Kristina Anapau may have been born in Hawaii, but there's nothing laid back about her acting CV, which is jampacked with roles across both film and TV.
The 32-year old actress is still under the showbiz radar, but after appearances in Black Swan, True Blood and now a leading role in a new horror movie, Kristina is well placed to become a household name.
A few weeks ago I put a few questions together, to find out a little bit more about the LA based actress...
HF: How did it feel to join the cast of one of the most high-profile yet raunchiest shows on the TV?
KA: It was such a privilege to join the cast of True Blood. I was a huge Alan Ball fan prior to joining the show so I'm fortunate to work with an amazing group of people, immensely talented actors and fantastic crew.
I wasn't concerned with any elements of raunchiness, really. It's such a tasteful set with so much talent and humor. I think that even in it's most scandalous moments; the heightened world that we create on True Blood is much less raunchy than many elements of reality.
HF: What drew you to your character Maurella?
KA: Maurella is a seductress from the faerie dimension who is 500 years old, but only claims to be 300. She can read peoples minds, shoot balls of light out of her hands, and has a gestation period of one week. What's not to love?
HF: How was it filming the sex scenes? I hear they can be rather awkward!
KA: I didn't really have any actual sex scenes in the work that I have done on the show thusfar--it was more implied as occurring after the scene ended--so there was no awkwardness to be had on that front. Any kissing in a scene is only really awkward for the first few takes--after you have kissed someone the same way for the 15th time in front of 100 people, any awkwardness is long gone.
HF: You're going to be playing another supernatural character in Grimm - do you every worry about being typecast?
KA: No, the shows are very different as are the characters I portray. I do love the supernatural genre, however. If I were to be typecast within it, it seems as if it would be a genre that would never get boring.
HF: Starring in Black Swan back in 2010 you were able to use your ballet training for the role - how much do you put yourself into your characters?
KA: It depends on the role, but I do think it's necessary to find an aspect of the character that exists within you already and expand from there. With Black Swan it was relatively easy because I had spent so much time in the ballet world.
HF: Darren Aronofsky, Natalie Portman, Winona Ryder and Vincent Cassel are all massive names in the industry - did you feel intimidated at all during filming?
KA: Perhaps in the very beginning, yes, but everyone was so lovely and immensely focused, that any intimidation soon faded away and all that remained was inspiration.
HF: You've had a solid mix of film and TV work but ideally where would you prefer your career to be focused on?
KA: Each medium has it's respective pleasures and challenges. I enjoy both. I really just look for content that inspires me and hopefully elevates the world in some way--films have a track record of best fulfilling both the previous and the later, but there are some really incredible television shows out there that are doing the same. There is a lot of freedom to cross back and forth within the industry now.
HF: Why should we go see your new movie Sighting?
KA: Sighting is a paranormal thriller and then some! It is definitely going to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. One element that really sets it apart from other genre movies, is the incredibly thorough character development. It's very much a character driven piece. Another transcendent element is how beautifully the film is shot. Aaron Heck, the cinematographer, did an absolutely spectacular job. Every frame is a work of art.
HF: What's it like stepping into the lead role?
KA: I'm a bit of a workaholic, so the intensity and structure of the shooting schedule when I am in almost every scene of a project works really well for me. I loved stepping into the soul of Theresa in such an intense manner for the duration of filming - Tedi Sarafian did an excellent job in developing the character via his writing and an equally excellent job directing and working with me in shaping her onscreen.
It was such a pleasure to be part of the project on every level!
HF: Who would you like to work with in the future?
I'd love to do a Baz Luhrmann musical.
HF: And finally, apparently you're a descendant of British nobility, Sir John Roper. What do you think of the Brits and when was the last time you visited?
KA: I love the British and I do enjoy spending time in both the city and the English countryside. One of my best friends from childhood lives in London now, so I go quite frequently--I feel very much at home there.
You can catch Kristina in series 5 of True Blood on Sky Atlantic.
Sighting is currently in post-production, the release date TBC.