Serinda Swan

In just a few short years, Serinda Swan rose out of relative obscurity and became one of Hollywood's hottest stars to watch. The Canadian-born actress established her career in her native country as a successful commercial model prior to making her mark stateside. Often taking on supporting roles on television shows and in feature films, including playing a superhero on "Smallville" (The WB, 2001-06; The CW, 2006-2011), to a futuristic siren in "TRON: Legacy" (2010), Swan quickly moved to the top of the mainstream radar with her portrayal of Greek goddess Aphrodite in the action blockbuster "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" (2010).

But it was her scene-stealing performance on the action-packed drama "Breakout Kings" (A&E, 2011) - as a no-nonsense ex-convict working with U.S. marshals to bring down prison escapees - that elevated Swan's career to new heights, while setting her up to take on several projects that showcased her talent, drive and versatility as a performer.

Serinda G. Swan was born on July 11, 1984 in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and raised on the island of Kauai, HA. She was of Spanish, Scottish, Irish, and English descent. Swan's mother, an actress, exposed her to the acting business when she was a little girl, often taking her along to movie sets, while her father was a director and acting coach. As a child, Swan was involved in various sports, but especially gymnastics, which would help Swan later in her life when landing roles in action films that required stunts.

The future star launched her professional career as a commercial model, appearing in advertisements for Macy's department stores and Milky Way candy bars. Swan's modeling career also included endorsements for Much Music channel and Guess? She made her mainstream acting debut on the fantasy drama series "Blood Ties" (Lifetime, 2006-07), about a female private investigator who forms an alliance with a 480-year-old vampire. Her guest appearance on "Blood Ties" paved the way for Swan to take on more television roles both in her native Canada and in the U.S., including minor roles on the crime comedy series "Psych" (USA, 2006-14) and the short-lived "Reaper" (The CW, 2007-09).

In 2010, Swan landed her first major motion picture role, playing the Greek goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite, in "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief." The actress reportedly auditioned for the role of evil Medusa, which was eventually played in the movie by Uma Thurman. Swan maintained a busy schedule that year, taking on roles that showcased her various talents. She portrayed heroine Zatanna, a member of the crime-fighting Justice League, on "Smallville," and guest-starred on the drama thriller "Supernatural" (The WB, 2005-06; The CW, 2006- ). It was on the set of the latter where Swan had the opportunity to act opposite Jensen Ackles, whom she later admitted was her childhood crush. Swan appeared once again in a big screen blockbuster with a supporting role in "TRON: Legacy," the sequel to the 1982 sci-fi cult hit that starred Jeff Bridges and Garrett Hedlund.

By the following year, Swan's career leaped when she starred on "Breakout Kings." The A&E crime drama series followed a group of ex-convicts who team up with a squad of U.S. Marshals to track down prison escapees. Swan played Erica Reed, a former bounty hunter who was put behind bars for killing five people involved in murdering her father. Her character was also an expert tracker who helped bring in escapees in order to shorten her sentence and get back home to her young daughter.