"I am for you, Alrick of Valt", those were the words of the alluring female metamorph, Kamala, who could adapt and become the perfect mate of any male life form on the television series, 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' . The only woman who could play that role was Famke Janssen. That's how I was introduced to this dutch femme fatale.
Famke means 'little girl in Frisian (a Dutch dialect), and ironically, she is anything but little. Standing at a statuesque 5' 11'', a naturally beautiful young woman earned money through modeling gigs. She drew much attention for her beauty and moved to New York for more exposure. Her modeling career took off, and she was in high demand She was even once a Maybeline girl.
Famke is not just a looker, this lady has smarts; having studied at Columbia University, majoring in Literature and Creative Writing. While studying at Columbia, she tried acting classes and was instantly hooked onto the thrill of performing.
After graduation, Famke decided to move to Los Angeles to give acting a serious shot. She starred in a couple forgettable movie before making her break on the Star Trek guest spot. The role was quite memorable, more so in hindsight than it was at the time. Famke's metamorph tantalizes the crew of the Enterprise, captained by Patrick Stewart. Almost a decade later, she tantalized him again in X-Men. This time gifted with powers of telepathy and telekinesis as Jean Grey, his star student.
Famke began getting more minor roles in movies. But it was another actress milestone that propelled her to a serious Hollywood name. She was as the first Bond Girl of the newly rejuvenated Bond franchise in Goldeneye. Famke played Xenia Onatopp, the villainous assassin who crushes her victims to death with her thighs (ahem… only in Bond films!) But being a Bond girl is being among prestigous company.
Goldeneye brought Famke to everyone’s attention. but Janssen was wary - she was smart enough to realize that she was at a pivotal moment in her career. She could continue in the same vein and play up her sexuality and dark appeal, or she could try to branch out in other directions. She did not want to be typecast as only a sex object on screen and began taking on roles in a variety of independent films and smaller productions, most notably Woody Allen’s Celebrity, Rounders opposite Matt Damon (another of my favourite movies) and The Adventures of Sebastian Cole. This savvy starlet has also always been sure to maintain her mainstream recognition, with roles in films like The Faculty, House on Haunted Hill, X-Men, Made and most recently Don't Say a Word.
Being multi-talented, she also is multi-lingual, speaking four languages; Dutch, German, English and French. Perhaps Famke really is a metamorph! *Sigh* One can only hope. Famke has captured me right from the start with her beauty, her distinct soft voice and accent, her penetrating gaze. Later she enthralled me further with her attitude, sensibility, class and sensuality. Her performance on screen has never been dissappointed me, however I have yet to see her in a truly riveting leading role. |
Google Images: Famke Janssen
Fan Site: Famke Janssen Online
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