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Biography

Elisha Ann Cuthbert (born November 30, 1982) is a Canadian actress. Born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Cuthbert is known as the former co-host of the Canadian children's television series, Popular Mechanics for Kids, and for her role as Kim Bauer in the American action-thriller television series 24. She had her first lead role in the 2004 feature film The Girl Next Door. Cuthbert's parents are Patricia, a homemaker, and Kevin, an automotive design engineer.



She has two younger siblings, Jonathan and Lee-Ann and grew up in Greenfield Park, near Montreal, Quebec. In 2000, she graduated from Centennial Regional High School and moved to LA at the age of 17 to pursue an acting career. When she was 7, Cuthbert started modeling for various lines of children's clothing and also became a foot model. She made her first televised appearance as an extra in the horror-themed series for children, Are You Afraid of the Dark?; she later become a series regular. Cuthbert also co-hosted Popular Mechanics for Kids, which was filmed in Montreal. Her reporting captured the attention of then-First Lady, Hillary Clinton, who invited her to visit the White House. Cuthbert landed her first role in a feature film in the family drama Dancing on the Moon (1997). She appeared in several other Canadian family-themed movies and an airplane thriller, Airspeed. Cuthbert starred in the Canadian television movie Lucky Girl in 2001 and was awarded a Gemini Award for her performance.



Soon after her move to Los Angeles, Cuthbert was cast in the role of Kim Bauer, daughter of CTU agent Jack Bauer in the television series 24. She appeared in the show's first three seasons, but not in its 4th; she guest-starred in only two episodes in the 5th season. She also reprised her role as Kim Bauer in 24: The Game. She has also said that she would like to play her role as Kim in the upcoming movie, 24: The Movie. Cuthbert auditioned for the role of Mary Jane Watson in the Spider-Man film, though the role eventually went to Kirsten Dunst. She began her Hollywood film career with small roles in Old School and Love Actually in 2003.



Cuthbert's next film, The Girl Next Door, cast her in her first lead role as an ex-porn star, Danielle, alongside Emile Hirsch. Cuthbert had initial reservations about taking the part, but was persuaded by director Luke Greenfield into accepting. She researched the role, speaking to actual adult actresses from Wicked Pictures and Vivid Entertainment. Upon its release the film received comparisons to Risky Business — although Cuthbert claims her character was not directly based on De Mornay's character — and was noted for Cuthbert's sex appeal. Critics were divided; some praised the film for its boldness, while others, notably Roger Ebert, decried it for being gimmicky and exploitative. Ebert wrote that he saw Cuthbert's character Danielle as "quite the most unpleasant character I have seen in some time." In her next big-screen outing, Cuthbert starred with Paris Hilton and Chad Michael Murray in the 2005 remake of the classic horror film House of Wax. Cuthbert, along with the rest of her cast mates, was made up to look haggard and frightened.



In one scene, her character was to attempt to open her mouth while her lips were sealed with glue. For the sake of realism, Cuthbert opted for real superglue over prosthetics. Despite her efforts, House of Wax was largely panned, with critics citing a range of flaws. It was called "notable for having some of the most moronic protagonists ever to populate a horror film," though out of those characters reviews tended to think Cuthbert "fares the best". Others noted Cuthbert as an "exception" playing her role "earnestly" and "fine". Cuthbert's next film project was the indie film The Quiet, which she not only co-starred in but also co-produced and helped finance. She played Nina, a temperamental 17-year old cheerleader who suffered from sexual abuse. Cuthbert looked to her younger cousin for inspiration as to how to play a teenager. The Quiet, distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival and received a limited release in Los Angeles and New York City on August 25, 2006, before expanding regionally on September 1.



Cuthbert had also screen tested for the role of Lois Lane in Superman Returns, but she lost the part at the last minute to Kate Bosworth. She had also been turned down for the lead in Fantastic Four. Cuthbert appeared in the music video for Weezer's "Perfect Situation" in early 2006, where she played the group's fictional original singer who threw a tantrum that led to Rivers Cuomo, the unlikely roadie, becoming the frontman of the band. Cuthbert also had a small role in Paris Hilton's music video for the song "Nothing In This World". Cuthbert appeared in two films in 2007.



The first, Captivity, was a thriller centered around a fashion model taunted by a psychopath who has imprisoned her in a cellar. She will also star in the remake of the popular South Korean movie, My Sassy Girl, alongside Jesse Bradford. Cuthbert also has several other films in different stages of production. In He Was a Quiet Man, her character, Vanessa, is a quadriplegic. The film will contain comedic and dramatic elements; the cast includes Christian Slater and William H. Macy. She is also slated to voice Cleo, "the feline daughter of a wealthy kitty litter baron" in Cat Tale, an animated film set in a civilized world of cats and dogs.