By William M. Dowd
Growing up on an apple farm near Ghent, Columbia County, may not seem like much of a preparation for a successful career in show biz, but everybody’s got to come from somewhere.
A stunning, statuesque blonde of Norwegian descent, Kristanna Loken broke out on the big screen as the sexy but stoic terminatrix in the blockbuster sequel, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003). A New York native and former model, Loken quickly became one of Hollywoods sexy new talents and was ranked third in Maxim magazines Hot 100 in 2003. Often cast in action and fantasy roles due to her towering 511 frame, Lokens physical ability and stunning beauty quickly made her one of Hollywoods up-and-coming female action stars. Showing a softer, more intimate side with her guest-starring role on Showtimes The L Word (2004- ) in 2007, Loken proved her versatility as an actress.
Born Oct. 8, 1979 in Ghent, NY to Chris Loken, a writer, and Rande Loken, a former Wilhelmina model, Loken grew up on her parents apple farm in upstate New York. Well-rounded and studious as a child, she attended the Rudolf Steiner Waldorf School and studied acting, dancing, singing and equestrian on the side. Loken began acting professionally at the age of 13, making her television debut in 1994 on the daytime soap As the World Turns (CBS, 1956- ). Though her run on the series was short, Loken pressed onward. Following in her mothers footsteps, Loken entered the Elite Look of the Year modeling competition in Ibiza, Spain. With her stunning Nordic looks, she proved to be a natural, placing third in the competition. She went on to land a number of modeling jobs with Elite but continued to focus on her main career path acting.
Loken went on to land guest spots on a number of primetime shows including Fox’s New York Undercover (1994-98), NBCs Law & Order (1990- ), ABCs Boy Meets World (1993-2000) and the WB sitcom, Unhappily Ever After (1995-1999). Landing her first regular role in 1997, Loken portrayed Janine Kelly, the estranged teenage daughter of fighter pilot trainer Lt. Col. Bill Kelly (James Brolin) in the syndicated series, Pensacola: Wings of Gold (1997-2000). After a year on the series, Loken segued to more action-related fare portraying the athletic thief Taja in the video game spin-off series, Mortal Combat: Conquest (syndicated 1998). Shifting gears, she was cast as an ambitious cable news producer on the short-lived drama D.C. (The WB, 2000). Loken went on to land a recurring guest-starring role as A.D.A. Lisa Walensky on the primetime drama, Philly (ABC, 2001-02).
Landing her big break in 2003, Loken was cast as the cyborg terminator T-X in the highly anticipated sequel, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Though her towering height and athletic frame had sometimes proved to be a hindrance to her career, Terminator producers cast Loken in the role because she looked as if she could physically stand up to co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger. After months of physical training and preparation, Loken went head-to-head on screen with Schwarzenegger. Holding her own against the iconic action star, Loken nailed the part and gained some much-needed exposure. She went on to appear in the short film Worn Like a Tattoo (2004), which won her the New York International Independent Film Festival award for Best Actress, and the Nordic TV saga, Ring of the Nibulungs (2004). Landing her first leading film role in 2005, Loken portrayed Rayne, a half-human, half-vampire who seeks to avenge her mothers rape in the video game-based fantasy flick, BloodRayne (2005). Though the film boasted a high-profile cast, including Academy Award-winner Ben Kingsley, the film was critically panned.
Undeterred, Loken shifted gears and went on to join the cast of the hit Showtime series The L Word during its fourth season. Guest starring as bisexual single mother Paige Sobel, love interest to the androgynous heartthrob Shane (Katherine Moenig), Loken proved that she was more than just a sexy action hero. Openly bisexual, Lokens interest in the series stemmed from a desire to portray a same-sex relationship on screen. Off-screen, rumors that Loken had been dating her BloodRayne co-star Michelle Rodriguez began to surface, rumors which Loken coyly confirmed during a November 2006 interview with The Advocate.
Returning to action, Loken landed the lead in the comic book-based Sci-Fi Channel series, Pain Killer Jane in 2007. Set in the near future, Loken portrayed Jane Vasko, a former DEA agent recruited by a covert government agency dedicated to containing the threat of Neuros people with aberrant neurological powers. As Vasko begins to work for the agency, she discovers that her body can regenerate and recover from even the deadliest of injuries. Though the role brought Loken back to her action roots, the television format allowed her the chance to develop a strong female character.