Mia Kirshner profile picture

Mia Kirshner

About Me


 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                            

 

 

 

    M I A K I R S H N E R


Name Mia Kirshner
Birthdate January 25, 1975 or 1976 (year unconfirmed)
Birthplace Toronto, Canada
Family Etti (mother) and Sheldon (father)
Hair Dark Brown
Eyes Blue/Grey
Height 5'4" (1.63 cm) tall
Random Quotes
"I was always pushing and encouraging for more truth, which would mean that the sex would be darker, painful, and sometimes not so pretty to watch." - the Daily News (2004)
"I was always pushing and encouraging for more truth, which would mean that the sex would be darker, painful, and sometimes not so pretty to watch." - the Daily News (2004)
Biography
Mia Kirshner was born January 25, 1975 or 1976 (year unconfirmed) to parents Sheldon, a journalist and Ettie, a teacher. She was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and grew up as a self-described tom-boy and goofball. She attended McGill University in Montreal, Canada during 1996-1997 with a major in Russian Literature and a minor in the 20th century movie industry.
Mia started acting in her early teens. Her first gigs in the film industry were smaller parts in television shows such as War of the Worlds, My Secret Identity and Road to Avonlea. In 1990 she got the role of Sophie Metternich in the short-lived television show Dracula: The Series, which told the story of two children and their vampire-hunting uncle who go against Dracula, reborn as a modern-day businessman. She landed her first movie role at the age of 17 in the film Love & Human Remains. Mia was wonderful in the role of Benita, a young clairvoyant dominatrix, but also shocked the press for taking on such a risky role at such young age. The role garnered Mia positive attention as well and she was nominated for a Genie Award for "Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role" in 1994.
Mia's next big breakthrough in independent cinema came in 1994 with the critically acclaimed Exotica, in which she portrayed Christina, an exotic dancer stalked by her ex-boyfriend. Roger Ebert named the movie one of the top 10 films of 1994 and spoke of Mia: "Mia Kirshner, an actress new to me, combines sexual allure with a kindness that makes her all the more appealing." After that, Mia took on a few larger roles starring alongside Vincent Perez in the 1996 film The Crow: City of Angels, alongside Sophie Marceau and Sean Bean in the 1997 film Anna Karenina and alongside John Travolta and Dustin Hoffman in the 1997 film Mad City. After that, she took a little break from work for a couple of years and returned in 1999 with roles in Saturn and Out of the Cold.
In 2001, Mia had a big break in mainstream movies and once again shocked movie-goers in her role as Catherine Wyler in the hit teen parody Not Another Teen Movie when she shared an intimate kiss with the much older Beverly Polcyn. The kiss landed them a nomination in the "Best Kiss" category at the 2002 MTV Movie Awards. She then played one of the lead roles in the 2002 independent film New Best Friend, a lead role in the short-lived television show Wolf Lake and also had a guest spot that would turn into a recurring guest role on the television show 24 as the tough female assassin Mandy. In 2004 she landed the role of Jenny Schecter on the lesbian drama, The L Word, which is now in its fifth season.
2006 was a big year for Mia’s career as well. She starred as the doomed young actress, Elizabeth "Betty" Short in Brian DePalma’s depiction of The Black Dahlia alongside Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank. The film itself did not receive great reviews, but the kind words it did receive all pertained to Mia and her performance of the late Miss Short. Here’s what a few critics had to say:
 


    "The standout is Mia Kirshner, a favorite of mine for over a decade now.  She is perfectly cast as the desperately lonely actress looking for her big break.  All of her flashback scenes are shot in a luxurious black and white that only adds to the emotional turmoil and poignancy she portrays.  This is Oscar material and she should be on pins and needles next February when the Best Supporting Actress nominations are announced." - IndependentCritics.com
    "The real standout in the cast, however, is Mia Kirshner, who turns in a haunting, blisteringly effective performance as Short. Even though she is seen only in four key scenes, Kirshner’s performance is so evocative and searing that she should earn an Academy Award nomination..." – The Badger Herald


She has also written a book entitled I Live Here which is set to be released in October 2008. The book contains graphics and photography with text that was written or spoken by the women and children in some of the world’s most violent areas such as Ciudad Juaréz, Mexico, the Thailand-Burma border, Haiti and Cuba.


Jenny Schecter Played By : Mia Kirshner
Occupation: Writer; former waitress; former stripper, movie director.
Family: Ex-husband: Tim Haspel (swim coach); Mother: Sandy Ziskin; Step-father: Warren Ziskin.
Personality Type: Eccentric, but sweet; complex; determined.
L Word(s) That Best Describes Jenny: Liberated; L'enfant Terrible
Signature Look: Eclectic vintage pixie.
Endearing Trait(s): Loyalty to her best friend Shane.
Annoying Trait(s): Very emotionally fragile; tends to be a bit too honest; prone to fainting.
Strengths: Creative, brave; fluent in French; strong-minded.
Hangups: Having her privacy violated; deep-seated fear that she's just one of those people who doesn't deserve to be happy.





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My Blog

Mia interview with David Rancken

David Rancken of KVIL radio station in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX was kind enough to email me this morning and let me know about the interview he did with Mia recently. You can either stream or download th...
Posted by on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:38:00 GMT

SuicideGirls.com - Mia Kirshner: I Live Here

The L Word's Mia Kirshner takes the plight of refugees and the displaced personally. As the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors and the daughter of a father born in a displaced persons camp in German...
Posted by on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:38:00 GMT

Actress travels world, gives back with I Live Here

It's a familiar story: Hollywood star takes up a cause, hops on an international flight and gets "do-gooder" attached to her name in gossip magazines. The tendency has become so familiar, in fact, tha...
Posted by on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:36:00 GMT

Kirshner writes about rough lives

Mia Kirshner, most recently seen as Jenny on "The L Word," is also an author, and I Live Here is not just another Hollywood starlet story. It's about her trips to four messy and malignant parts of the...
Posted by on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:34:00 GMT

I Live Here puts human face on oppression

With the tag line "There are too many untold stories," I Live Here brings to life those who blend into the crowds we see on the news every day. I Live Here consists of four books packaged together in ...
Posted by on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 08:16:00 GMT

Global Voices: Mia Kirshners I Live Here

Global Voices: Mia Kirshner's I Live Here Actress Mia Kirshner is probably best known for her role on the Showtime drama The L Word, but for the past several years, she's been focusing her creative en...
Posted by on Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:40:00 GMT