Apart from acting and modelling, Akerman had a brief music career in the early 2000s as the lead vocalist foralternative rock band the Petalstones, which released its debut studio album in 2005. She subsequently left the project to focus on her acting career. She has been married twice, first from 2007 to 2014 to Petalstones drummer Roberto Zincone, with whom she has a son, and, since 2018, to English actorJack Donnelly. Akerman hosted theEurovision Song Contest 2024 inMalmö alongsidePetra Mede.
Akerman was born inStockholm on 12 May 1978,[4][5] the daughter of aerobics teacher and part-time model Pia (née Sundström) and insurance broker Magnus Åkerman.[6] When she was two, the family moved to Canada when her father was offered a job there.[6] Four years later her parents divorced and her father moved back to Sweden.[7] Both parents remarried, giving Akerman one half-brother and two half-sisters, includingJennifer Åkerman.[8] After her mother remarried, they moved toNiagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.[7] Her mother divorced again in Akerman's teenage years.[6] She attended many different schools,[9] includingSir Winston Churchill Secondary School inSt. Catharines, Ontario.[10] She visited her father inFalsterbo during school breaks and talked to him regularly on the phone.[11][12] She cites her parents as "supportive, positive influences" in her life.[12] She was raised as aBuddhist.[13]
In her youth Akerman competed professionally infigure skating for ten years.[14] Her mother introduced her to modelling while she was still in primary school. At age 16, she was discovered byFord Models at the Pen Centre shopping mall in St. Catharines.[12] She was signed to the agency and later won a contract with skincare companyNoxzema.[12] She soon moved toToronto while attendingNorth Toronto Collegiate Institute and laterDante Alighieri Academy.[12] At the age of 18, inspired by the "helplessness" she sometimes felt during her childhood,[7] she decided to become achild psychologist. She supported her education by modelling for television commercials and catalogue layouts.[13] While studying for a year atYork University in Toronto, she was simultaneously offered guest roles on television as a result of her exposure in commercials.[13] She saw the acting roles as further opportunities to pay for her education but found herself enjoying acting, and later dropped out of school to become an actress.[13] She moved toLos Angeles in 2001 to pursue acting full time.[15]
Akerman made her acting debut on the Canadian science fiction seriesEarth: Final Conflict in 1997 in a smaller role as a robot.[1] She originally landed a role on anMTVpilot withRachel McAdams but the project was never picked up by the network.[13] In 2000 she guest starred onRelic Hunter and had a smaller role in the American filmThe Skulls.[10] The following year she made appearances on the seriesDoc,Twice in a Lifetime andWitchblade.[16][17] In 2001 she moved to Los Angeles, California, in hopes of pursuing a broader acting career.[7] At first, she worked as a waitress and stayed at a friend's house.[7][11] In 2002 she received a role in the filmThe Utopian Society.[10][18] The film was edited byFrancesco Sondelli, guitarist for alternative rock band Ozono.[16] Sondelli asked Akerman to help the band with song lyrics and later asked her to sing.[13] Akerman subsequently became the band's singer, and they changed their name to the Petalstones.[13][15] The band's debut albumStung was released in August 2005,[19] but she eventually left to focus on her acting career. She described her singing as "sort of a self-made, self-taught, if-you-can't-hit-the-note-scream-it kind of thing".[18]
In 2004, she got a small role in the filmHarold & Kumar Go to White Castle,[10] but considered moving back to Canada as most of her auditions failed.[7] She was then cast in a main role as Juna on theHBO television seriesThe Comeback (2005), withLisa Kudrow in the lead role.[10] Kudrow played a former sitcom star who tried to restart her career.[20] Akerman's appearance on the show garnered media attention and resulted in her being offered more roles.[7] A year later, she guest starred on an episode ofLove Monkey and two episodes ofEntourage.[16] Before theEntourage episodes aired, she landed a role in the 2007 comedy filmThe Brothers Solomon.[21] The film was abox office bomb and received largely critical reviews.[22][23] The same year, she also appeared in the filmsThe Invasion, for which she was uncredited,[24] andHeavy Petting.[25]
Akerman signed up for a role alongsideBen Stiller in the comedy filmThe Heartbreak Kid, directed by theFarrelly Brothers, in 2006.[21] She played Lila, the newly wedded wife of Stiller's character.[26] The film follows the couple's honeymoon in Mexico, where Stiller's character falls in love with another woman and realizes that the marriage was a mistake.[27] A remake of the 1972 filmof the same title, it was released in October 2007 to generally poor reviews, as critics deemed it "neither as daring nor as funny" as the directors' earlier films.[28] Akerman's performance garnered more positive reviews; Desson Thomson ofThe Washington Post called her a "fabulous comic partner" to Stiller,[27] while Roger Moore ofTimes Herald-Record asserted that she had outperformed him.[29] The film grossed US$14 million in its opening weekend in the United States, and went on to gross US$127 million globally.[30]
In 2007, Akerman joined the cast of27 Dresses, a romantic comedy film directed byAnne Fletcher withKatherine Heigl in the lead role.[31] The film follows Heigl's character Jane, who has always been the bridesmaid and dreams of her own wedding. Akerman played Jane's sister Tess.[32] The film was shot during the summer of 2007,[33] and was released in January 2008 to weak critical reception as it was considered "clichéd and mostly forgettable".[34] The film was more successful commercially, with a gross of US$160 million.[35] Akerman played the title role inBye Bye Sally, a short film directed byPaul Leyden and based on Lisa Mannetti's short storyEverybody Wins.[36] The film premiered at the 2009Newport Beach Film Festival.[36]
In 2009, Akerman starred asSilk Spectre II in thesuperhero filmWatchmen, an adaptation ofAlan Moore's graphic novelof the same name.[37] Directed byZack Snyder, the feature film is set in an alternate reality in 1985 where a group of retired vigilantes investigate an apparent conspiracy against them.[37] Snyder favoured Akerman over other more well-known actresses as he felt that they could not play such a serious part.[38] Akerman rehearsed with "months of hardcore training" and went on a very strict diet.[15] She wore a brunette wig, high heels and an uncomfortablelatex costume, which provided little protection when performing stunts, and she often bruised herself during filming.[38] Akerman stated that her character carries the emotion of the film as she is the only woman among several men.[39] Premiering in February 2009, the film received generally favourable reviews,[40] and was a commercial success, grossing US$185 million worldwide.[41] Although Akerman was nominated for aSaturn Award forBest Supporting Actress for her performance in the film,[42] critics were generally negative towards her acting.[43][44][45] She also received nominations for aTeen Choice Award and twoScream Awards.[46][47][48] In retrospect, she has stated that she struggled with her confidence while shooting the film and "felt way out of [her] league".[49]Watchmen was the largest headlining project of her career at the time which she did not feel prepared for. She said, "I had no training and I was working with these fabulous theater actors who had all the training in the world. I definitely didn't feel worthy of being there."[49]
Akerman appeared in the 2009 romantic comedy filmThe Proposal, starringSandra Bullock andRyan Reynolds in the lead roles.[50] Akerman played a supporting role as Gertrude, the ex-girlfriend of Reynolds' character.[51] Although the film received mixed reviews, it went on to gross US$317 million worldwide.[52] Also in 2009, Akerman starred in the comedy filmCouples Retreat, oppositeJon Favreau andVince Vaughn.[53] The film follows four couples as they travel to a tropical island resort for couples therapy.[53] Akerman played Ronnie, the wife of Vaughn's character.[54] She enjoyed playing a mother for the first time and tried to make her character as truthful as possible.[54] The film premiered in theatres in October 2009 and grossed US$34 million in its opening weekend in the United States, entering number one at the box office, and totalled US$171 million worldwide.[55] Reception for the film was mainly negative, although Akerman's performance was met with more positive reactions.[56][57]
In 2010, Akerman co-starred as Annie in theJosh Radnor-directed comedy-drama filmHappythankyoumoreplease[58] As her character hasalopecia, Akerman shaved off her eyebrows and wore a bald cap to cover her hair.[59] She was originally offered a different part, but felt that she wanted to play Annie as it was different from her previous roles.[59] The film premiered at theSundance Film Festival in January 2010 and received an audience award for Favorite U.S. Drama.[58] Reviews from critics were polarized, but Akerman received praise.[60][61][62] Later in 2010, she guest starred on theHow I Met Your Mother episode "The Wedding Bride",[63] and joined the cast of theAdult Swim comedy seriesChildrens Hospital.[64] Playing the part of the promiscuous Dr. Valerie Flame, Akerman joined during the series' second season along withHenry Winkler.[65] The series was originally aweb series and Akerman accepted the role after viewing severalwebisodes. "It was totally up my alley, my kind of humor", she said of the series.[65] The same year, she played a supporting role in the romantic comedy filmThe Romantics withKatie Holmes,Josh Duhamel andAnna Paquin.[66] The film premiered in September 2010 on limited release to generally negative reviews.[67]
In 2010, she starred inSebastian Gutierrez's comedy filmElektra Luxx oppositeCarla Gugino andJoseph Gordon-Levitt. The film is a sequel to 2009'sWomen in Trouble.[68] Akerman played Trixie, an awkward drug store clerk who falls for Gordon-Levitt's character, who in turn is obsessed with Gugino's character, a retired porn star.[69] Akerman was offered the role during a screening ofWomen in Trouble.[69] The film premiered in March 2011 on limited release and received generally unfavourable reviews; critics dismissed it as a "bizarre sex comedy".[70] Next, Akerman starred in the lead female role in the filmThe Bang Bang Club, which follows a group of young photojournalists in South Africa during the final stages of theapartheid.[71] She played Robin Comley, a newspaper photo editor.[72] The film premiered during the2010 Toronto International Film Festival to mixed reviews from the press.[73][74] In 2010, Akerman signed up for a part in newcomer Aaron Harvey'sCatch .44, a drama-thriller film withForest Whitaker andBruce Willis in the male lead roles.[75] The film was generally ignored by critics and movie goers alike.[76]
Akerman had a supporting role in the 2012 comedy filmWanderlust, withJennifer Aniston andPaul Rudd.[77] The film focuses on an overworked couple who end up at a commune when they try to slow things down.[78] Akerman played Eva, a woman at the commune.[78][79] The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics, who were divided regarding its humour, but ultimately praised the cast.[80]Wanderlust underperformed at the box office, earning just over US$20 million worldwide during its theatrical run.[81] Akerman appeared in the comedy filmThe Giant Mechanical Man, which premiered at theTribeca Film Festival in April 2012 to average reviews.[82][83] She had a supporting role in the 2012rockmusical filmRock of Ages, based on the stage productionof the same name.[18][84] She played Constance Sack, a journalist who interviewsTom Cruise's character Stacee Jaxx. She hired avocal coach as her role required her to sing; she and Cruise recorded a duet ofForeigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is" (1984).[18][85] The duet appears onthe soundtrack, which peaked at number five on theBillboard 200 and sold 320,000 copies in the US.[86][87] Although the film grossed lower than expected, its opening weekend gross in the United States became the third-highest ever for an adaption of a stage production.[84]
Akerman played oppositeNicolas Cage in the 2012bank heist action filmStolen. The film received negative reviews from critics and bombed at the box office.[88][89] Next, Akerman appeared in the crime filmHotel Noir (2012), the comedy horror filmCottage Country (2013), and the action thrillerThe Numbers Station (2013), all of which were panned by critics.[5] In 2013, Akerman portrayedDebbie Harry inRandall Miller's filmCBGB.[90] The film received a limited theatrical release and was met with negative reviews in the press.[91][92] During this time, she had several guest roles on television, including the seriesNewsreaders,Robot Chicken, andWelcome to Sweden.[93][94] From 2012 to 2013, she had a recurring role onABC's comedy seriesSuburgatory as Alex, the absent mother of the main character Tessa.[95] Akerman was also a contestant on the comedy seriesBurning Love (2012), which parodied the reality seriesThe Bachelor.[96]
From 2013 to 2014, Akerman held the lead role on the ABC sitcomTrophy Wife. She played Kate Harrison, the third wife ofBradley Whitford's character.Marcia Gay Harden andMichaela Watkins co-starred as Whitford's two ex-wives.[97][98] Akerman also served as a producer.[99] She was initially put off by the title, "I saw the title and I said, 'Hell no, I'm not playing a trophy wife!'"[100] However, she changed her mind after reading the script; she liked the writing and how the character is not actually atrophy wife.[101] Executive producerLee Eisenberg said the title was "always meant to be ironic".[100] The series received positive reviews from critics, who praised the chemistry between the actors.[102][103][104] Akerman received critical acclaim for her performance; Gabriel Mizrahi ofThe Huffington Post deemed her portrayal "terrific",[105] and Matt Webb Mitovich ofTVLine opined that she "no less than shines here, coming off as fun-loving but not flaky, warm and not overheated".[106] Several television critics named it one of the best new sitcoms of 2013,[97][106][107] and some criticized its title for confusing audiences by suggesting it is about something that it is not.[97][108][109] Willa Paskin ofSlate regarded the title "terrible" and "an insult to its lovely, daffy main character".[110] Criticism was also directed towards ABC for giving the series a poor time slot.[97][106]Trophy Wife aired for one season before its cancellation.[97]
Akerman was a main cast member onYahoo! Screen's short-lived comedy seriesSin City Saints (2015), which ran for an eight-episode season. She portrayed Dusty Halford, the lawyer of the eponymous basketball team.[111] Akerman co-starred inBrett Haley's comedy-drama filmI'll See You in My Dreams (2015) withBlythe Danner. The film premiered at the2015 Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews.[112] Also in 2015, she starred in the comedy slasher filmThe Final Girls withTaissa Farmiga. The film follows a group of high school students who are transported into a slasher film.[113] The film received generally favourable reviews from critics, who noted its "surprising layer of genuine emotion" amidst "the meta amusement".[114] Akerman was nominated for aFangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.[115]
Akerman in July 2015
Akerman acted in two feature films in 2016,Misconduct andThe Ticket, both of which received limited release.[116][117] Critical reception ofMisconduct was generally negative, whileThe Ticket attracted mixed reviews.[5] Akerman's performance in the latter, as the wife of a blind man who regained his sight, was met with positive reception.[118][119][120] The same year, Akerman starred alongsideOrlando Bloom andKate Micucci on an episode of theNetflix comedy-drama seriesEasy, ananthology series with stand-alone episodes of different characters exploring relationships.[121] From 2016 to 2019, Akerman was a main cast member on theShowtime drama seriesBillions, playing the role of Lara Axelrod, the wife of billionaire hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod, portrayed byDamian Lewis.[122] Akerman enjoyed playing the character due to her "no-nonsense" attitude.[122] The series received critical acclaim.[123] She stepped into a recurring role for the third season to accommodate for roles in other projects, which was written into the storyline with her character becoming Bobby's ex-wife.[124]
Akerman was cast inBrad Peyton's science fiction monster filmRampage (2018), based on the video game seriesof the same name, as Claire Wyden, the CEO of a company responsible for the infection and mutation of several animals.[125] She liked playing a villain for the first time as it was a "good challenge". She said, "I don't think she had any redeeming qualities, but I don't think characters have to have redeeming qualities. It's quite fun to just enjoy being evil".[126] The film became a commercial success with a worldwide revenue of US$428 million, ending up as the twenty-first highest-grossing film of 2018.[127] Critical reception was mixed, with some critics deeming it a "brainless blockbuster".[128] In 2019, Akerman made a guest appearance on theComedy Central educational comedy seriesDrunk History where she played accused murdererBeulah Annan.[129] Akerman played the role of Grace Richmond, the mother ofLiana Liberato's character, inMartha Stephens' coming-of-age dramaTo the Stars (2019).[130] The film premiered at the2019 Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews from critics.[131]
Akerman signed on for anNBC drama pilot titledPrism in February 2019.[132] The pilot, directed byDaniel Barnz, details a murder trial told through different perspectives of each key person involved, with Akerman as public defender Rachel Lewis.[124] NBC passed on the project in May 2019.[133] Akerman played her first Swedish-speaking film role in thejukebox musical filmA Piece of My Heart, directed byEdward af Sillén and based on music by Swedish singerTomas Ledin.[134] The film received a Christmas 2019 release in Sweden.[135] She also starred inThe Sleepover, directed byTrish Sie forNetflix.[136] Akerman was cast in the comedy filmFriendsgiving, directed byNicol Paone in her directorial debut. Akerman is also a producer on the project.[137] She appeared in an episode of theAMC anthology seriesSoulmates, which premiered on 5 October 2020.[138][139] She starred in the comedy filmChick Fight (2020) about an all-female underground fight club.[14]
In 2020, Akerman played the lead role of Ally in theCBS comedy pilotThe Three of Us which was created by Frank Pines.[140] In 2022, she starred inA Week in Paradise,[141]The Aviary,[142] andSlayers.[143]
In 2023, Akerman competed inseason nine ofThe Masked Singer as "Squirrel". While having bestedMichael Bolton as "Wolf" andKeenan Allen as "Gargoyle" (who was spared byJenny McCarthy ringing the Ding Dong Keep It On Bell) on "DC Superheroes Night", she was eliminated on "Sesame Street Night" alongsideLele Pons as "Jackalope". Also in 2023, Akerman starred inThe Donor Party,[144]Us or Them.[145] andThe Christmas Classic,[146] all of which received limited release. She played her second Swedish-speaking film role inEtt sista race, released in Swedish cinemas in December 2023.[2]
Having been born in Sweden and raised in Canada, Akerman has said that she has "conflicting feelings" for the two countries.[15] In an interview forToronto Star, she said, "Every time I'm in Canada I feel more Swedish, and every time I'm in Sweden I feel more Canadian. I belong in both places and I love them both equally."[15] She is a Swedish citizen but not a Canadian one, instead havingpermanent residency in Canada.[149][150][151] She became an American citizen in October 2018.[150] Apart from speaking fluent English and Swedish, she also speaks French, Italian and Spanish.[6][7]
Akerman met Italian musician Roberto Zincone in 2003, when she was the lead singer for the Petalstones, for which he was the drummer.[9] They usually socialized after band practice, using a dictionary as Zincone could not speak English.[9] They eventually started dating and married inSorrento in June 2007.[11] In 2013 they had a son.[152] The couple separated in November 2013, and Zincone filed for divorce later that month.[153] In October 2017, Akerman announced her engagement to English actorJack Donnelly.[154] They married inTulum in December 2018.[155]
Inspired by herBuddhist upbringing,[13] Akerman has alotus flower tattoo on her upper back.[9] She also has a tattooed "Z" on her right wrist, which she got to honor Zincone when they were married.[9]
In 2010, Akerman revealed that she isdyslexic and that it takes her "a long time" to learn her lines: "I get horrified when I have to dotable reads with the whole cast, because there's a lot of stuttering coming from me, so I have to do a lot of prep."[156] Because of this, she prefers to improvise her lines.[156]
Akerman in a commercial for the Swedish clothing retailerSisters in 2009
In 2008 Akerman made her first appearance onAskMen.com's "99 Most Desirable Women" list at number 60.[157] The same year men's magazineMaxim placed her at number 59 in their annual "Hot 100" rankings.[158] The following year the magazine ranked her at number four.[159]
In 2012 Akerman travelled to Tanzania withOpportunity International and has since begun support of their international development work, becoming a Young Ambassador for Opportunity in June 2012,[160] and hosting a fundraiser for Opportunity in October 2012.[161] She served food with fellow actressJanuary Jones at the Los Angeles Mission's annualThanksgiving event in 2021.[162]
^Swedish pronunciation:[ˈmɑ̌ːlɪnˈôːkɛrˌman]ⓘ. Although she is widely recognized as 'Malin Akerman', the original 'Åkerman' spelling with the letterÅ is retained in Sweden and Swedish-language media.[1][2]
^abForsell, Mikael (22 August 2023)."Strejk i Hollywood kan lyfta svensk film" [Strike in Hollywood could lift Swedish film].Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish).Archived from the original on 25 August 2023. Retrieved13 September 2023.
^Linden, Sheri (25 January 2019)."'To the Stars': Film Review".The Hollywood Reporter.Archived from the original on 26 January 2019. Retrieved12 June 2019.
^ab"Malin Akerman on Instagram". Instagram.Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved12 June 2019.I have been an immigrant my whole life. Moved from Sweden to Canada when I was just two years old. Was always just a resident there as well as here in America for the last 15 years.
^"Comey's Nasty Little Tell-All".The Jim Jefferies Show. Season 2. Episode 4. 17 April 2018. Event occurs at 15:25–15:29 and 17:50–17:52.Comedy Central.Jefferies: "You got both [Swedish and Canadian] passports?" Akerman: "No, just Swedish." ... Jefferies: "You don't have citizenship in Canada?" Akerman: "No."