Kristin Kreuk
Kristin Laura Kreuk (born December 30, 1982) is a Canadian actress. She is perhaps best known for her role on the American television series Smallville, in which she starred as Lana Lang for eight years. She is also known for her roles on the Canadian television series teen soap Edgemont and in the 2009 film Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.
Kristin Kreuk Early life
Kreuk (pronounced /ˈkruːk/) was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her father, Peter Kreuk, is of Dutch descent; her mother, Deanna Che, is of Chinese descent, but was born in Indonesia; her maternal grandmother was born in Jamaica of Chinese descent. Both parents are landscape architects. She has a sister named Justine, who is about five years younger. Kreuk trained in gymnastics at the national level until high school but quit in 11th grade due to scoliosis. She attended Edith Cavell Elementary School and Eric Hamber Secondary School in Vancouver.
Kristin Kreuk had plans to study psychology, environmental science, or forensic science at Simon Fraser University when a casting director for the CBC TV series Edgemont contacted her secondary school, looking for an exotic-looking girl to play the part of a Chinese Canadian, Laurel Yeung on the Vancouver-shot show. Kreuk's drama teacher convinced Kreuk, who had no previous acting experience other than in musicals at her high school, to audition for the role. To her surprise, she won the part.
Kristin Kreuk Career
Television
After shooting the first season of Edgemont (a teenage soap opera set at a Vancouver-area high school) and getting herself an agent, Kreuk landed the lead role of Snow White in a TV movie titled Snow White: The Fairest of Them All. The film, shot in Vancouver, also starred Miranda Richardson and was directed by Caroline Thompson. It aired on ABC on March 17, 2002.
After Snow White, Kristin Kreuk's agent sent an audition tape to screenwriters Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who at the time were putting together the cast of a show they had created for the WB Network titled Smallville. The series (which was slated to be shot in Vancouver) revolves around the life of teenager Clark Kent before he becomes Superman. Gough and Millar called Kreuk to WB's studios in Burbank, California to audition for the role of Clark Kent's love, Lana Lang. Originally, Kreuk was unsure about auditioning for Lana's role, as the character was to be a popular, gorgeous cheerleader, so she assumed that the part would be that of a shallow idiot. However, upon reading the graveyard scene from the pilot, she was so impressed that when she was offered the role, she immediately accepted. She left Smallville in the beginning of 2008, when her character leaves town. She returned as a guest star in the show's eighth season for five episodes to wrap up her storyline.
In 2003, Kristin Kreuk wrapped up her role on Edgemont. In the summer of 2004, Kreuk took the role of Tenar for the Sci Fi Channel two-part miniseries Legend of Earthsea. The miniseries was filmed in Vancouver, directed by Rob Lieberman and broadcast on December 13, 2004. Kristin Kreuk has signed on for several episodes of Chuck, according to EW. She will play Hannah, a publishing exec who after being laid off joins Buy More.
Kristin Kreuk Modeling
Neutrogena made her the spokesmodel for their new worldwide advertising campaign; in this role Kreuk followed in the footsteps of fellow teen stars such as Jennifer Love Hewitt and Mandy Moore. In 2005, she renewed her contract with Neutrogena for another two years, making her the company's longest-serving model spokesperson.
kristin kreuk on smallville
Since Edgemont was filmed in Vancouver, Kristin Kreuk stayed at her parents' house as her star rose. Her character, Laurel Yeung, was the mysterious pretty girl from out of town, and she was one of the favorites on the Canadian semi-melodrama, which could also be seen on the FOX Family Channel.
Not to be deterred by the pressures of success and hard work, Kristin Kreuk attended another audition for a Vancouver-based television program: the WB series Smallville, which focuses on the young life of comic book hero Superman and his alter ego Clark Kent. Kristin Kreuk was cast as Lana Lang, the gorgeous, popular cheerleader-type girl who precedes Superman's long-time love, Lois Lane. Since taking on another popular show, Kristin Kreuk has done nothing but flex her unfaltering acting muscle.
