Alice Krige
- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Alice Maud Krige was born on June 28, 1954 in Upington, South Africa
where her father, Dr. Louis Krige, worked as a young physician. The
Kriges later moved to Port Elizabeth where Alice grew up in what she
describes as a "very happy family", a family that also included two
brothers (both of whom became physicians) and her mother, Pat, a
clinical psychologist. Interestingly, Alice also grew up without
television, something which the actress calls a "huge black hole in my
education" (South Africa did not start getting television until 1976, a
year after Alice left the country to pursue an acting career in
London).
While growing up, she had no dreams or aspirations of pursuing an
acting career, in fact as a child she had wanted to become a dancer,
but her father disapproved. Instead, she prepared to follow in the
footsteps of her mother by attending Rhodes University in Grahamstown
where she pursued an undergraduate degree in psychology and literature
(graduating in 1975). However, as luck or fate would have it, Alice
decided to "take up a bit of timetable" by enrolling in a drama class
in order to make use of a free credit. This decision would prove to be
a life-altering one, resulting in an honors degree in drama from
Rhodes, 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, she began three years of study at London's
Central School of Speech and Drama. Her first professional acting
performance was a tiny television role in a 1979 BBC Play for Today. In
1980, Alice made her feature film debut as Sybil Gordon in the Academy
Award winning Best Picture,
Chariots of Fire (1981). She
then appeared in the television adaptation of Charles Dickens'
A Tale of Two Cities (1980),
which was followed by her memorable, dual role as the avenging spirit
in Ghost Story (1981). Also in 1981,
she debuted in a West End theatre production of Bernard Shaw's Arms and
the Man, for which she received the honors of both a Plays and Players
Award and a Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer. It was
this early success in theatre that she decided to focus her career on
next by spending some time working with the prestigious Royal
Shakespeare Company.
During her two seasons with the RSC (1982-83), Alice performed in such
productions as "King Lear", "The Tempest", "The Taming of the Shrew"
and "Cyrano de Bergerac". After her stint with the Royal Shakespeare
Company, she 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),
Spies Inc. (1992) and
See You in the Morning (1989).
Her work in television included critically acclaimed miniseries, 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 (including appearances on
Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990)
and Becker (1998), Alice also appeared
in the films Sleepwalkers (1992),
Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream That One Calls Human Life (1995),
Donor Unknown (1995),
Amanda (1996),
Twilight of the Ice Nymphs (1997),
Habitat (1997),
The Commissioner (1998) and
Molokai (1999).
However, one notable standout was the film
Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
for which she won a 1997 Saturn Award for her portrayal of the Borg
Queen. This is without a doubt the most commercial, mainstream film
with which she has been involved. However, due to the amount of make-up
and prosthetics that the role required, Alice claims that even today
she is still most recognized from her role in
Ghost Story (1981).
One obvious and lasting impact of her 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
United States and Europe (primarily in the United Kingdom and Germany).
They feature "guests", such as Alice, who give presentations, sign
autographs, etc. The new millennium finds her with several new projects
to her credit, which include such works as
The Little Vampire (2000), the
Star Trek: Voyager (1995)
series finale "Endgame",
Attila (2001),
Dinotopia (2002),
Reign of Fire (2002),
Children of Dune (2003),
The Mystery of Natalie Wood (2004)
and a recurring guest role in the HBO series
Deadwood (2004). Current projects
include a film about the life of Julius Caesar, the horror film
Silent Hill (2006),
Lonely Hearts (2006) and
The Contract (2006). In
addition, she continues to make sporadic convention appearances and was
recently awarded an honorary doctorate in literature from Rhodes
University.
Alice Krige is married to writer/director Paul Schoolman, and lives
what she describes as an "itinerant" lifestyle. Although she and her
husband maintain a permanent home in the United States, they spend much
of their time living and working abroad.
where her father, Dr. Louis Krige, worked as a young physician. The
Kriges later moved to Port Elizabeth where Alice grew up in what she
describes as a "very happy family", a family that also included two
brothers (both of whom became physicians) and her mother, Pat, a
clinical psychologist. Interestingly, Alice also grew up without
television, something which the actress calls a "huge black hole in my
education" (South Africa did not start getting television until 1976, a
year after Alice left the country to pursue an acting career in
London).
While growing up, she had no dreams or aspirations of pursuing an
acting career, in fact as a child she had wanted to become a dancer,
but her father disapproved. Instead, she prepared to follow in the
footsteps of her mother by attending Rhodes University in Grahamstown
where she pursued an undergraduate degree in psychology and literature
(graduating in 1975). However, as luck or fate would have it, Alice
decided to "take up a bit of timetable" by enrolling in a drama class
in order to make use of a free credit. This decision would prove to be
a life-altering one, resulting in an honors degree in drama from
Rhodes, 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, she began three years of study at London's
Central School of Speech and Drama. Her first professional acting
performance was a tiny television role in a 1979 BBC Play for Today. In
1980, Alice made her feature film debut as Sybil Gordon in the Academy
Award winning Best Picture,
Chariots of Fire (1981). She
then appeared in the television adaptation of Charles Dickens'
A Tale of Two Cities (1980),
which was followed by her memorable, dual role as the avenging spirit
in Ghost Story (1981). Also in 1981,
she debuted in a West End theatre production of Bernard Shaw's Arms and
the Man, for which she received the honors of both a Plays and Players
Award and a Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer. It was
this early success in theatre that she decided to focus her career on
next by spending some time working with the prestigious Royal
Shakespeare Company.
During her two seasons with the RSC (1982-83), Alice performed in such
productions as "King Lear", "The Tempest", "The Taming of the Shrew"
and "Cyrano de Bergerac". After her stint with the Royal Shakespeare
Company, she 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),
Spies Inc. (1992) and
See You in the Morning (1989).
Her work in television included critically acclaimed miniseries, 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 (including appearances on
Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990)
and Becker (1998), Alice also appeared
in the films Sleepwalkers (1992),
Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream That One Calls Human Life (1995),
Donor Unknown (1995),
Amanda (1996),
Twilight of the Ice Nymphs (1997),
Habitat (1997),
The Commissioner (1998) and
Molokai (1999).
However, one notable standout was the film
Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
for which she won a 1997 Saturn Award for her portrayal of the Borg
Queen. This is without a doubt the most commercial, mainstream film
with which she has been involved. However, due to the amount of make-up
and prosthetics that the role required, Alice claims that even today
she is still most recognized from her role in
Ghost Story (1981).
One obvious and lasting impact of her 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
United States and Europe (primarily in the United Kingdom and Germany).
They feature "guests", such as Alice, who give presentations, sign
autographs, etc. The new millennium finds her with several new projects
to her credit, which include such works as
The Little Vampire (2000), the
Star Trek: Voyager (1995)
series finale "Endgame",
Attila (2001),
Dinotopia (2002),
Reign of Fire (2002),
Children of Dune (2003),
The Mystery of Natalie Wood (2004)
and a recurring guest role in the HBO series
Deadwood (2004). Current projects
include a film about the life of Julius Caesar, the horror film
Silent Hill (2006),
Lonely Hearts (2006) and
The Contract (2006). In
addition, she continues to make sporadic convention appearances and was
recently awarded an honorary doctorate in literature from Rhodes
University.
Alice Krige is married to writer/director Paul Schoolman, and lives
what she describes as an "itinerant" lifestyle. Although she and her
husband maintain a permanent home in the United States, they spend much
of their time living and working abroad.