Ice Maiden Thaws

Actress Michelle Krusiec shows fun side.

Fresh from her role in the Arctic epic Far North, actress Michelle Krusiec reveals her funny side. Michelle Krusiec is under no illusions as to the hazards facing women in love triangles: “The most dangerous wrath is the kind from women. Maybe that level of jealously or envy is more unknown to them but that’s where the real danger is: you just don’t know what to expect.” She adds, “I’d never allow myself to be the object of another women’s rage or jealousy, especially jealously as it can make you do extreme things.”

Although reluctant in her personal life, professionally she had no such qualms, nose-diving into a heated sexual rivalry for her most recent release, Far North, in which she plays the “naïve” Anja opposite Crouching Tiger star Michelle Yeoh. As if to exasperate the situation further, their battleground is one of the globe’s most extreme outposts: the Arctic. The stunningly shot film sees both actresses as nomads surviving together against the harsh terrain, until Sean Bean shows up with his rugged charms to warp their solidarity.

Directed by Briton Asif Kapadia (The Warrior), the part called for someone bold, vanity-free and dedicated enough to survive the icy setting. “Kapadia’s biggest concern was choosing actors who could survive where there were no luxuries and amenities. He needed ‘trouper’ actors to get through the challenging shooting experience,” says Krusiec.

The 34-year-old has been acting since she was
12. She trained in theatre at Virginia Tech University, where there were hints of her boldness even then. Director Oliver Stone was lecturing at Virginia Tech where she accosted him on stage to cast her in Nixon, her first major studio gig.

Upon graduating, Krusiec nabbed a presenter’s role on Discover Channel’s Travelers program where she trekked to 50 destinations. Studio heads took notice and roles in ER, Grey’s Anatomy, Weeds and Dirty Sexy Money followed.

Krusiec’s appeal goes beyond her pretty features, with her fiery characters equally able to explode on screen with acerbic putdowns or physical humour. As the nemesis of Cameron Diaz’s character in romcom Whatever Happens in Vegas, Krusiec confronts the blonde with the line “I eat women just like you”.

“I remember talking to the producer and saying ‘Am I being typecast – am I an uptight bitch?’” she says with a laugh. But then she’s always had a habit of being drawn to feisty roles. “I have fun playing villainous characters or the nemesis, especially in a comedic story,” she says. “I’m much more interested in playing the bad girl.”

Krusiec’s humorous side has been in evidence since her breakthrough role of Wilhelmina, a closet lesbian in the indie rom-com Saving Face. Opposite Joan Chen, Krusiec conveyed humour and endearing sentiment to the cultural trappings of the soap-like comedy.

Working with great Asian actresses, from Chen to Yeoh, is something she’s greatly proud of, although she admits it’s also a little intimidating. Krusiec was especially excited to work with Yeoh, whose tough girl image marked her out as something of a mentor. “I like being around women like that, especially when you know how tough this industry can be,” she says. Not surprisingly, the women bonded well off set, with Yeoh acting like a “godmother watching over everyone”.

“She was concerned with my skin being overexposed, so she got me a sun visor,” adds Krusiec.

Away from epic dramas, Krusiec is looking forward to starring in her first Mandarin-speaking feature – a comedy shot in Singapore “about a women who stalks her ex-fiancée’s current fiancé.” Again, she will be part of a twisted love triangle, but Krusiec says she won’t be the one licking her wounds. “I’m on the other side this time – I’m not the one being objectified, I’m the perpetrator now!”