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Elisha Ann Cuthbert (born November 30, 1982) is a Canadian actress. Cuthbert is known as the former co-host of the Canadian children's television series Popular Mechanics for Kids, and for her role as Kim Bauer in the American action-thriller television series 24. She had her first lead role in the 2004 feature film The Girl Next Door. She has had starring roles in 2005 House of Wax and the 2007 horror film Captivity. Blessed with undeniable all-American good looks, despite hailing from Canada, this blond-haired, blue-eyed actress initially gained fame playing Kiefer Sutherland’s rebellious daughter, Kimberly Bauer, on the mega-hit series “24” (Fox, 2002- ). As the scion of counter-terrorism agent Jack Bauer (Sutherland), Cuthbert found herself the perpetual victim of kidnappers, terrorists, armed robbers, and, at one point, even a cougar. The constant perils that befell her character spawned a passionate fan following who watched every episode in anticipation of what might happen to her next, but also won the actress her fair share of detractors. Either way, the show successfully helped launch Cuthbert as one of the new millennium’s starlets on the rise – enough that she was able to launch a film career as well, starring in such hits as “Old School” (2002), “Love Actually” (2003) and “The Girl Next Door” (2004). Cuthbert was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the daughter of Patricia, a homemaker, and Kevin, an automotive design engineer. She has two younger siblings, Jonathan and Lee-Ann and grew up in Greenfield Park, near Montreal, Quebec. In 2000, she graduated from Centennial Regional High School and moved to Los Angeles at the age of seventeen to pursue an acting career. The oldest of three children, Elisha Ann Cuthbert was born on Nov. 30, 1982 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. A performer all her life, she was encouraged by her parents, Kevin and Patricia Cuthbert, to pursue her dreams. A successful child model from the age of seven, Cuthbert made the leap to television at age 15 when she landed a gig hosting “Popular Mechanics for Kids” (CTV, 1997-2000), a syndicated educational program on Canadian television. Two years later, the actress made her feature film debut in the indie drama, “Dancing on the Moon” (1997), the story of a young girl trying to deal with her dysfunctional family life. Unfortunately, the movie was scarcely seen outside of the lower-tiered film festival circuit. When she was seven, Cuthbert started modeling for various lines of children's clothing and also became a foot model. She made her first televised appearance as an extra in the horror-themed series for children Are You Afraid of the Dark?; she later became a series regular. Cuthbert also co-hosted Popular Mechanics for Kids, which was filmed in Montreal. Her reporting captured the attention of then-First Lady Hillary Clinton, who invited her to visit the White House. Luckily, Cuthbert’s career got a boost when she began starring in a string of MOWs. At age 15, she landed the lead role in “Airspeed” (HBO, 1998), an adventure-thriller about a spoiled 13-year-old girl who is forced to fly her father’s private jet after a freak bolt of lightning incapacitates everyone else onboard. Next was “Time at the Top” (Showtime, 1999), where Cuthbert – then 16 – played another 13-year-old, but this time, one who discovers a time machine and travels back to 1881 in order to help a young girl and her family. Cuthbert enjoyed the presidential treatment for her next outing, “Mail to the Chief” (ABC, 1999), in which she played the daughter of the President of the United States. Cuthbert landed her first role in a feature film in the family drama Dancing on the Moon (1997). She appeared in several other Canadian family-themed movies and an airplane thriller, Airspeed. Cuthbert starred in the Canadian television movie Lucky Girl in 2001 and was awarded a Gemini Award for her performance. As she got older, however, Cuthbert’s growing sex appeal became too pronounced to ignore. In response, the actress began branching out into more adult roles. In “My Daughter’s Secret Life” (Lifetime, 2001), Cuthbert played a 17-year-old girl living a privileged existence who suddenly develops a serious gambling addiction. Cuthbert’s performance won her a Gemini Award for Best Actress in a Dramatic Program or Miniseries – one of the highest bestowed by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Soon after her move to Los Angeles, Cuthbert was cast in the role of Kim Bauer, daughter of CTU agent Jack Bauer in the television series 24. She appeared in the show's first three seasons, but not in its fourth; she guest-starred in only two episodes in the fifth season. She also reprised her role as Kim Bauer in 24: The Game. She has also said that she would like to play her role as Kim in the upcoming movie, 24: The Movie. Cuthbert’s breakthrough role, of course, would be on “24.” As Kim Bauer, Cuthbert not only filled the damsel-in-distress archetype on the show, but also lent a hand in developing storylines, especially after she became a trusted member of her father’s elite counter-terrorist squad at the beginning of season three. Fans who breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that this “desk job” would signal Kimberly’s days of peril were behind her, though, would be in for a rude awakening. In 2002, Cuthbert dropped many a jaw when, after gaining attention for her breakthrough role on “24,” she posed for spreads in Maxim and FHM – thus completing her transition from little-known child actor to well-known sex symbol. Her appearance in the popular men’s magazines grabbed the attention of filmmakers, leading her to soon be cast in small, but noticeable roles in such movies as “Old School” (2003) –in which she played the sexually precocious daughter of the dean who beds an unwitting Luke Wilson – and “Love Actually” (2003) – as one of a trio of sexually charged American girls who make a wide-eyed Brit's improbable U.S. fantasies come true. She began her Hollywood film career with small roles in Old School and Love Actually in 2003. Cuthbert's next film, The Girl Next Door, cast her in her first lead role as an ex-porn star, Danielle, alongside Emile Hirsch. Cuthbert had initial reservations about taking the part, but was persuaded by director Luke Greenfield into accepting. She researched the role, speaking to actual adult actresses from Wicked Pictures and Vivid Entertainment. Upon its release the film received comparisons to Risky Business – although Cuthbert claims her character was not directly based on Rebecca De Mornay's character – and was noted for Cuthbert's sex appeal. Critics were divided; some praised the film for its boldness, while others, notably Roger Ebert, decried it as gimmicky and exploitative. Ebert wrote that he saw Cuthbert's character Danielle as "quite the most unpleasant character I have seen in some time." The film has since become a cult classic. Meanwhile, Cuthbert’s work on “24” continued through its third season, with the actress earning a nomination for the 2002 Teen Choice Award for Breakout TV Actress, but her character was not a part of 2005’s fourth season. This freed her to seek out more big screen roles. First up was the sub-par horror remake, "House of Wax" (2005), in which she played an all-too-typical slasher flick heroine – and adding insult to injury, her co-star, the non-actress party-hopping heiress Paris Hilton received the majority of the attention when the cast promoted the film. Her next film, “The Quiet” (2006), proved to be an emotionally trying experience – she played a sexually abused teenager whose familial secrets are divulged when her parents (Edie Falco and Martin Donovan) decide to adopt a recently orphaned girl (Camilla Belle). Cuthbert was next cast to star in “My Sassy Girl” (2007), a remake of the box office record-breaking South Korean romantic comedy of the same name about an awkward shy guy who falls in love with a free-spirited girl he meets on the subway. In her next big-screen outing, Cuthbert starred with Paris Hilton and Chad Michael Murray in the 2005 remake of the classic horror film House of Wax. Cuthbert, along with the rest of her castmates, was made up to look haggard. In one scene, her character was to attempt to open her mouth while her lips were sealed with glue. For the sake of realism, Cuthbert opted for real superglue over prosthetics. Despite her efforts, House of Wax was largely panned, with critics citing a range of flaws. It was called "notable for having some of the most moronic protagonists ever to populate a horror film," though out of those characters reviews tended to think Cuthbert "fares the best". Others noted Cuthbert as an "exception" playing her role "earnestly" and "fine". In 2006, Cuthbert returned to “24” for two guest-star shots, reprising her role as Kim Bauer. For the most part, though, the majority of Cuthbert’s time was spent shooting “Captivity” (2007) for Lion’s Gate Entertainment. Under the vision of Oscar-nominated director, Roland Joffe, Cuthbert played a fashion model who takes off to New York for a photo shoot, only to be kidnapped and imprisoned by a stalker. The ads for the film alone stirred up controversy, as pictures involving the kidnapping, torture, and presumable murder of a female character – including one of Cuthbert being buried alive by sand. Suffice to say, the ads were pulled and the picture did not fare well at the box office. Cuthbert's next film project was the indie film The Quiet, which she not only co-starred in but also co-produced and helped finance. She played Nina, a temperamental 17-year-old cheerleader who suffers from sexual abuse. Cuthbert looked to her younger cousin for inspiration as to how to play a teenager. The Quiet, distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival and received a limited release in Los Angeles and New York City on August 25, 2006, before expanding regionally on September 1. Cuthbert had also screen tested for the role of Lois Lane in Superman Returns, but she lost the part to Kate Bosworth. She had also been turned down for the lead in Fantastic Four. Cuthbert appeared in the music video for Weezer's "Perfect Situation" in early 2006, where she played the group's fictional original singer who threw a tantrum that led to Rivers Cuomo, the unlikely roadie, becoming the frontman of the band. Cuthbert also had a small role in Paris Hilton's music video for the song "Nothing In This World". In 2007, Cuthbert appeared in the film, Captivity, a thriller centered around a fashion model taunted by a psychopath who has imprisoned her in a cellar – of which she was nominated by Razzies as worst actress. In He Was a Quiet Man, Cuthbert played Vanessa, a quadriplegic. The film was in limited release in 2007 and release on dvd in early 2008. Cuthbert is slated to voice Cleo, "the feline daughter of a wealthy kitty litter baron", in Cat Tale, an animated film set in a civilized world of cats and dogs. For 2008, Cuthbert is scheduled to appear in two films. The first is the family comedy The Six Wives of Henry LeFay with actor Tim Allen, in which she plays his daughter. She will also appear in My Sassy Girl, starring alongside Jesse Bradford. She is also one of the stars in the Canadian mini-series Guns, due to premiere sometime in 2008. Cuthbert has plans to return for the movie version of 24, playing her character Kim Bauer. Cuthbert will return to television with the the CBS drama pilot Ny-Lon. Cuthbert will play a New York literacy teacher/record store clerk who embarks on a transatlantic romance with a London stock broker. The project is based on a British series starring Rashida Jones and Stephen Moyer. Cuthbert is on the cover of the May 2008 issue of Maxim magazine. Cuthbert, who enjoys painting, is a devoted ice hockey fan and Los Angeles Kings season ticket holder, as are her mother and brother, Jonathan, who is active in the sport. She maintained her own blog on the NHL's web site. She was previously in a relationship with New York Rangers hockey player Sean Avery, Before that, she was dating Hayden Christensen, a fellow Canadian. She is currently in a relationship with Calgary Flames hockey player Dion Phaneuf. She regularly secures a place in FHM and Maxim's annual Top 100 Sexiest/Hottest lists. Her highest ranking was #5 in the 2005 UK Edition of FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World list. She was ranked #14 in 2003, #10 in 2004, #22 in 2006, and #10 in 2007. The U.S. Edition ranked her #53 in 2003, #63 in 2004, and #54 in 2006. She was not listed in the U.S. 2005 list. Maxim magazine named her #92 in its 2006 Hot 100 list, and features her in their Girls of Maxim Gallery. As of 2006, Cuthbert has stated that she would refuse to be photographed nude in film roles or magazines, and uses body doubles whenever necessary, specifying that she would "like to keep some things to herself". Most recently, Cuthbert was ranked #10 by AskMen.com readers in the list "Top 99 Women of 2007". |
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