Lena Olin, a Swedish-born actress, had already established a successful career in her native country before making a name for herself in Hollywood. She began her acting journey at the esteemed Royal Theatre in Stockholm, where she was directed by the renowned Ingmar Bergman. Born in Stockholm to parents Britta Holmberg and Stig Olin, who were both actors and appeared in six of Bergman's films, Lena can be considered a part of the Bergman "family".
As a young actress, she had the opportunity to play iconic roles in the works of William Shakespeare, Henrik Ibsen, and August Strindberg. Her international film debut came in 1984 with Bergman's "After the Rehearsal". In Western Europe, she gained recognition for her portrayal of "Sabina" in the political drama "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" (1988),which told the story of the Prague spring in 1968.
After relocating to the United States, Lena took on a range of roles, often playing distinguished, exotic, and intelligent characters, as well as crude vamps. Bergman's guidance had honed her ability to convey a wide range of human emotions with subtlety. Sydney Pollack, director of "Out of Africa" (1985),even rewrote the screenplay for "Havana" (1990) specifically with Lena in mind, resulting in a film that drew comparisons to the classic "Casablanca" (1942),starring another Swedish actress, Ingrid Bergman.
Lena's performance in "Enemies, A Love Story" (1989) earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She went on to have a memorable role in "Chocolat" (2000),which received a Best Picture Oscar nomination, and received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. The actress also made the transition to television, playing the role of the delectably evil "Irina Derevko", the mother of Jennifer Garner's "Sydney Bristow", in the series "Alias" (2001) for one season. Her performance earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
