|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Peta Gia Wilson (born November 18, 1970) is an Australian actress and model. Statuesque Australian actress and model Peta Wilson charmed countless TV viewers as a sultry spy in the hit TV series “La Femme Nikita” (USA, 1997-2001), which earned her a cult following around the globe. Following the show’s departure, she kept a relatively low profile on the small screen and in film, though her appearances in films like “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” (2003) and “Superman Returns” (2006) were memorable, thanks in no small part to her sultry presence. Wilson was born in Sydney, New South Wales, the daughter of Karlene (née White), a caterer, and Darcy Wilson, a former warrant officer. Her parents divorced in 1982. At a young age, she moved and lived a portion of her life in Papua New Guinea. Living there without television or radio, she and her brother learned to entertain themselves putting on private shows for their parents lip synching to Liza Minnelli. This was just a hint of her budding talent to come. Her family moved around from place to place as her father, Darcy Wilson, was in the military special forces. She learned to adapt quickly to each place she moved and was very well liked. During her teen years she involved herself in sports such as netball and swimming. As a very energetic young woman, her mother was concerned about her being a tomboy, so Peta was sent to deportment classes. While there she was spotted by a modeling agent. Her new career allowed her to live in Europe but Peta had other plans. Wilson was educated at an all-girls school in Brisbane, Australia, and favored sports, though her mother encouraged her to take a few etiquette classes to balance out her schooling. The latter proved to be a fortuitous move for Wilson, as a modeling agent recruited her during one of those classes. Shortly thereafter, Wilson enjoyed several years of success as a runway and print model, traveling extensively throughout Europe and Australia. In 1991, Wilson decided to pursue acting, choosing to relocate to Los Angeles to study under the noted teacher Arthur Mendoza, principal acting teacher at the Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting West. By 1995, she was landing supporting roles in independent features like the gritty crime drama “Loser” (1995). She also foreshadowed her own TV stardom with a 1996 guest shot on “Highlander” (syndicated, 1992-98), another TV series based on a cult movie. First working as a model in Australia and Europe, she moved to Los Angeles where she studied acting in 1991. She studied with people like Arthur Mendoza from The Actors Circle Theatre in Los Angeles, as well as Tom Waits at the TomKat Repertory Group. She landed small roles in independent films such as Loser and One of Our Own. But in 1996, ready to pursue her acting studies in New York, she was persuaded to audition for USA Network. She beat out 200 other actresses for the starring role in the Canadian television action series Nikita (U.S. title: La Femme Nikita) playing the role of Nikita, codenamed Josephine, a martial arts trained covert agent. The show was based on Nikita, a Luc Besson movie of the same name. Wilson was ready to depart for New York to continue her acting studies when her agent convinced her to audition for the lead role in a new action program based on Luc Besson’s popular French action-drama, “La Femme Nikita” (1991). Wilson landed the role, and was soon launched into the pop culture stratosphere, thanks to the show’s overwhelmingly positive reception with American audiences. “Nikita” was the top-rated program on American basic cable for its first two seasons, and though critics could claim that the key to the show’s success was its complex story structure – which had trained assassin Nikita fighting both enemy forces and nefarious elements within her own agency – the fans clearly saw Wilson’s physical beauty, athleticism, and soulful acting as the key to its appeal. For her turn as Nikita, Wilson was twice nominated for a Gemini Award (in 1998 and 1999), as well as for a Saturn Award in 1997. The show was a successful spring board for Peta's career in fact she received two Gemini nominations for Best Performance By An Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Celebrities Guide 
| WhoABC
Home : Disclaimer
: Terms
: Privacy
Policy : Contact
Us : Links All original content Copyright Celebrities Guide, WhoABC.com © 2004 - 2008. All Rights Reserved |