| Kaären de Zilva | |
|---|---|
| Born | Karen de Zilva London, England |
| Other names | Käaren De Zilva Kaären de Zilva |
| Years active | 1993-Present |
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.
Born in the United Kingdom, 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 Asian 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."