In early 2017, Tomb Raider fans everywhere got their first look at Swedish actress Alicia
Vikander as the series' iconic hero Lara Croft in the upcoming film franchise reboot.
But while Tomb Raider is Vikander's latest big budget action role, the star has been
all over the place in the last decade, moving from Swedish indie darling to A-list celebrity.
Here's a look at why the new Lara Croft looks so familiar.
Pure
One of the first films to land Alicia Vikander some international recognition was 2009's
Swedish drama Pure.
Directed by Lisa Langseth, the film stands out as a real masterpiece of Swedish cinema,
landing Vikander 'Best Actress in a Leading Role' honors at the Swedish version of the
Academy Awards and launching her on the path to superstardom.
A Royal Affair
Vikander followed up her breakthrough performance in Pure with a supporting role opposite Mads
Mikkelsen in the 2012 historical drama A Royal Affair.
The critically acclaimed film earned 'Best Foreign Language Film' nominations at both
the Oscars and Golden Globes.
Which is ironic considering Danish was actually a foreign language for Vikander as well.
She told the Independent,
"I had to call my friend's mother, who is half-Danish.
She actually recorded all of the lines (in Danish) on her iPhone and sent them to me
so I was able to practice on my own."
Anna Karenina
Vikander's debut in English-language cinema came in Joe Wright's 2012 film adaptation
of Leo Tolstoy's famous novel Anna Karenina.
Filming the Russian classic was quite an adventure itself.
Vikander told The Guardian,
"It was 40 below, we didn't have hot water for five days and slept in a cabin, on a bench.
On our call sheets it actually said: 'Beware of wolves.
They are known to attack lone humans.'
We saw a wolf one time, and a bear, but there were some very tough Russian security guys
who came along … It was one of the most fantastic adventures I've ever had in my life.
But I don't need to do it twice."
The Fifth Estate
Vikander's English-language acting career started gathering steam in 2013, when she
landed a supporting role in Bill Condon's WikiLeaks thriller The Fifth Estate opposite
Benedict Cumberbatch.
She told GQ,
"I knew a lot about WikiLeaks already.
One of the most famous documentaries about it came out in Sweden before the war logs
were released, and Julian Assange was still considered a very brave man."
Hotell
2013 also saw Alicia Vikander star in the Swedish drama film Hotell, in which she plays
Erika, a mother struggling with postnatal depression who finds comfort in hotel rooms.
Vikander found herself attracted to the script because she enjoys playing uncomfortable roles—and
because she'd already worked with the film's director, Lisa Langseth, on Pure.
She told Refinery29,
"I was really drawn to the script.
Many women go through [postnatal depression] if they have a family, but it's still a very
taboo subject; I've never really seen it portrayed onscreen.
I mean, I didn't even really know how it would work just by reading the script…
I was quite amazed at how Lisa was able to bring it all to the screen."
Ex Machina
2014 would prove to be a very big year for Alicia Vikander, due in no small part to her
attention-getting turn in Alex Garland's Ex Machina.
In the sci-fi psychological thriller, Vikander played Ava, a beautiful and dangerous robot
powered by artificial intelligence—a role that landed her a slew of award nominations.
Vikander was happy for the change of pace, telling IndieWire,
"I just love those intimate, psychological sci-fi films.
Then this script came along and it's one of the best scripts I've read.
Normally you come in and work on a script and Alex was very open to us to change it,
but it was just a very finished product.
It's a page-turner."
Testament of Youth
Vikander's stunning performance in Ex Machina was followed by her portrayal of writer Vera
Brittain in James Kent's film adaptation of her World War One memoir, Testament of Youth.
In an interview with Collider, Vikander discussed the difficulties of playing a real-life character.
"You want to… especially give justice to her family and friends who actually still
live and who remember her, who knew her.
That was probably the most nerve-wracking thing to meet them in person and do that.
But they were so nice and they were really there to support."
Son of a Gun
Alicia Vikander's third film in 2014 was Julius Avery's Australian crime thriller Son of a
Gun.
Vikander told IndieWire she was hooked from the first page.
"When I read the script it had such pace, and then it turns into a heist thriller, so
I was very intrigued to see how this director, who I thought was a very arthouse director,
would do something like that."
Seventh Son
Sergei Bodrov's fantasy adventure film Seventh Son was the fourth high-profile release featuring
Alicia Vikander to hit theaters in 2014, but it was actually one of her very first gigs,
having been filmed several years earlier.
Vikander told GoPride.com,
"This is how studios work with releasing movies.
It was a big experience for me because it was the first American film that I got."
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
In 2015, Vikander made the jump to blockbusters with Guy Ritchie's re-imagining of the hit
'60s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Having appeared primarily in indie or lower-budget films, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was a new experience
for Vikander.
She told Vulture,
"I mean, they closed down the Spanish Steps in Rome.
I was like, 'Are you kidding?'
I couldn't believe it!
But that's what you're able to do when you have those budgets, and it was a huge gift
to be able to experience that.
I could walk out on the street and feel like I'd time-traveled, with 200 extras and all
the shop frames changed to look like the '60s."
The Danish Girl
In 2015, Vikander took on what would become her most famous role to date, as Danish painter
Gerda Wegener in Tom Hooper's film adaptation of David Ebershoff's transgender novel The
Danish Girl.
Vikander won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, but while she was happy with the
win, she didn't think it was really a big deal.
She told Vogue,
"I think that it's all just buzz, and if people recognize the film and talk about the film,
then maybe that will bring audiences to see our film.
It's an important story to tell, so that's all we want."
Burnt
Rounding out 2015, Vikander appeared in the John Wells cooking drama Burnt, in which she
appears in a very brief role as Bradley Cooper's ex-girlfriend.
The film was a commercial and critical disappointment, so maybe next time the producers will do the
smart thing and give Vikander more screen time!
Jason Bourne
2016 saw Alicia Vikander continue her rise to mainstream stardom with her portrayal of
CIA Cyber Ops Division head Heather Lee in the fifth installment of the Bourne series,
Jason Bourne.
It was a dream come true for Vikander, who has long been a fan of the franchise.
She told The Independent,
"I was a teenager when I saw the first film…
Even if it is a popcorn franchise movie, it's intriguing because it has elements of political
and social issues that you recognize and yet is still very entertaining."
The Light Between Oceans
After playing a department head at the CIA, Vikander returned to period fare, starring
in the 2016 romantic drama The Light Between Oceans.
Vikander's onscreen romance with co-star Michael Fassbender immediately led to popular speculation
that they were having an offscreen romance, although neither actor would confirm the rumors.
Since filming The Light Between Oceans, though, the pair's private romance has been a hot
topic for tabloids, turning the stars into Hollywood's newest 'it' couple.
Tulip Fever
In 2017, Vikander returned to period drama in Tulip Fever.
The movie was actually filmed back in 2014, though, and as you might expect, the long
delay was due to the fact that the film apparently just isn't very good.
Still, with a full docket of high-profile releases on the horizon, including that Tomb
Raider reboot, we've only seen the start of what promises to be a long and fascinating
film career.
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