Krige has continued to have important roles. She was in the miniseries Dinotopia (2002) and Frank Herbert's Children of Dune (2003). She also played Joan Collins in Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure (2005) and appeared in the BBC drama The Line of Beauty (2006).

From 2014 to 2015, she played Amira Al Fayeed in the series Tyrant. In 2016, she joined the cast of the Netflix mystery series The OA.

In 2017, Krige starred as Queen Helena Charlton in the Netflix Christmas movie A Christmas Prince. She played this role again in its two sequels in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, she played the Witch in the dark fantasy horror film Gretel & Hansel. In 2021, she received positive reviews for her leading role in the psychological horror film She Will. She also appeared in the slasher film Texas Chainsaw Massacre for Netflix in 2022.

Awards and Recognition

Alice Krige has received several awards for her acting.

• In 1981, she won a Plays and Players Award and a Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her performance in the play Arms and the Man.
• In 2004, Rhodes University gave her an honorary degree, called a Litt.D..
• In 2015, she received a Special Jury Award at the International Film Festival for Peace, Inspiration and Equality for her role in the film Shingetsu.

Personal Life

Alice Krige married writer and director Paul Schoolman in 1988.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Alice Krige para niños