Childhood & Early Life
Malin Maria Akerman was born on May 12, 1978, in Stockholm, Sweden, to Pia and Magnus Akerman. Her mother was an aerobics teacher and a part-time model, while her father worked as an insurance broker.
Her parents moved to Canada when she was only two years old, after her father got a job offer there. When she was six, her parents divorced, following which she stayed in Canada with her mother while her father moved back to Sweden.
She relocated to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, with her mother after she married for a second time. She has a younger step-brother from her mother's second marriage, and two step-sisters from her fathers' side.
Akerman attended multiple schools, including Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School in St. Catharines, Ontario, North Toronto Collegiate Institute and Dante Alighieri Academy. She studied psychology for a year at York University in Toronto, after which she dropped out and moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting.
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Career
Malin Akerman started her career as a child model at the age of five, and continued to appear on TV commercials till she was 12. At the age of 17, she won the Ford Supermodel of Canada contest and signed to the modeling agency.
She began her acting career in 1997 by appearing in a guest role as a robot in the Canadian science fiction series 'Earth: Final Conflict'. After a gap of about three years, in 2000, she returned on television on the series 'The Others' and 'Relic Hunter', and made her film debut in the American psychological thriller 'The Skulls'.
In 2001, after making guest appearances in Canadian television shows like 'Doc', 'Twice in a Lifetime' and 'Witchblade', she moved to Los Angeles, California, with a friend from her university. She struggled for two years, during which time she worked as a waitress and lived with a friend, while going through hundreds of auditions.
She eventually bagged a small role in the 2003 film 'The Utopian Society', followed by another small role in the 2004 comedy film 'Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle'. Just when she was considering shifting back to Canada, she was selected to play the supporting role of Juna on the HBO television series 'The Comeback', which opened up a host of opportunities for her.
Francesco Sondelli, the editor of her film 'The Utopian Society', offered her to sing for his alternative rock band 'Ozono'. She later became the lead singer of the band, which changed its name to 'The Petalstones' and released their debut album, 'Stung', in August 2005.
She left the band later, stating that she "actually can't sing", and decided to focus on her acting career. In 2006, she made guest appearances on the television shows 'Love Monkey' and 'Entourage'.
She earned recognition with the commercially and critically successful comedy film 'The Brothers Solomon' in 2007. The same year, she received critical acclaim for playing the female lead Lila in the comedy film 'The Heartbreak Kid', even though the film failed to impress critics.
In 2007, she was cast in the romantic comedy film '27 Dresses', which was released in January 2008 and starred Anne Fletcher with Katherine Heigl in the lead roles. She then played the protagonist in the short film, 'Bye Bye Sally', which was based on Lisa Mannetti's short story 'Everybody Wins'.
She bagged the role of Silk Spectre II, the only female member of a group of superheroes, in the film adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel 'Watchmen' in 2009. That year, she acted alongside Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in the romantic comedy film 'The Proposal' and also appeared in another comedy film, 'Couples Retreat'.
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In 2010, she earned praise from critics for playing the alopecic character Annie in the comedy-drama film 'happythankyoumoreplease', for which she shaved off her eyebrows. The same year she became a part of the comedy series 'Childrens Hospital', one of her longest running shows.
She appeared in a number of films in 2011, most notably 'The Bang Bang Club', in which she played the female lead. She next starred with Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd in the 2012 comedy film 'Wanderlust'. The same year she had a supporting role in the Tom Cruise starrer, 'Rock of Ages', for which she also recorded a duet with him.
She returned to television in 2013 with a lead role on the ABC sitcom 'Trophy Wife', and received positive reviews for her performance. Among her recent works, she is most noted for playing the co-lead in the 2015 horror comedy 'The Final Girls' and for acting on the 2016 television series 'Billions'.
Personal Life & Legacy
Malin Akerman met her future husband, Italian musician Roberto Zincone, in 2003 while singing for the band 'The Petalstonesa', in which he was the drummer. They got married on June 20, 2007 in Italy, and welcomed their son Sebastian on April 16, 2013.
The couple later separated in late 2013, following which he filed for divorce. She has the first letter of his surname 'Z' tattooed on her wrist, as well as a lotus flower tattoo on her upper back, representing her Buddhist faith.
Facts About Malin Akerman
Malin Akerman is fluent in Swedish, having been born in Sweden and raised there until the age of two before moving to Canada.
She is a skilled drummer and has showcased her musical talents in various projects, including her former band The Petalstones.
In addition to her acting career, Akerman is a passionate advocate for environmental causes and has been involved in various initiatives to promote sustainability.
Malin Akerman is a self-proclaimed foodie and enjoys exploring different cuisines and cooking for friends and family in her spare time.
She has a black belt in taekwondo, demonstrating her dedication to martial arts and physical fitness outside of her work in the entertainment industry.
