Karina Lombard
Encyclopedia
Karina Lombard is an actress and singer.
. Her mother, Nupuree Lightfoot, is a medicine woman of the Lakota Nation and was an immigrant living in Tahiti
. Her father, Henry Lombard, a banker, is a European aristocrat
of Russian, Italian
and Swiss descent. Lombard is a naturalized U.S. citizen but when she was one year old, her parents separated and her father took Karina and her four siblings, Helen, Inez, Charles and Denise, to live at his estate in Barcelona, Spain. She went on to attend a number of Swiss
boarding schools, including in Lausanne
, where she has said that "being American Indian meant being treated like a savage".
Over the years she gained proficiency in Spanish
, English
, Italian
, French
and German
. She came to New York
when she was 18 and began modeling
and studied acting.
photo shoot with a Native American
theme. One of her photographs was chosen to be a billboard ad. Her photographs appeared in Elle
and Vogue
.
Her first film role was as a princess in L'île (The Island). As an actress her first major film was Wide Sargasso Sea
in 1993 followed by The Firm. She then went on to appear in the 1994 film Legends of the Fall
, followed by Last Man Standing
in 1996 alongside Bruce Willis
. In the 2000s she moved into television, appearing on the first season of The L Word
and also in The 4400
. She reprised her role as Marina Ferrer in the first episode of Season Four of The L Word
and made one more brief appearance later that season as an actress auditioning for Jenny's film Lez Girls. Lombard also made a cameo appearance in the 2008 series finale.
Lombard portrayed the recurring character Geneviève on FX's Rescue Me
.
Her theatre training and stage experience primarily comes from New York City's Gallery Theatre, the Neighborhood Playhouse
, the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and the Actors Studio
. She has worked as a composer for the Cirque du Soleil
and done a photo shoot for Playboy
magazine.
Early life
Lombard was born in TahitiTahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
. Her mother, Nupuree Lightfoot, is a medicine woman of the Lakota Nation and was an immigrant living in Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
. Her father, Henry Lombard, a banker, is a European aristocrat
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
of Russian, Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
and Swiss descent. Lombard is a naturalized U.S. citizen but when she was one year old, her parents separated and her father took Karina and her four siblings, Helen, Inez, Charles and Denise, to live at his estate in Barcelona, Spain. She went on to attend a number of Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
boarding schools, including in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, where she has said that "being American Indian meant being treated like a savage".
Over the years she gained proficiency in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. She came to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
when she was 18 and began modeling
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
and studied acting.
Career
Lombard's major break in modeling came about due to a Calvin KleinCalvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
photo shoot with a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
theme. One of her photographs was chosen to be a billboard ad. Her photographs appeared in Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
and Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
.
Her first film role was as a princess in L'île (The Island). As an actress her first major film was Wide Sargasso Sea
Wide Sargasso Sea (1993 film)
Wide Sargasso Sea is a 1993 film adaption of Jean Rhys's 1966 novel of the same name, directed by John Duigan.-Plot summary:For a full length summary see: plot summary of Wide Sargasso Sea.-Release:...
in 1993 followed by The Firm. She then went on to appear in the 1994 film Legends of the Fall
Legends of the Fall
Legends of the Fall is a 1994 epic drama film based on the 1979 novella of the same title by Jim Harrison. It was directed by Edward Zwick and stars Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins and Aidan Quinn. The film was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction , and Best...
, followed by Last Man Standing
Last Man Standing
- Film :* Last Man Standing , a 1996 film starring Bruce Willis* Undisputed II: Last Man Standing, a 2006 sequel to the action film Undisputed* Last Man Standing , a film directed by Damian Lee- Literature :...
in 1996 alongside Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
. In the 2000s she moved into television, appearing on the first season of 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...
and also in The 4400
The 4400
The 4400 is a science fiction TV series produced by CBS Paramount Network Television in association with Sky Television, Renegade 83, and American Zoetrope for USA Network. The show was created and written by Scott Peters and René Echevarria, and it stars Joel Gretsch and Jacqueline McKenzie...
. She reprised her role as Marina Ferrer in the first episode of Season Four of 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...
and made one more brief appearance later that season as an actress auditioning for Jenny's film Lez Girls. Lombard also made a cameo appearance in the 2008 series finale.
Lombard portrayed the recurring character Geneviève on FX's Rescue Me
Rescue Me (TV series)
Rescue Me is an American television drama series that premiered on the FX Network on July 21, 2004, and concluded on September 7, 2011. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of a group of New York City firefighters in the fictitious Ladder 62 / Engine 99 firehouse.The show...
.
Her theatre training and stage experience primarily comes from New York City's Gallery Theatre, the Neighborhood Playhouse
Neighborhood Playhouse
The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre is an actor training school at 340 East 54th Street in New York City, generally associated with the Meisner technique of Sanford Meisner.-History:...
, the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and the Actors Studio
Actors Studio
The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street in the Clinton neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded October 5, 1947, by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford, Robert Lewis and Anna Sokolow who provided...
. She has worked as a composer for the Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
and done a photo shoot for Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Warhol Actress | ||
| 1993 | Wide Sargasso Sea Wide Sargasso Sea (1993 film) Wide Sargasso Sea is a 1993 film adaption of Jean Rhys's 1966 novel of the same name, directed by John Duigan.-Plot summary:For a full length summary see: plot summary of Wide Sargasso Sea.-Release:... |
Antoinette Cosway | |
| 1993 | Young Woman on Beach | ||
| 1994 | Legends of the Fall Legends of the Fall Legends of the Fall is a 1994 epic drama film based on the 1979 novella of the same title by Jim Harrison. It was directed by Edward Zwick and stars Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins and Aidan Quinn. The film was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction , and Best... |
Isabel Two | |
| 1996 | Last Man Standing Last Man Standing (film) Last Man Standing is a 1996 action film written and directed by Walter Hill, starring Bruce Willis, Christopher Walken, and Bruce Dern. It is a credited remake of the Akira Kurosawa film Yojimbo.- Plot :... |
Felina | |
| 1997 | Kull the Conqueror Kull the Conqueror Kull the Conqueror is a 1997 fantasy film about the Robert E. Howard character Kull starring Kevin Sorbo. It is a movie adaptation of Howard's Conan novel The Hour of the Dragon, with the protagonist changed to the author's other barbarian hero Kull... |
Zareta | |
| 1998 | Exposé | Amber Collins | |
| 2001 | Guardian | Katherine Kross | |
| 2003 | Deception | Margareth de Vries | |
| 2004 | Big Kiss | Liz | |
| 2010 | Le fils à Jo | Alice Hamilton |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | L'île | Ivoa | TV miniseries |
| 1998 | Early Edition Early Edition Early Edition is an American television series that aired on CBS from September 28, 1996 to May 27, 2000. Set in the city of Chicago, Illinois, it follows the adventures of a man who mysteriously receives each Chicago Sun-Times newspaper the day before it is actually published, and who uses this... |
Sammia Watts | Episode: "Mum's the Word" |
| 1998 | Anna Temaru | TV miniseries | |
| 1999 | Royan | TV miniseries | |
| 2000 | Murder at the Cannes Film Festival Murder at the Cannes Film Festival Murder at the Cannes Film Festival is a 2000 television film directed by Harvey Frost, starring French Stewart and Karina Lombard.... |
Inspector Renee Reno | TV movie |
| 2004 | Dr. Vegas Dr. Vegas Dr. Vegas is a television drama starring Rob Lowe and Joe Pantoliano that ran on CBS in 2004. It aired in Ireland on TG4, and on Challenge in the UK as part of its "Player" gambling strand. In Slovakia, Markíza began airing the show on February 20, 2008.... |
Black Widow / Jessica Rhodes | Episode: "All In" |
| 2004-2009 | Marina Ferrer | 16 episodes | |
| 2005-2006 | Alana Mareva Alana Mareva Alana Mareva is a fictional character in the USA Network science fiction television series The 4400.- Background :Alana was born October 17, 1969, in Tahiti, and disappeared September 5, 2001, from Seattle, Wash. Prior to her abduction, her husband and only son Billy had been killed by a drunk driver... |
14 episodes | |
| 2007 | Secrets Secrets (TV series) Secrets is an RTÉ television light entertainment show hosted by Gerry Ryan that was broadcast on Saturday evenings for three series between 1990 and 1993. The studio-based show allowed viewers and audience members to realise their ambitions and dreams.... |
Claude Perkins | TV miniseries |
| 2007 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer... |
Pippa Sanchez | Episode: "A La Cart" |
| 2009 | Rescue Me Rescue Me (TV series) Rescue Me is an American television drama series that premiered on the FX Network on July 21, 2004, and concluded on September 7, 2011. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of a group of New York City firefighters in the fictitious Ladder 62 / Engine 99 firehouse.The show... |
Geneviéve | 6 episodes |
| 2011 | CSI: NY CSI: NY CSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes... |
Eva Martinez | Episode: "Holding Cell" |