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Alice Krige was born in Upington, South Africa on June 28, 1954 and grew up in what she describes as a "very happy family." Interestingly, she also grew up without television, something which the actress calls a "huge black hole in my education" (South Africa didn't get television until the year Alice left the country to pursue an acting career in London in the mid 1970s).
Apparently while growing up, Ms. Krige had no dreams or aspirations of pursuing an acting career. Instead, she prepared to follow in the footsteps of her mother, a psychologist. She attended Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa where she pursued an undergraduate degree in clinical psychology. During her senior year, however, the university established a drama school. As luck or fate would have it, Alice happened to have one free credit at the time to expend on any course she wished. Thus, in an effort to "take up a bit of timetable," she chose to take an acting class. This experience would prove to be a life-altering one for Ms. Krige, resulting in an honours degree in drama, a move to London and a new career path. As Alice explains, "I really got into it and it took over my life... it became my life-calling, all consuming." After arriving in England, at age 22 (?), Ms. Krige began three years of study at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. Her first notable, professional acting performance came in the 1980 television adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities. In 1981, Alice debuted in a West End theater production of Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man (for which she received the honor of a Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer in 1982). In this same year, Ms. Krige also made her feature film debut as "Sybil Gordon" in the Academy Award winning Best Picture Chariots of Fire, which was then followed by her memorable, dual role as the avenging spirit in the film Ghost Story. After having made Ghost Story, Ms. Krige decided to take a bit of a break from film and television by spending some time working with the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company. During her three and a half years with the RSC, Alice performed in such productions as King Lear, The Tempest, The Taming of the Shrew and Cyrano de Bergerac (*click here to listen to Alice speak about her RSC experiences). After her stint with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Ms. Krige returned to work in film and television. Her career could best be described as an eclectic mix of both mediums. She appeared in a diverse range of films, such as King David (1985), Barfly (1987), Haunted Summer (1988), Code Name: Chaos (1988) and See You in the Morning (1989). Her work in television included critically acclaimed mini-series, such as Ellis Island (1984) and Wallenberg: A Hero's Story (1985), as well as a healthy dose of what Alice herself calls, "kitchen sink dramas." This eclectic trend continued into the 1990s. In addition to numerous roles in television (which even included appearances on tv's Beverly Hills, 90201 and Becker), Alice also appeared in the films Sleepwalkers (1992), Institute Benjamenta (1995), Donor Unknown (1995), Amanda (1996), Twilight of the Ice Nymphs (1997), Habitat (1997), The Commissioner (1998) and Molokai: The Story of Father Damien (1999). One notable standout, however, may be the film Star Trek: First Contact (1996) for which Ms. Krige won a 1997 Saturn Award for her portrayal of the "Borg Queen" (*click here to listen to Alice speak about this role). This is without a doubt the most commercial, mainstream film with which she has been involved. Due to the amount of make-up and prosthetics that the role required, however, Alice claims that even today she is still most recognized from her role in 1981's Ghost Story (*click here to listen to Alice speak on this subject). One obvious and lasting impact of Ms. Krige's experience with Star Trek: First Contact has been her initiation into the world of Star Trek/Sci-fi conventions. These weekend-long conventions take place all over the US and Europe (primarily in the UK and Germany). They feature "guests," such as Alice, who give presentations, sign autographs, etc. The new millenium finds Ms. Krige with several new projects to her credit (The Little Vampire, The Calling, Attila, Star Trek Voyager: End Game and Superstition). Upcoming projects include a film about the life of Julius Caesar (a long-term, pet project dating back to the 1980s), a mini-series for ABC entitled Dinotopia, the Belgian film Vallen (aka Falling), the Disney film Reign of Fire, and the mini-series Children of Dune. In addition, Ms. Krige continues to make sporadic convention appearances. Alice Krige is married to director, Paul Schoolman, and lives what she describes as an "itinerant" lifestyle. Although she and her husband maintain a permanent home in Los Angeles, they spend much of there time living and working in Europe. |
