Malin Akerman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Malin Akerman
Akerman in 2024
Born	Malin Maria Åkerman (1978-05-12) 12 May 1978 (age 47) Stockholm, Sweden
Citizenship	Sweden United States (from 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 12 May 1978), often known as Malin Akerman, is a talented Swedish actress. She started her career with smaller roles in Canadian and American shows and movies. Some of her early works include The Utopian Society (2003) and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004).

Malin became more widely known after starring in the HBO comedy series The Comeback (2005). She then appeared in popular romantic comedies like The Heartbreak Kid (2007) and 27 Dresses (2008). A big moment in her career was playing Silk Spectre II in the 2009 superhero film Watchmen. For this role, she was even nominated for a Saturn Award!

She also had important roles in successful movies such as The Proposal (2009), Couples Retreat (2009), and Rampage (2018). On TV, she was praised for her main role in the ABC sitcom Trophy Wife (2013–2014). She was also a main character in the comedy series Childrens Hospital (2010–2016) and the drama series Billions (2016–2019). In 2024, Malin co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden.

Early Life and Growing Up

Malin Åkerman was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on 12 May 1978. Her mother, Pia, was an aerobics teacher and model, and her father, Magnus, worked in insurance. When Malin was two years old, her family moved to Canada because of her father's job. Four years later, her parents divorced, and her father moved back to Sweden.

Malin was raised as a Buddhist. After her mother remarried, they moved to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Malin went to many different schools, including Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School. She often visited her father in Sweden during school breaks. She says her parents were very "supportive" and "positive" influences in her life.

Starting Out in Modeling

Malin's mother introduced her to modeling when she was still in primary school. At 16, a modeling agency called Ford Models discovered her at a shopping mall. She signed with them and later got a contract with a skincare company. She moved to Toronto for modeling while still going to school.

At 18, Malin thought about becoming a child psychologist because she wanted to help others. She modeled for TV commercials and catalogs to pay for her education. While studying at York University, she was offered small acting roles because of her commercials. She enjoyed acting so much that she decided to leave school and become a full-time actress. In 2001, she moved to Los Angeles to follow her acting dreams.

Malin's Acting Journey

First Steps in Acting (1997–2008)

Malin Åkerman's first acting role was in 1997 on the Canadian science fiction show Earth: Final Conflict, where she played a robot. She also had a small part in the American film The Skulls in 2000. The next year, she appeared in shows like Doc and Witchblade.

In 2004, she got a small role in the movie Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. She then landed a supporting role as Juna in the HBO TV series The Comeback, starring Lisa Kudrow. This role brought her more attention and led to more acting offers.

Malin at New York Fashion Week, September 2008

In 2006, Malin joined the cast of the comedy film The Heartbreak Kid, alongside Ben Stiller. She played Lila, the new wife of Ben Stiller's character. The movie was about their honeymoon, where things go wrong. While the film received mixed reviews, many critics praised Malin's performance. It was also a commercial success, earning over US$127 million worldwide.

In 2007, Malin also starred in 27 Dresses, a romantic comedy with Katherine Heigl. Malin played Tess, the sister of Katherine Heigl's character. The movie was filmed in the summer of 2007 and released in January 2008. Even though critics didn't love it, the film made a lot of money, grossing US$160 million.

Becoming a Star with Watchmen (2009–2011)

In 2009, Malin Åkerman took on a major role as Silk Spectre II in the superhero film Watchmen. This movie was based on a famous graphic novel. To prepare, Malin trained for months and followed a strict diet. She wore a special latex costume and often got bruises while doing stunts. She felt her character brought a lot of emotion to the film.

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

Watchmen was released in February 2009 and was a big success, making US$185 million worldwide. Malin was nominated for a Saturn Award for her role.

Also in 2009, Malin appeared in the romantic comedy The Proposal, starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Malin played Gertrude, Ryan Reynolds' character's ex-girlfriend. This movie was very popular and earned US$317 million worldwide.

Later in 2009, Malin starred in the comedy film Couples Retreat, with Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn. She played Ronnie, the wife of Vince Vaughn's character. She enjoyed playing a mom for the first time. The film was a box office hit, making US$171 million worldwide.

In 2010, Malin joined the cast of the Adult Swim comedy series Childrens Hospital. She played Dr. Valerie Flame. She loved the show's humor and joined during its second season. The same year, she had a supporting role in the romantic comedy The Romantics.

Malin at 2011 Comic-Con International

More Film and TV Roles (2012–2014)

In 2012, Malin had a supporting role in the comedy film Wanderlust, with Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd. She played Eva, a woman living in a commune. The film received mixed reviews but was praised for its cast.

Malin also appeared in the 2012 rock musical film Rock of Ages, based on the stage show. She played Constance Sack, a journalist. She even sang a duet with Tom Cruise for the movie's soundtrack!

Malin at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival

From 2013 to 2014, Malin had a main role in the ABC sitcom Trophy Wife. She played Kate Harrison, the third wife of Bradley Whitford's character. The show received very positive reviews, and Malin was highly praised for her performance. Critics called her portrayal "terrific" and said she "shines" in the role.

Recent Projects (2015–Present)

In 2015, Malin co-starred in the comedy-drama film I'll See You in My Dreams. Also that year, she starred in the comedy horror film The Final Girls. In this movie, a group of high school students are transported into a slasher film. The film was well-received, and Malin was nominated for an award for her acting.

Malin in July 2015

From 2016 to 2019, Malin was a main cast member on the Showtime drama series Billions. She played Lara Axelrod, the wife of a rich hedge fund manager. Malin enjoyed playing Lara because of her strong, "no-nonsense" personality. The series was very popular and received great reviews.

In 2018, Malin was in the science fiction monster film Rampage, which was based on a video game. She played Claire Wyden, a villainous CEO. Malin liked playing a bad guy for the first time, calling it a "good challenge." The film was a huge success, earning US$428 million worldwide.

Malin also played Grace Richmond in the drama To the Stars (2019). She took on her first Swedish-speaking film role in the musical movie A Piece of My Heart (2019). She also starred in the Netflix film The Sleepover (2020) and the comedy Friendsgiving (2020), where she was also a producer.

Malin at the Eurovision 2024 hosts' press conference

In 2023, Malin competed on season nine of The Masked Singer as "Squirrel." She was eliminated on "Sesame Street Night."

On 5 February 2024, it was announced that Malin, along with Petra Mede, would host the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden.

Personal Life

Malin in September 2010

Malin Åkerman was born in Sweden and grew up in Canada. She has said she feels connected to both countries. She is a Swedish citizen and became an American citizen in 2018. Besides English and Swedish, she can also speak French, Italian, and Spanish.

Malin met Italian musician Roberto Zincone in 2003. They got married in June 2007 and had a son in 2013. They separated in November 2013. In October 2017, Malin announced her engagement to English actor Jack Donnelly. They got married in December 2018.

Malin has a lotus flower tattoo on her upper back, inspired by her Buddhist upbringing.

In 2010, Malin shared that she is dyslexic. This means it takes her a long time to learn her lines for acting roles. She prefers to make up her lines on the spot when she can.

Filmography

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
	Heavy Petting	Daphne
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	Elektra Luxx	Trixie
	Bang Bang Club, TheThe Bang Bang Club	Comley, RobinRobin Comley
	Kaylien	Mom	Short film
	Catch .44	Tess
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
TBA	Perfectly Imperfect	Meg

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Television

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Malin Åkerman para niños