Alice Krige
Born: 28th
June 1954; Upington, Cape Province, South Africa
Nationality: South African Height: 5' 5" (1.65 m) Spouse(s): Paul Schoolman (1988–present) Children: Unknown Character in Spooks: Elena Gavrik Alice Maud Krige was born in Upington, Cape Province, South Africa, the daughter of Pat, a psychologist, and Louis Krige, a physician. The Kriges later moved to Port Elizabeth where Alice grew up with her two brothers, both of whom became physicians. Alice also grew up without television, something which the actress calls a "huge black hole in my education" as South Africa did not start getting television until a year after Alice left the country. While growing up, she had no dreams or aspirations of pursuing an acting career, in fact as a child she had wanted to become a dancer, but her father disapproved. Instead, she prepared to follow in the footsteps of her mother by attending Rhodes University in Grahamstown where she pursued an undergraduate degree in psychology and literature (graduating in 1975). |
However, as luck or fate would have it, Alice decided to
"take up a bit of timetable" by enrolling in a drama class in order
to make use of a free credit. This decision would prove to be a life-altering
one, resulting in an honours degree in Drama from Rhodes, a move to London and
a new career path.
After arriving in England, she began three years of study at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. Her first professional acting performance was a tiny television role in a 1979 BBC Play for Today. She then appeared in the television movie A Tale of Two Cities. She went on to play Sybil Gordon in Chariots of Fire and Eva Galli/Alma Mobley in Ghost Story, both in 1981.
She earned a Plays and Players Award, as well as a Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer, after appearing in a 1981 West End theatre production of George Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man. This early theatrical success allowed her to also work with the Royal Shakespeare Company. During her two seasons with the RSC (1982-83), Alice performed in such productions as King Lear, The Tempest, The Taming of the Shrew and Cyrano de Bergerac. After her stint with the Royal Shakespeare Company, she returned to work in film and television
Alice played Bathsheba in King David (1985) and Mary Shelley in Haunted Summer (1988). She appeared on stage in plays such as Thomas Otway's Venice Preserv'd. She appeared in what she called "tons of TV" in both the United States and the United Kingdom, including made for television movies from Baja Oklahoma (1988) and Ladykiller (1992), to mini-series such as Ellis Island (1984) and Scarlet and Black (1993).
She also performed in several films, including, Sleepwalkers (1992); Amanda (1996); Twilight of the Ice Nymphs (1997), Habitat (1997), The Commissioner (1998) and Molokai (1999). However, one notable standout was the film Star Trek: First Contact (1996) for which she won a 1997 Saturn Award for her portrayal of the Borg Queen. This is without a doubt the most commercial, mainstream film with which she has been involved. She returned to this character in the Star Trek game Star Trek: Armada II and in the Star Trek: Voyager series finale "Endgame" in 2001.
In 2008, she had a leading role as Sannie Laing, Sandra's mother, in Skin, the biopic about Sandra Laing, who was classified "Coloured" by the South African authorities during Apartheid, although her parents were white.
In 2011, Alice was a major supporting character throughout the final series of Spooks, playing Russian double agent Elena Gavrik. Krige also featured in the final season of BBC drama Waking the Dead, in 2011.
Alice is married to writer/director Paul Schoolman, and lives what she describes as an "itinerant" lifestyle. Although she and her husband maintain a permanent home in the United States, they spend much of their time living and working abroad. In 2004, she was awarded an honorary doctorate in literature from Rhodes University.
You can find a full filmography for Alice Krige at IMDb.
After arriving in England, she began three years of study at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. Her first professional acting performance was a tiny television role in a 1979 BBC Play for Today. She then appeared in the television movie A Tale of Two Cities. She went on to play Sybil Gordon in Chariots of Fire and Eva Galli/Alma Mobley in Ghost Story, both in 1981.
She earned a Plays and Players Award, as well as a Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer, after appearing in a 1981 West End theatre production of George Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man. This early theatrical success allowed her to also work with the Royal Shakespeare Company. During her two seasons with the RSC (1982-83), Alice performed in such productions as King Lear, The Tempest, The Taming of the Shrew and Cyrano de Bergerac. After her stint with the Royal Shakespeare Company, she returned to work in film and television
Alice played Bathsheba in King David (1985) and Mary Shelley in Haunted Summer (1988). She appeared on stage in plays such as Thomas Otway's Venice Preserv'd. She appeared in what she called "tons of TV" in both the United States and the United Kingdom, including made for television movies from Baja Oklahoma (1988) and Ladykiller (1992), to mini-series such as Ellis Island (1984) and Scarlet and Black (1993).
She also performed in several films, including, Sleepwalkers (1992); Amanda (1996); Twilight of the Ice Nymphs (1997), Habitat (1997), The Commissioner (1998) and Molokai (1999). However, one notable standout was the film Star Trek: First Contact (1996) for which she won a 1997 Saturn Award for her portrayal of the Borg Queen. This is without a doubt the most commercial, mainstream film with which she has been involved. She returned to this character in the Star Trek game Star Trek: Armada II and in the Star Trek: Voyager series finale "Endgame" in 2001.
In 2008, she had a leading role as Sannie Laing, Sandra's mother, in Skin, the biopic about Sandra Laing, who was classified "Coloured" by the South African authorities during Apartheid, although her parents were white.
In 2011, Alice was a major supporting character throughout the final series of Spooks, playing Russian double agent Elena Gavrik. Krige also featured in the final season of BBC drama Waking the Dead, in 2011.
Alice is married to writer/director Paul Schoolman, and lives what she describes as an "itinerant" lifestyle. Although she and her husband maintain a permanent home in the United States, they spend much of their time living and working abroad. In 2004, she was awarded an honorary doctorate in literature from Rhodes University.
You can find a full filmography for Alice Krige at IMDb.