Early life

Elisha Ann Cuthbert was born November 30, 1982, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the daughter of Patricia, a housewife, and Kevin, an automotive design engineer. She grew up in Greenfield Park, Quebec. She also lived in Toronto, Ontario, before moving onto acting. In 2000, she graduated from Centennial Regional High School and moved to Los Angeles at the age of 17.

Career

1994-2000: Early work

When she was nine, Cuthbert started modelling 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 became a regular on the show. Cuthbert co-hosted Popular Mechanics for Kids with Jay Baruchel, filmed in Montreal. Her reporting captured the attention of Hillary Clinton, who invited her to the White House.

Cuthbert landed a role in a feature film in the family drama Dancing on the Moon (1997). She appeared in other Canadian family films and in an airplane thriller, Airspeed. In 2000, Cuthbert co-starred in Believe, a Canadian film with Ricky Mabe. The following year, she starred in the Canadian television movie, Lucky Girl, and was awarded a Gemini Award for her performance.

2001-03

Soon after her move to Hollywood, she was cast as Kim Bauer, daughter of federal agent Jack Bauer, in the television series 24. She appeared in the show's first three seasons, but not in its fourth; she guest-starred in two episodes in the fifth season. She also reprised her role as Kim Bauer in 24: The Game and again guest-starred in five episodes of the seventh season and in two episodes of the eighth season.

She began her Hollywood film career with small roles in Old School, which grossed $87 million, her next film, Love Actually, earned $246.4 million worldwide.

2004-07

Her first break in a major film role was in 2004, The Girl Next Door. She played an ex-porn star, Danielle, opposite Emile Hirsch. She had reservations about the part, but was persuaded by director Luke Greenfield. She researched the role, speaking to adult actresses from Wicked Pictures and Vivid Entertainment. The film was compared to Risky Business, although Cuthbert said her character was not directly based on Rebecca De Mornay's. Critics were divided; some praised the film for boldness, others, notably Roger Ebert, called it gimmicky and exploitative. Ebert wrote that he saw Cuthbert's character as "quite the most unpleasant character I have seen in some time." Cuthbert won two nominations for the MTV Movie Awards:Best Kiss and Best Breakthrough Performance.

In her next film, Cuthbert starred with Paris Hilton and Chad Michael Murray in the 2005 remake of the horror film House of Wax. In one scene, her character attempted to open her mouth while her lips were sealed with glue. For realism, she used Superglue over prosthetics. House of Wax was largely panned, 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 of those characters, critics tended to think Cuthbert "fares the best." Though it received negative reviews the film was a box office success, which grossed $70 million worldwide. The Houston Chronicle cited Cuthbert as an exception. Cuthbert was nominated at Teen Choice Awards in two categories: Best Film Actress - Action / Adventure / Thriller and Choice Movie: Rumble.

Cuthbert's next film was the indie film The Quiet. She was co-star and co-producer. She played Nina, a temperamental 17-year-old cheerleader who suffers sexual abuse by her father. Cuthbert looked to her younger cousin as inspiration for 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 in the US on September 1. Cuthbert initially wanted to play role of the silent Dot, but director Jamie Babbit instead cast Belle in that part after Thora Birch pulled out. Babbit reasoned that "To me, Dot has to be someone you could believe would be invisible in high school. You look at Elisha, this beautiful woman with the most perfect body you've ever seen, and you think, there's no high school in America where this girl could be invisible. No matter how much hair and makeup I do, it's not going to happen." The Daily Californian conceded that "Despite the plot's failings, Cuthbert does a convincing job in her role, exuding an outer shell so tough that when her inner, softer layers emerge, it's a natural change of character. Empire Movies agreed, commenting that "this is Elisha Cuthbert's best film performance to date. Cuthbert's Nina has the majority of the most graphic and disturbing dialogue in the film, especially during one particular lunchroom scene where the camera is close up on Cuthbert and Belle's faces."

Cuthbert appeared in the music video for Weezer's "Perfect Situation" in early 2006, playing the group's fictional original singer who threw a tantrum that led to Rivers Cuomo, the roadie, becoming frontman of the band. She also had a small role in Paris Hilton's music video for the song "Nothing In This World".

In 2007, Cuthbert appeared in Captivity, a thriller centered on a fashion model taunted by a psychopath who has imprisoned her in a cellar, a role for which she was nominated for a Razzie award as "Worst Actress" and Teen Choice Awards: Movie Actress: Horror/Thriller. The film grossed $10.9 million at the box office.

2008-09

In He Was a Quiet Man, Cuthbert played Vanessa, a quadriplegic, starring with Christian Slater. The film was in limited release in 2007, and it was released on DVD in early 2008.

In 2008, Cuthbert appeared in My Sassy Girl, a remake of a Korean film, starring with Jesse Bradford. Her next film was the family comedy, The Six Wives of Henry Lefay, with Tim Allen, in which she played his daughter. She starred in the Canadian miniseries Guns. She was a judge in season two, episode two of Project Runway Canada, in which designers were challenged to create a "party dress" for her.

Cuthbert reprised her character Kim Bauer in the seventh season of 24 for five episodes. She was also to star in the CBS drama pilot Ny-Lon, playing a New York literacy teacher/record-store clerk who embarks on a transatlantic romance with a London stockbroker. The project, based on a British series starring Rashida Jones and Stephen Moyer, was canceled.

In December 2009, ABC said Cuthbert had joined the cast of The Forgotten in a recurring role as Maxine Denver, a Chicago professional.

2010-present

From April 2011 to May 2013, Cuthbert starred as Alex Kerkovich for three seasons on the ABC ensemble comedy Happy Endings alongside Eliza Coupe, Zachary Knighton, Adam Pally, Damon Wayans Jr. and Casey Wilson. Despite critical acclaim and having a cult following, the show was cancelled by ABC after the conclusion of its third season on May 3, 2013. Cuthbert was nominated for the Online Film & Television Association Award in 2012 and 2013 in the category of "Best Cast in a Comedy Series" and TV Guide Awards for Favorite Cast, the series was also nominated for 28 other awards including the Satellite Awards for Best Series comedy television or music.

In the year 2012, Cuthbert was host of the American Music Awards. In October 2012, she appeared in The Gaslight Anthem's music video "Here Comes My Man," playing the girlfriend of a man who mistreats her, until she imagines a romantic relationship with a character in a movie and chooses to end her real relationship.

In 2013, the actress made the cover of Maxim and it was elected by the magazine, the "Most beautiful woman in American television".

In February 2014, Cuthbert signed to play the female lead role in Liz Feldman and Ellen DeGeneres' new NBC sitcom pilot One Big Happy. Cuthbert stars as Lizzy, a lesbian who gets pregnant just as her straight male best friend Luke (played by Nick Zano) meets and marries the love of his life, Prudence. The pilot was ordered to 6 episodes on May 9, 2014 and debuted mid-season in early 2015. The series was canceled after one season.

Cutbert was going to play "Lady Lisa" in Chris Columbus new movie, Pixels, but she dropped out because of her upcoming NBC series, One Big Happy. Ashley Benson played the role instead.

In 2015, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Cuthbert joined Seann William Scott in a sequel to the comedy Goon, a cult hit released in 2011. The new film, titled Goon: Last of the Enforcers, went into production in June in Toronto. Liev Schreiber and Alison Pill will also reprise their roles from the first film.

In September 2015, it was announced Cuthbert would be joining the cast of The Ranch, a multi-camera straight-to-series comedy on Netflix.

Public image

Cuthbert is considered a sex symbol. Since she began playing Kim Bauer, she has frequently made the magazines FHM and Maxim's annual "hottest women" lists. Her highest ranking was No. 4 in the 2008 UK Edition of FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World list. She was ranked No. 14 in 2003, No. 10 in 2004, No. 5 in 2005, No. 22 in 2006, No. 10 in 2007 and No. 7 in 2009. The U.S. Edition ranked her No. 53 in 2003, No. 63 in 2004, and No. 54 in 2006. She was not listed in the U.S. 2005 list. Cuthbert was ranked No. 10 by AskMen.com readers in the list "Top 99 Women of 2007." In Maxim's Hot 100 list, she was ranked No. 84 in 2002, No. 9 in 2003, No. 21 in 2004, No. 92 in 2006, No. 25 in 2007, No. 6 in 2008, No. 43 in 2009, No. 65 in 2011, No. 34 in 2012, and No. 10 in 2013. The magazine also featured her in its Girls of Maxim Gallery. BuddyTV ranked her No. 33 on its TV's 100 Sexiest Women of 2011 list. In 2013, Maxim named her the most beautiful woman in American television.

Complex has ranked her in "The 25 Hottest Canadian Women", "The 100 Hottest Women of the 2000s", and "The 25 Hottest Blonde Bombshell Actresses". In 2013, GQ magazine listed her among "The 100 Hottest Women of the 21st Century."

Personal life

Cuthbert has two younger siblings, Jonathan and Lee-Ann. She is an avid ice hockey fan; in 2005, she maintained a blog on the NHL's website, though she did not post for most of the season.

Cuthbert dated NHL player Sean Avery for nearly two years; they broke up in August 2007. Cuthbert began dating NHL player Dion Phaneuf in May 2008. She was the subject of media attention over these relationships in December 2008, when Avery told reporters that "it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds". He was subsequently suspended for the comment.

Marriage

Cuthbert and Phaneuf announced their engagement in September 2012, and they married on July 6, 2013 at St. James Catholic Church in Summerfield, Prince Edward Island. Living in Toronto during the hockey season, Cuthbert and Phaneuf spend their summers at Phaneuf's waterfront estate outside of New London, Prince Edward Island, in his parents' home province.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role
1997	Dancing on the Moon	Sarah
1997	Nico the Unicorn	Carolyn Price
1998	Airspeed	Nicole Stone
1999	Believe	Katherine Winslowe
1999	Time at the Top	Susan Shawson
2000	Who Gets the House?	Emily Reece
2003	Love Actually	American Goddess Carol
2003	Old School	Darcie Goldberg
2004	Girl Next Door, TheThe Girl Next Door	Danielle
2005	House of Wax	Carly Jones
2005	Quiet, TheThe Quiet	Nina Deer
2007	Captivity	Jennifer Tree
2007	He Was a Quiet Man	Vanessa
2008	My Sassy Girl	Jordan Roark
2008	Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!	Herself
2008	Guns	Frances Dett
2009	Six Wives of Henry Lefay, TheThe Six Wives of Henry Lefay	Barbara "Barby" Lefay
2014	Just Before I Go	Penny Morgan
2016	Goon: Last of the Enforcers	Mary

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1997-2000	Popular Mechanics for Kids	Herself	Host
1999-2000	Are You Afraid of the Dark?	Megan	Main role, 24 episodes
2000	Mail to the Chief	Madison Osgood	Television movie
2001	Largo Winch	Abby	Episode: "Dear Abby"
2001	Lucky Girl	Katlin Palmerson	Television movie; also known as My Daughter's Secret Life
2001-10	24	Kim Bauer	Main role, 79 episodes
2004	MADtv	Herself / Kim Bauer	1 episode: 24 parody
2008	NY-LON	Edie	Failed television pilot
2010	Forgotten, TheThe Forgotten	Maxine Denver	Recurring role, 6 episodes
2011-13	Happy Endings	Alex Kerkovich	Main role, 57 episodes
2013	24/7 Winter Classic: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings	Herself
2015	One Big Happy	Lizzy	Main role, 6 episodes
2016	The Ranch	Abby	Main role

Web

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2012	Happy Endings: Happy Rides	Alex Kerkovich	Directed 1 episode

Music videos

Year	Title	Artist	Role
2005	"Perfect Situation"	Weezer	Lead Singer of "Weeze"
2006	"Nothing in This World"	Paris Hilton	Popular Girl
2012	"Here Comes My Man"	The Gaslight Anthem	Girlfriend
2015	"Make Our Own Way"	Little Brutes

Video games

Year	Title	Role
2006	24: The Game	Kim Bauer

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result	Ref
2001	Gemini Awards	Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series	Lucky Girl	Won
2002	Online Film Critics Society	Best Cast in a Drama Series	24	Nominated
2003	Online Film Critics Society	Best Cast in a Drama Series	24	Won
2003	Teen Choice Awards	TV Breakout Star - Female	24	Nominated
2003	Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award	Best Ensemble	Love Actually	Won
2003	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series	24	Nominated
2003	Online Film & Television Association Award	Best Ensemble	Love Actually	Nominated
2005	MTV Movie Awards	Best Kiss	The Girl Next Door	Nominated
2005	MTV Movie Awards	Best Breakthrough Performance, Female	Girl Next Door, TheThe Girl Next Door	Nominated
2005	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series	24	Nominated
2005	Teen Choice Awards	Movie Actress: Action/Adventure/Thriller	House of Wax	Nominated
2005	Teen Choice Awards	Movie Rumble	House of Wax	Nominated
2006	Spike Video Game Awards	Best Female Interpretation of a Supporting Character	24: The Game	Nominated
2006	Online Film & Television Association Award	Best Cast in a Drama Series	24	Nominated
2007	Teen Choice Awards	Movie Actress: Horror/Thriller	Captivity	Nominated
2008	Golden Raspberry Awards	Worst Actress	Captivity	Nominated
2009	Online Film & Television Association Award	Best cast in drama series	24	Nominated
2012	Online Film & Television Association Award	Best Ensemble in Comedy series	Happy Endings	Nominated

[ Source: Wikipedia ]