There’s something about this Ukrainian-born actress that sets her apart from others. It can be her exotic look or her appeal on camera. It could be her acting skill, which can single-handedly be credited for the success of her career to this date. Olga Kurylenko has been around since 2001, but in a short time since then, she already starred in a few blockbuster films and has even landed the coveted role of “Bond girl.” Kurylenko has a total of 42 acting credits to her name, and that includes about 10 projects that have just been completed or are in production status. Here are the top five movies out of all those credits, and these are the ones we also think Kurylenko was her best at.
Quantum of Solace (2008)
This was the first time that we saw how big this actress could get. At the time when Kurylenko was cast as Bond’s girl, she was still a relative unknown in the mainstream, even though she had already done a few blockbuster hits beforehand. Kurylenko showed in this movie that she could handle the pressures of established characters and franchises–something that not all actresses can pull off.
Oblivion (2013)
If you can hold your own against one of Hollywood’s greatest actors, Tom Cruise, then you’re on your way to making it. Kurylenko did just that in this 2013 film, and she impressed us by stealing the spotlight from Tom every time she was on screen. It was also a different genre from the other ones she had done before (sci-fi), and she showed that she could have variety as well.
Vampire Academy (2014)
Kurylenko can pull of young adult as well. When she played Headmistress Kirova in the adaptation of the famous book series, Vampire Academy, not only did she portray the role just the way we imagined; Kurylenko made the character so much like her own that we now can’t picture her role as anyone else. Isn’t that the goal of actors to begin with? She was certainly very convincing as the Headmistress.
The Death of Stalin (2017)
We believe that comedy is the hardest to do out of all the film genres out there. We never thought before this film that Kurylenko had it in her. This movie was more brilliant than anything, and whoever thought of casting Kurylenko for the role of Maria was genius. Kurylenko showed yet again that she could handle whatever role comes her way–even if that role was a true comedy. The Death of Stalin will always be one of our favorite movies from Kurylenko because she actually made us laugh–a feat that not everyone can claim.
The Water Diviner (2014)
Starring opposite Russell Crowe, Kurylenko’s role in this movie brought her back to her drama roots–and very well at that. She played the simple role of a hotel manager in this film, yet she gave that role such depth that it became hard to argue at that point if she actually was a legitimate Hollywood star. Kurylenko has given us a beautiful film with this one, and we look forward to more films like The Water Diviner in her future career.
“When she played Headmistress Kirova in the adaptation of the famous book series, Vampire Academy, not only did she portray the role just the way we imagined”
Ellen Kirova–the headmistress in Vampire Academy–was canonly described as a MUCH older woman; in fact, the very first description of her in the book refers to her as ‘gray haired’, ‘old hag’ and ‘looking like a vulture’. So are we to understand you are saying that DESPITE the way she is described THROUGHOUT the series, with multiple characters reinforcing that Kirova is an an older than middle aged woman…..you actually pictured a bloody Bond girl in your imagination when reading?
Casting OK in the role was typical Holywood bs–giving a role that SHOULD have gone to an older actress to a ‘pretty young thing’. They did the same thing to Alberta (whom the VA Ultimate guide describes as ‘in her fifties’) and Tatiana (again, described as ‘sixties and had dark gray hair bobbed to her chin’).
Ageism against women is a very real, problematic occurence in the industry; when it happens it needs to be acknowledged, not glossed over.