Malin Akerman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Malin Åkerman
Akerman in 2024
Born	Malin Maria Åkerman (1978-05-12) 12 May 1978 (age 47) Stockholm, Sweden
Citizenship	Sweden United States (since 2018)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1997–present
Spouse(s)	Roberto Zincone ​ ​ (m. 2007; div. 2014)​ Jack Donnelly ​ ​ (m. 2018)​
Children	1
Relatives	Jennifer Åkerman (half-sister)

Malin Maria Åkerman (born May 12, 1978) is a Swedish-American actress. She is known for her roles in both movies and television shows. She has appeared in comedies like The Heartbreak Kid (2007) and 27 Dresses (2008).

Åkerman gained more fame for playing Silk Spectre II in the superhero movie Watchmen (2009). This role earned her a nomination for a Saturn Award. She also starred in popular movies like The Proposal (2009) and Rampage (2018).

On television, she starred in the comedy series Trophy Wife (2013–2014) and was a main cast member on the drama series Billions (2016–2019). Besides acting, she was the lead singer for the rock band the Petalstones for a short time. In 2024, she co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden.

Early Life and Background

Malin Åkerman was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Her mother, Pia, was a model and aerobics teacher. Her father, Magnus, was an insurance broker. When Malin was two, her family moved to Canada for her father's job. Her parents divorced four years later, and her father moved back to Sweden.

Malin grew up in Ontario, Canada. She attended several schools, including Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School. During school breaks, she would visit her father in Sweden. She has said that her parents were very supportive and positive influences in her life.

From a young age, Åkerman was involved in figure skating and modeling. At age 16, she was discovered by Ford Models. She later appeared in commercials for the skincare company Noxzema. At 18, she decided she wanted to become a child psychologist. She used her modeling money to help pay for her studies at York University in Toronto.

While in college, she was offered small acting roles. She enjoyed acting so much that she decided to leave school to become a full-time actress. In 2001, she moved to Los Angeles to follow her dream.

Acting Career

First Roles (1997–2008)

Åkerman's first acting job was in 1997 on the Canadian TV show Earth: Final Conflict, where she played a robot. She had small roles in other shows and movies, including The Skulls (2000) and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004).

Her big break came in 2005 when she was cast in the HBO series The Comeback. She played Juna, a rising star, alongside Lisa Kudrow. The show brought her a lot of attention and led to more movie roles.

Akerman at New York Fashion Week, September 2008

In 2007, she starred with Ben Stiller in the comedy The Heartbreak Kid. She played Lila, Stiller's new wife. The movie was about a disastrous honeymoon in Mexico. Critics praised her performance, calling her a "fabulous comic partner."

The next year, she appeared in the romantic comedy 27 Dresses with Katherine Heigl. Åkerman played Tess, the main character's sister. The movie was a commercial success, earning over $160 million worldwide.

Breakthrough with Watchmen (2009–2011)

Akerman at the premiere of The Bang Bang Club, April 2011

In 2009, Åkerman starred as the superhero Silk Spectre II in the movie Watchmen. The film was based on a famous graphic novel. To prepare for the role, she trained for months and wore an uncomfortable latex costume for stunts. The movie was a box office hit, making $185 million worldwide. Her performance earned her a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

She also appeared in two hit comedies in 2009. She had a supporting role in The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. She also starred in Couples Retreat with Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau.

In 2010, she starred in the comedy-drama Happythankyoumoreplease. For her role as a character with alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss, she shaved her eyebrows and wore a bald cap. From 2010 to 2016, she was also a main character on the comedy series Childrens Hospital, playing Dr. Valerie Flame.

More Film and Television Roles (2012–2014)

Åkerman continued to work in both movies and television. In 2012, she had a supporting role in the comedy Wanderlust with Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd. She also appeared in the musical film Rock of Ages, where she sang a duet with Tom Cruise.

Akerman at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival

From 2013 to 2014, Åkerman starred in the ABC comedy series Trophy Wife. She played Kate Harrison, the third wife of a man with two ex-wives and three children. She was also a producer for the show. Critics loved the series and praised Åkerman's performance. Even though the show was popular with critics, it was canceled after one season.

Recent Work (2015–present)

Akerman in July 2015

In 2015, Åkerman starred in the horror-comedy movie The Final Girls. The film is about a group of students who get trapped inside a horror movie. Her performance was well-received, and she was nominated for a Fangoria Chainsaw Award.

From 2016 to 2019, she played Lara Axelrod on the Showtime drama series Billions. Her character was the wife of a billionaire hedge fund manager played by Damian Lewis. The show was a critical success.

In 2018, she played the villain in the science fiction movie Rampage, starring alongside Dwayne Johnson. The movie was a huge commercial success, earning over $428 million worldwide. In 2019, she starred in the Swedish-language musical film A Piece of My Heart.

Akerman at the Eurovision 2024 hosts' press conference

In 2023, Åkerman competed on the TV show The Masked Singer as the character "Squirrel." In February 2024, it was announced that she would host the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with Petra Mede. She also stars in the series The Hunting Wives for Starz.

Personal Life

Akerman in September 2010

Åkerman holds both Swedish and American citizenship. She became a U.S. citizen in 2018. She speaks English and Swedish fluently.

In 2007, she married Italian musician Roberto Zincone, who was the drummer for her former band, the Petalstones. They have one son, born in 2013. The couple's marriage ended in 2014.

In 2018, Åkerman married English actor Jack Donnelly.

Åkerman has shared that she has dyslexia, which makes it take longer for her to learn her lines for movies and TV shows. She says she often prefers to improvise, or make up her lines, when she can.

Filmography

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2000	Skulls, TheThe Skulls	Coed in Caleb's Apartment
2002	Fraternity, TheThe Fraternity	Tess	Also known as The Circle
2003	Utopian Society, TheThe Utopian Society	Tanci
2004	Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle	Lianne
2007	Invasion, TheThe Invasion	Autumn	Uncredited
	Brothers Solomon, TheThe Brothers Solomon	Tara
	Heartbreak Kid, TheThe Heartbreak Kid	Lila
2008	27 Dresses	Tess
2009	Bye Bye Sally	Sally	Short film
	Watchmen	Jupiter / Silk Spectre II, LaurieLaurie Jupiter / Silk Spectre II
	Proposal, TheThe Proposal	Gertrude
	Couples Retreat	Ronnie
2010	Happythankyoumoreplease	Annie
	Romantics, TheThe Romantics	Tripler
2011	Bang Bang Club, TheThe Bang Bang Club	Comley, RobinRobin Comley
	Kaylien	Mom	Short film
	Catch .44	Tes
2012	Wanderlust	Eva
	Giant Mechanical Man, TheThe Giant Mechanical Man	Jill
	Rock of Ages	Sack, ConstanceConstance Sack
	Stolen	Simms, RileyRiley Simms
	Hotel Noir	Swedish Mary
2013	Cottage Country	Ryan, CammieCammie Ryan
	Numbers Station, TheThe Numbers Station	Katherine
	CBGB	Harry, DebbieDebbie Harry
2015	I'll See You in My Dreams	Petersen, KatherineKatherine Petersen
	Final Girls, TheThe Final Girls	Cartwright / Nancy, AmandaAmanda Cartwright / Nancy
	Unity	Narrator (voice)	Documentary
2016	Misconduct	Emily
	Ticket, TheThe Ticket	Sam
2018	Rampage	Wyden, ClaireClaire Wyden
2019	To the Stars	Richmond, GraceGrace Richmond
	Piece of My Heart, AA Piece of My Heart	Isabella
2020	Sleepover, TheThe Sleepover	Margot
	Friendsgiving	Molly	Also producer
	Chick Fight	Anna
2022	Week in Paradise, AA Week in Paradise	Maggie
	Aviary, TheThe Aviary	Jillian	Also executive producer
	Slayers	Rektor, BeverlyBeverly Rektor
2023	Donor Party, TheThe Donor Party	Jaclyn	Also producer
	Us or Them	Officiator, TheThe Officiator
	Christmas Classic, TheThe Christmas Classic	Bird, ElizabethElizabeth Bird
	Ett sista race	Tove
2025	Neighborhood Watch	DeeDee McNally
TBA	Let's Love	Andrea	Post-production
	Perfectly Imperfect	Meg	Post-production

Television

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Malin Åkerman para niños