After so much time to spend browsing Netflix’s catalogue over the last year, you might have run out of new things to watch and have found yourself settling back into some old favourites instead!
For many viewers, one such old favourite will be Smallville, the hit sci-fi and action drama based on the origins of iconic hero Superman, which sees the anniversary of its finale later this year. To those viewers, actress Kristin Kreuk will surely be a familiar face – she played Clark Kent’s love interest and ‘girl next door’ Lana Lang, throughout, after all.
With that in mind, why not spend a little time getting to know her ahead of your next Smallville rewatch?
Here, DDW gives a rundown of everything you need to know about Kristin Kreuk!
In The Beginning
Kristin was born in Vancouver, Canada, back in 1982. As a child, she had always been interested in acting, as well as being skilled in athletics, training in gymnastics and karate to a nationally competitive level – skills which we’re sure came in useful for her role as Lana later on in life!
She wasn’t always set for a life on screen, though. In fact, Kristin was in her senior year at high school and was planning on studying forensic science at Simon Fraser University when she came upon the chance to audition for the CBC teen drama Edgemont.
While switching paths like this was a risk, it was a risk that paid off! Edgemont made Kristin a prominent figure among teenage fans, allowing her to go on to portray Snow White in a retelling of the iconic fairytale, a movie titled The Fairest Of Them All.
It was shortly after that her agent had decided to send an audition tape to screenwriters Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who were in the planning stages of a brand new take on the Superman story.
The Smallville Years – And Beyond
Gough and Millar loved Kristin’s audition and quickly cast her in the role of Lana Lang in Smallville. She immediately accepted, shooting the series for eight years in British Columbia – when she left the role of Lana in 2008, she had been nominated for seven different awards for her performance, including four Teen Choice Awards.
Fans missed Lana greatly, as she had been such a huge part of the show during the first eight seasons of its run. However, Kristin felt as though Lana’s story had come to a natural end – and one that she, herself, was happy with.
“I thought Lana’s story ended well,” she explained in an interview in 2011, having been asked why she didn’t return for the show’s finale that year. “I liked that she gained inner strength and had the courage to walk away from Clark, that her commitment to a greater good outweighed her very human desire to be with Clark.”
“I think her story is done, I’m not sure how Lana coming back would have changed Clark’s story. He has moved forward, as Lana would have wanted him to.”
Having left, she began the pursuit of other acting roles, performing in several TV miniseries and in eight films, including an adaptation of Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh’s best-selling short story, Ecstasy.
Her most prominent role since has been as Joanna Hanley in the hit CBC court drama Burden Of Truth, a character that she has been playing regularly since 2018.
What Is She Up To Now?
Kristin has – like the rest of us – spent the majority of the last year in lockdown!
However, she’s found plenty of fun ways to spend her free time, mainly spending plenty of time going for long walks in her home city of Toronto, as well as reading a wide range of different books. She’s even been sharing a book club with fans on Instagram for the last few months, recommending titles and giving fans a space to share their own reviews.
She was also able to shoot the latest season of Burden Of Truth, which returned to CBC in January. Announcing the airdate on her social media, she said:
‘This was a really tough season to shoot, but I’m so grateful we got to do it. I think it’s a great season, too – you get a bit of summer, a bit of winter and a lot of drama!’
It certainly sounds like its worth a watch – just as soon as we’ve completed the Smallville finale, of course!