Karine Vanasse

A talented, charismatic actress, Karine Vanasse achieved international stardom and critical acclaim. Born Nov. 24, 1983 in Drummondville, Québec, Canada, Karine Vanasse won a Gémeaux Award for hosting the kids' science series, "Les débrouillards" (TFO, 1990-2003), but ascended to movie stardom with the starring role in Léa Pool's powerful "Emporte-moi" ("Set Me Free") (1999), the coming-of-age tale of an unusually intelligent and sensitive 13-year-old tomboy.

Recognized as a major find, Vanasse won a slew of international honors, including Best Actress Jutra, Chlotrudis, Golden Bayard, Youth Jury and Toronto International Film Festival awards. Back on TV, actress earned a Gémeaux nomination for her supporting turn as a troubled young woman on the drama "2 frères" (TVA, 1999-2001). On the big screen, Vanasse delivered another masterful performance as Donalda, an angelic young woman forced into an unhappy marriage with the titular scoundrel "Séraphin: un homme et son péché" (2002), for which she earned a Best Actress Genie nomination and won another Best Actress Jutra Award.

She starred in the miniseries "October 1970" (CBC, 2006), essayed the doomed queen "Marie-Antoinette" (Radio-Canada, 2006), and performed double duty as producer-actress on "Polytechnique" (2009), winning an Best Actress Genie for her work in the thoughtful, immensely moving analysis of the tragic real-life "Montréal Massacre." Receiving an international profile boost, Vanasse appeared in Woody Allen's sleeper hit "Midnight in Paris" (2011) and booked a series regular role as a French flight attendant on the glossy, 1960s-set airline drama "Pan Am" (ABC, 2011-12).

By Jonathan Riggs