by Brooke Varney
Alicia Vikander
“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.” No, this is not a quote from an adventure or survival expert, but courtesy of actress Alicia Vikander. At the time she was on location in Russia for her debut English-language film, Anna Karenina, a role that would ultimately change her life. “It was one of the most fantastic adventures I’ve ever had in my life,” she giggles. “But I don’t need to do it twice.”
Alicia Vikander as Kitty in Anna Karenina
The stunning actress, originally a trained dancer in the Royal Swedish Ballet, has only been acting for a few years but is rapidly becoming a force to be reckoned with. In 2010, her first lead role as a stalker in Pure won her a Golden Beetle (better known in Sweden as a prestigious Guldbagge award). After her critically acclaimed role as Kitty in Anna Karenina, she also landed a role opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange biopic The Fifth Estate. These days, since its debut at the BFI London Film Festival, the actress is receiving endless praise from critics for her portrayal of Vera Brittain in the movie adaptation of her World War I memoir, Testament of Youth. Brittain was a young woman whose love for literature and desire for an education earned her a scholarship to Oxford, which she ultimately abandoned to become a war nurse. A story of courage and love in the face of tragedy and fear, the role proved to be challenging for Alicia. When discussing her portrayal of Brittain, she reflected, “I think it is quite terrifying for any actor to portray a person who existed in real life… I’m not Vera but I did try my best to bring out the emotional impact she had on the other people in her life. I had to use all my imagination and hopefully be true to all the information I had been given from the people who knew her best. I’ve tried to create her in my head and stay true to the story we were making which was to tell the story of who Vera Brittain was.” If the countless rave reviews of her performance are anything to go by, we’d say she’s done a fine job.
Alicia Vikander as Vera Brittain in Testament of Youth
Alicia Vikander opposite Kit Harington in Testament of Youth
Watch the trailer for Testament of Youth here!