Kaaren de Zilva
Encyclopedia
Kaaren de Zilva is an English-born
Canadian actress who has had roles in Juno
, Da Vinci's Inquest
, Da Vinci's City Hall
, Mimzy
and Hellraiser: Hellseeker
.
, de Zilva grew up in Canada
and describes her ancestry as an eclectic mix. Her parents were born in Sri Lanka
and throughout the family tree the predominant ethnicities are Portuguese
and Dutch
. She began her pursuit of an acting career at a young age. She attended the Gastown Actors' Studio in Vancouver
, British Columbia
with Mel Tuck, as well as receiving tutelage from Ivanna Chubbick and Larry Moss
.
"My mom was a dance teacher in England and was a huge influence in my dance training, which started at the age of four," says de Zilva. "Performing in Dance productions from a young age certainly awakened me to different artistic expressions and created a true love for acting. My brother works in the production side of the industry and my father’s company, Eyetech Optics, has created many special effect contact lenses for various films and television shows."
De Zilva made her professional acting debut playing a young cheerleader in the Corey Haim coming-of-age flick Anything for Love. Since then she has worked steadily, appearing in numerous television and film roles. Her credits in episodic TV include Stephen King's Dead Zone, Da Vinci's Inquest
and recurring roles on Da Vinci's City Hall
and The L Word
. She also appeared in an installment of the horror series Hellraiser VI: Hellseeker.
In 2007, de Zilva hit a career high point with a well-received turn in the Oscar-nominated movie, Juno
, a commercially successful and critically acclaimed film about teen pregnancy. Cast as the ultrasound tech, de Zilva delivers a solid performance in emotionally charged scene with rising young star, Ellen Page
(Juno MacGuff) and multiple Emmy Award-winner Allison Janney
(Juno's stepmother Bren). The ultrasound tech has a strong influence on the pregnant teen that chooses life over abortion
.
In a busy 2007, de Zilva has also graced the lens in the thriller Post Mortem (aka I Know What I Saw) in which she plays the psychic Nadira. She has also completed shooting on The Last Mimzy
, as well as a television mini-series that examines the complexities and culture of the Asia
n crime triads, Dragon Boys
.
I have enjoyed all my roles and have had the opportunity to play a variety of different characters, says de Zilva, who currently makes her home in Vancouver, but travels frequently between Hollywood North and Hollywood, California
. Despite her busy career, de Zilva manages to keep a strict regimen of cardio and weight training, and finds time to relax with her hobbies of shooting pool and playing Texas Hold ‘em poker. She also likes to spend quality time with her Bernese Mountain Dog
. "Lulu is pure love", she says. "She's so gentle, sensitive, and kind. Life gave me a great gift when she arrived."
Her goals are to continue to choose unique roles that examine the human spirit that both challenge and inspire her. Although her passion for acting is what drives her artistically, she also hopes to one day establish her own production company. "It’s something I really want to do," she says, "because I know some really talented writers whose stories need to be told and heard."
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Canadian actress who has had roles in Juno
Juno (film)
Juno is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. Ellen Page stars as the title character, an independent-minded teenager confronting an unplanned pregnancy and the subsequent events that put pressures of adult life onto her. Michael Cera, Olivia Thirlby, J. K....
, Da Vinci's Inquest
Da Vinci's Inquest
Da Vinci's Inquest is a Canadian dramatic television series that aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2005. Seven seasons of thirteen episodes each were filmed for a total of ninety-one episodes....
, Da Vinci's City Hall
Da Vinci's City Hall
Da Vinci's City Hall is a Canadian dramatic television series, which premiered on CBC Television on 25 October 2005. The series was a spinoff of the long-running Canadian series Da Vinci's Inquest...
, Mimzy
The Last Mimzy
The Last Mimzy is a 2007 science fiction family film directed by Bob Shaye and loosely adapted from the acclaimed 1943 science fiction short story "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" by Lewis Padgett...
and Hellraiser: Hellseeker
Hellraiser: Hellseeker
Hellraiser: Hellseeker is a 2002 horror film, directed by Rick Bota. It is the sixth film in the Hellraiser series. It also features the return of Kirsty Cotton, the heroine from Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II...
.
Life and career
Born in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, de Zilva grew up in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and describes her ancestry as an eclectic mix. Her parents were born in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and throughout the family tree the predominant ethnicities are Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
and Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
. She began her pursuit of an acting career at a young age. She attended the Gastown Actors' Studio in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
with Mel Tuck, as well as receiving tutelage from Ivanna Chubbick and Larry Moss
Larry Moss
Lawrence “Larry” Charles Moss is an American artist who works mainly with latex balloons. Renowned in his field for his large and technically challenging sculptures, he has orchestrated the creation of several large scale installations in North America and Asia, including a successful Guinness...
.
"My mom was a dance teacher in England and was a huge influence in my dance training, which started at the age of four," says de Zilva. "Performing in Dance productions from a young age certainly awakened me to different artistic expressions and created a true love for acting. My brother works in the production side of the industry and my father’s company, Eyetech Optics, has created many special effect contact lenses for various films and television shows."
De Zilva made her professional acting debut playing a young cheerleader in the Corey Haim coming-of-age flick Anything for Love. Since then she has worked steadily, appearing in numerous television and film roles. Her credits in episodic TV include Stephen King's Dead Zone, Da Vinci's Inquest
Da Vinci's Inquest
Da Vinci's Inquest is a Canadian dramatic television series that aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2005. Seven seasons of thirteen episodes each were filmed for a total of ninety-one episodes....
and recurring roles on Da Vinci's City Hall
Da Vinci's City Hall
Da Vinci's City Hall is a Canadian dramatic television series, which premiered on CBC Television on 25 October 2005. The series was a spinoff of the long-running Canadian series Da Vinci's Inquest...
and The L Word
The L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
. She also appeared in an installment of the horror series Hellraiser VI: Hellseeker.
In 2007, de Zilva hit a career high point with a well-received turn in the Oscar-nominated movie, Juno
Juno (film)
Juno is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. Ellen Page stars as the title character, an independent-minded teenager confronting an unplanned pregnancy and the subsequent events that put pressures of adult life onto her. Michael Cera, Olivia Thirlby, J. K....
, a commercially successful and critically acclaimed film about teen pregnancy. Cast as the ultrasound tech, de Zilva delivers a solid performance in emotionally charged scene with rising young star, Ellen Page
Ellen Page
Ellen Philpotts-Page , known professionally as Ellen Page, is a Canadian actress. Page received both Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Actress for her role as the title character in the film Juno...
(Juno MacGuff) and multiple Emmy Award-winner Allison Janney
Allison Janney
Allison Brooks Janney is an American actress, best known for her role as C.J. Cregg on the television series The West Wing.- Personal life :...
(Juno's stepmother Bren). The ultrasound tech has a strong influence on the pregnant teen that chooses life over abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
.
In a busy 2007, de Zilva has also graced the lens in the thriller Post Mortem (aka I Know What I Saw) in which she plays the psychic Nadira. She has also completed shooting on The Last Mimzy
The Last Mimzy
The Last Mimzy is a 2007 science fiction family film directed by Bob Shaye and loosely adapted from the acclaimed 1943 science fiction short story "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" by Lewis Padgett...
, as well as a television mini-series that examines the complexities and culture of the Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n crime triads, Dragon Boys
Dragon Boys
Dragon Boys is a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation miniseries starring Eric Tsang, Byron Mann, Lawrence Chou, Tzi Ma, Lauren Lee Smith, Steph Song, Darryl Quon, Christina Ma, Jean Yoon, Simon Wong and Chang Tseng...
.
I have enjoyed all my roles and have had the opportunity to play a variety of different characters, says de Zilva, who currently makes her home in Vancouver, but travels frequently between Hollywood North and Hollywood, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Despite her busy career, de Zilva manages to keep a strict regimen of cardio and weight training, and finds time to relax with her hobbies of shooting pool and playing Texas Hold ‘em poker. She also likes to spend quality time with her Bernese Mountain Dog
Bernese Mountain Dog
The Bernese Mountain Dog, called in German the Berner Sennenhund, is a large breed of dog, one of the four breeds of Sennenhund-type dogs from the Swiss Alps. The name Sennenhund is derived from the German "Senne" and "hund" , as they accompanied the alpine herders and dairymen called Senn...
. "Lulu is pure love", she says. "She's so gentle, sensitive, and kind. Life gave me a great gift when she arrived."
Her goals are to continue to choose unique roles that examine the human spirit that both challenge and inspire her. Although her passion for acting is what drives her artistically, she also hopes to one day establish her own production company. "It’s something I really want to do," she says, "because I know some really talented writers whose stories need to be told and heard."