Name: Malin Maria Åkerman
Birth date: May 12, 1978
Birth place: Stockholm, Sweden
Height: 5′ 7½” (1.71 m)
Spouse: Musician Roberto Zincone (since June 20, 2007)
A beguiling, leggy blonde with sunny California good looks that are actually Swedish in origin, Malin Maria Akerman’s girl-next-door charms first came to light on the HBO’s inside-Hollywood comedy The Comeback (2005), where - thanks to the help of her bikini-perfect body - she stole scenes from series star Lisa Kudrow.
Born in Stockholm, Sweden, Akerman’s father’s career brought her family to Toronto, Canada, when she was two years old. An adorable child, she began modeling and doing television commercials at age five. At 17, Akerman was the winner of the “Ford Supermodel of Canada” search, and international interest led her to spend her summers in Europe modeling until she finished high school. She pursued a successful modeling career for several years but eventually decided to stay in Toronto and focus on acting. She had landed her first major role in 1997 with a guest stint on the syndicated series Earth: Final Conflict, and subsequently appeared in other Canadian-shot TV projects, including Relic Hunter, Twice In a Lifetime, Doc and Witchblade, as well as landing a regular role in the 2001 action/sci pilot Shotgun Love Dolls, opposite a pre-fame Rachel McAdams as Rock Candy, part of an all-girl crimefighting team. Akerman also earned small roles in the Candanian-backed feature films The Skulls (2000), The Circle (2001) and, as a fictionalized version of herself in Camp Hollywood, playing one of the many Canadian actors who flock to LA’s Highland Hotel to audition during pilot season.
A flurry of auditions led Akerman to relocate to Los Angeles in 2001, where she began appearing in feature films, including The Utopian Society (2003) and - as Freakshow’s seductive wife Liane - in the cult comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004). But television provided the actress with her breakthrough role when she was cast in the Michael Patrick King - Lisa Kudrow-created The Comeback as the comely, clothing-impaired Juna, the ingenue starlet poised to become the star of a sitcom intended to be a comeback vehicle for Kudrow’s character, the neurotic, washed-up actress Valerie Cherish. Although Juna was sweet, kind and admiring of Valerie in the show’s infancy, the stage was set for a serious rilvarly if/when Juna’s star rises, providing the bright and bubbly Akerman with some new acting challenges. Malin also had a recurring role in the third season of Entourage, where she engaged in a threesome with Kevin Connelly. She recently made waves with roles in The Heartbreak Kid and 27 Dresses.
Trivia
Raised in Toronto, Canada and attended York University, studying psychology.
Is the lead singer of a rock band named Ozono, who later changed their name to The PetalStones.
Named #80 in FHM magazine’s “100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006″ supplement (2006).
US feature film debut was in the independent feature film, The Utopian Society where she met the films’ editor, Francesco Sondelli who was also the founding band leader of Ozono. Sondelli was the 2nd editor on The Utopian Society and had met Akerman when she went to loop a line of dialog at the then editor’s house. Akerman was eventually absorbed into the the band which changed its name to The PetalStones, where she met and eventually married fellow band member and drummer, Roberto Zincone.
Milestones
* Began modeling and doing television commercials at age five
* At 17, won the Ford Supermodel of Canada search
* 1997 Landed first major role on the syndicated series Earth: Final Conflict
* 2000 Had a small role in the Canadian-backed feature The Skulls
* 2001 Cast in the action/sci pilot Shotgun Love Dolls, opposite a pre-fame Rachel McAdams
* 2001 Relocated to Los Angeles
* 2003 Cast in The Utopian Society with Sam Doumit and Austin Nichols
* 2004 Appeared in the cult comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
* 2004 Appeared in the feature documentary Camp Hollywood
* 2005 Breakthrough role, playing Juna in the HBO series The Comeback
* 2006 Appeared in two episodes of the HBO series Entourage as Sloan’s friend Tori
* 2007 Played Ben Stiler’s wife Lila in the Farrelly Brothers movie The Heartbreak Kid
* 2008 Played Katherine Heigl’s sister in the comedy, 27 Dresses
* 2009 Will star in Watchmen
Quotes
“Ben Stiller got a little rough in the bed. I was like, ‘Whoa, all right, Ben, enjoying this, aren’t ya!’” (on The Heartbreak Kid)
“Girls come up to me and say, ‘Oh yeah, it’s you. My boyfriend loved that episode.’” (on Entourage)
“It’s pretty hard rock for me. I don’t think I’m one of those crazy, raunchy, ‘Hey, mother-fuckers!’ types. But you get into character when you get up there - you become a rock star. The very first time I got up, I got yelled at afterward because I was too nice.” (on singing in a band)
“What’s great about the people in Sweden is that they’re not crazed fans. But we’ll have to see what happens the next time I’m there.”
“It’s never completely comfortable. I’m definitely not prudish when it comes to those things. If the scene requires it and it’s for a reason and it’s not gratuitous, then yeah. It’s got to be real. In Europe and Sweden we see boobs on TV and it’s not a big deal. Everyone has them, everyone has seen them. They’re they are. Not completely comfortable. It’s not the first thing you want to do. I’m not like, ‘Hey, let me take my top off.’ If the scene requires it then of course.” (on nudity)
“If it’s all in good fun, then it’s fine. Or if it’s done not in a gratuitous way, then it’s cool but I don’t really have an issue with showing certain parts of my body. I’d rather not, but it’s not a big deal. Growing up in Sweden, it’s natural over there.” (on nudity)
“It’s very easy. It comes out all the time every day. Those are my favorite kind of parts to do, just being a goofball and seeing how far you can go with something until you’re just way out of line. But it is a lot of fun because you can just…it’s like being back in kindergarten and goofing off until the teacher says stop. I’m excited because I love that kind of stuff.” (on how to get in touch with her inner wacko)