Biography

Natasha Henstridge is a Canadian actress and former model born in 1974. She rose to international fame in 1995 with the science-fiction film 'Species', in which she played Sil, an extraterrestrial creature. She went on to pursue a career in both film and television.

Natasha Henstridge(1974 — ?)

Natasha Henstridge

Canada

5 min read

Performing Arts20th CenturyLate 20th century, the golden age of 1990s Hollywood science-fiction and horror cinema, marked by special effects and the success of blockbusters.

Frequently asked questions

Natasha Henstridge is a Canadian actress and model born in 1974. The key thing to remember is that she owes her worldwide fame to the science-fiction film Species (1995), in which she plays Sil, an alien creature. That role instantly made her an icon of 1990s horror and sci-fi cinema, an era defined by special effects and blockbusters. Less known to the general public is the fact that her career later shifted toward television with series such as Eli Stone.

Key Facts

  • Born on November 15, 1974, in Springdale (Newfoundland), Canada
  • Began modeling in Paris at the age of 15
  • Landed her first major film role with 'Species' in 1995, as the alien Sil
  • The extraterrestrial creature in 'Species' helped shape the popular imagination (inspiring some descriptions of the Chupacabra)
  • Continued her career in films and television series from the 2000s onward

Works & Achievements

Species (1995)

Science-fiction film that introduced her to the whole world in the role of Sil, an alien creature. It is the founding work of her acting career.

Maximum Risk (1996)

Action film alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme, which confirmed her presence in Hollywood action cinema.

Species II (1998)

Sequel to the film that made her famous, in which she reprises a role connected to the creature Sil.

Ghosts of Mars (2001)

Science-fiction film directed by John Carpenter, in which she plays the lead role, that of a police officer on the planet Mars.

Eli Stone (2008-2009)

American television series in which she portrays the lawyer Taylor Wethersby, marking her lasting move into television.

Beauty and the Beast (2013-2014)

Television series in which she plays a recurring role, illustrating the diversity of her career on the small screen.

Anecdotes

Natasha Henstridge began her career as a model at just 14 years old: spotted at a contest, she moved to Paris to walk the runway, long before becoming an actress in Hollywood.

For the film *Species* (1995), the alien creature she plays, Sil, was designed by the famous Swiss artist H. R. Giger, the same designer who had created the creature in the film *Alien* in 1979.

Born in Springdale, a small town in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, she had to leave her remote region very early to reach the great fashion capitals such as Paris, Milan, and New York.

*Species* was such a success that it gave rise to an entire film series: Natasha Henstridge reprised her role in the sequel released in 1998, confirming her status as an icon of 1990s science-fiction cinema.

Primary Sources

Promotional poster for the film 'Species' (MGM) (1995)
Within each of us, is the will to survive... and the desire to mate.
Opening credits of the television series 'Eli Stone' (ABC) (2008)
Natasha Henstridge as Taylor Wethersby, an associate lawyer at the firm Wethersby, Posner & Klein.

Key Places

Springdale, Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada)

Small Canadian town where Natasha Henstridge was born in 1974. It was from this remote region of the northeast that she set off to launch her international career.

Paris (France)

Fashion capital where the teenager went to work as a model at just 14. She began her career here before turning to film.

Hollywood, Los Angeles (United States)

Heart of the American film industry where she settled to act. It was there that she rose to fame with “Species” in 1995.

New York (United States)

Major modeling capital where she posed for magazines and fashion campaigns. An important step in her career as a model.

Give them back their memoryCharactorium is also a game on Pi Network: revive the forgotten figures of History, one at a time.Play in Pi

See also