Malin Akerman

With her confident comedic skills and girl-next-door charm, actress Malin Akerman emerged as a strong film player in romantic comedies, beginning with her co-starring role opposite Ben Stiller in the blockbuster "The Heartbreak Kid" (2007).

Malin began her career in Canada, where an early start in modeling eventually gave way to a number of television guest appearances in sci-fi and adventure offerings, but her supporting role on HBO's inside-Hollywood comedic series "The Comeback" (HBO, 2005) truly launched her comedy career. From there, Akerman enjoyed supporting roles in the blockbuster "27 Dresses" (2008) and the ensemble romantic comedy "Couples Retreat" (2009), with a butt-kicking role in the dark actioner "Watchmen" (2009) suggesting that Hollywood's up-and-coming funny blonde had a lot more surprises yet in store for moviegoers.

While continuing her film career with lead roles in films ranging from indie romance "happythankyoumoreplease" (2010) to action thriller "The Numbers Station" (2013), Akerman also went back to television, co-starring in cult comedy "Childrens Hospital" (Adult Swim 2010-16) and starring in blended-family sitcom "Trophy Wife" (ABC 2013-14) and cable drama "Billions" (Showtime 2016- ).

Born in Stockholm, Sweden, on May 12, 1978, Akerman's family moved to Toronto, Canada, when she was two years old. The blonde tot began modeling and appearing in television commercials at age five and by high school, Akerman was balancing class work with summers spent modeling in Europe.

She was the winner of the Ford Supermodel of Canada Search when she was 17, spending the next several years in print and television commercial modeling before deciding to parlay her experience into acting. She landed a guest spot on the Canadian sci-fi series "Earth: Final Conflict" (CTV, 1997-99; The New Net, 1999-2002) and appeared in other television projects including "Relic Hunter" (1999-2002) before a flurry of auditions led to a move to Los Angeles in 2001.

Small film appearances in "The Utopian Society" (2003) and the cult comedy "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" (2004) led to Akerman's first big break in the HBO series "The Comeback," a show-within-a-show in which she was cast as an ingénue starlet sharing the spotlight with a neurotic, washed-up actress (Lisa Kudrow).

When "Comeback" failed to find an audience and was cancelled after only 13 episodes, Akerman made a pair of guest appearances on the show's former lead-in, "Entourage" (HBO, 2004-) and rebounded with a high profile role opposite Ben Stiller in the Farrelly Brothers comedy, "The Heartbreak Kid" (2007). Critics slammed the remake of the 1972 Neil Simon classic, but Akerman's performance as a whirlwind bride who turns out to be an abysmal match for the straight-laced Stiller led to another blockbuster comedy, "27 Dresses" (2008), where she played the sister of an "always" bridesmaid (Katherine Heigl) who is set to wed her sister's secret crush - her boss.

From her comic success, Akerman turned around to give a surprising performance as one of a team of vigilante superheroes in the dark comic book adaptation "Watchmen" (2009). Unrecognizable in a black wig and mask, the actress returned to the blonde, romantic comedy fold in two more films in 2009, beginning with "Couples Retreat," where she played opposite Vince Vaughn as one of four married couples attending a hybrid island vacation/therapy retreat.

Akerman revisited wedding hijinks with "The Proposal" (2009), an out-of-control little-white-lie comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.

Akerman next co-starred opposite writer-director Josh Radnor in indie comedy-drama "happythankyoumoreplease" (2010) and appeared in ensemble romantic comedy "The Romantics" (2010) and porn-star comedy "Elektra Luxx" (2010).

Lead roles in war-correspondent drama "The Bang Bang Club" (2010) and crime thriller "Catch .44" (2011) followed, along with a return to television in cult comedy "Childrens Hospital" (Adult Swim 2010-16), a surreal black comedy set in a bizarre hospital. Akerman also co-starred in "Wanderlust" (2012), a comedy written and directed by "Childrens Hospital" co-creator David Wain.

After co-starring in indie comedy "The Giant Mechanical Man" (2012), hair-metal musical "Rock of Ages" (2012) and Nicolas Cage thriller "Stolen" (2012), Akerman co-starred in '50s-set mystery "Hotel Noir" (2012).

Akerman had lead roles in Canadian horror-comedy "Cottage Country" (2013) and action thriller "The Numbers Station" (2013) before returning to TV in the sitcom "Trophy Wife" (ABC 2013-14) opposite Bradley Whitford.

The series, about the younger third wife of a successful lawyer who remained close with his two exes, was based on creator Sarah Haskins' own life and received generally positive reviews, but some felt that the show's ironic title turned off audiences, and it was canceled after a single season. Along with returning to her breakout role in the limited series reboot of "The Comeback" (HBO 2014), Akerman appeared as Debbie Harry in the much-maligned punk-era docudrama "CBGB" (2013) and co-starred in horror comedy "The Final Girls" (2015), a fond parody of slasher film conventions and ensemble comedy-drama "I'll See You In My Dreams" (2015).

Akerman starred in basketball comedy "Sin City Saints" (Yahoo! Screen 2015), but the little seen series ended when the streaming service shuttered in 2016. After co-starring in thriller "Misconduct" (2016) and inspirational drama "The Ticket" (2016), Akerman joined the cast of crime drama "Billions" (Showtime 2016- ).

Between seasons, she starred opposite Dwayne Johnson in video game adaptation "Rampage" (2018).