The daughter of a retired nurse and a doctor, Malthe has also done considerably well as a model along with her sister Kristin. Although these career choices have showcased her considerable physical charms, Malthe recently has begun to branch out and become more discriminating in the roles she chooses, opting to play real people with real problems, though do not expect her to retire her sword anytime soon.

Jonathan Stryker: Where are you from and where did you grow up?

Natassia Malthe: I grew up in Norway, and I also lived in Vancouver, British Columbia for a while. I sort of lived back and forth between Norway and Canada. I also lived in Scotland, too. I speak English, Norwegian and some French.

JS: Un petit peu.

NM: Oui! (laughs)

JS: You sound well-traveled.

NM: Yeah, I studied musical theatre in London and wanted work in the West-End. I also lived in the Philippines for a while after I graduated. I also lived in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand during a time when I had a lot of restless energy.

JS: Were you an avid film and television viewer during your formative years?

NM: Definitely. I was both. I had a really great childhood friend who I went to see a lot of movies with - we saw the Indiana Jones films, E.T., and he was very interested in becoming a writer and director in Hollywood, so he would go with me to the movies. I saw all of these movies because of him. I also used to watch television for about six hours a day because I was a TV fanatic and really liked to escape.

JS: What was the first film you saw in a theater?

NM: E.T. I watched videotapes before I saw that, but I saw E.T. in Canada, then I went to Norway and I remember not being allowed to see it! In Norway, the age to see E.T. was higher. You had to be twelve! That's around the age that I wanted to be an actress, interestingly enough. I got the idea at this age, but I didn't gain the confidence until I was in my twenties. I didn't see the big picture until I was older. I didn't take it too seriously at the time because I had regarded it as a dream in the clouds rather than a legitimate career. I found it difficult to gain the confidence to actually go for it.

JS: What do you look for in a script?

NM: I think I look for something that I find within me. When I see something that grabs me or something I can recognize myself in. I am drawn to genre projects, and interesting ones are few and far between. It's funny, because I dreamed that I was doing a werewolf movie a few years back, and then the script for SKINWALKERS came to me a short time after! (laughs)

JS: "Soon...soon the moon will rise and I will become a wolf..."

NM: (laughs) I've always been drawn to Dracula and INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE. When I get to audition for these types of movies, I always feel comfortable doing them because I like the genre.

JS: Who in the industry do you admire and would like to work with?

NM: I really loved Nick Cassavetes' THE NOTEBOOK. James Cameron is wonderful. Steven Spielberg and Darren Aronofsky, Tim Burton, Peter Jackson, they make such amazing films.

JS: What's next for you?

NM: I recently finished THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACKS for Alex Calvo which has been playing the film festival circuit. It's a different type of film than I am used to. I'm trying to get more into character-driven roles and make myself more versatile to the casting directors. I also did ALONE IN THE DARK II with Lance Henricksen, Bill Moseley, and Danny Trejo which is also due out this year. So, I have a lot on my plate!

JS: Thank you for talking with us.

NM: Sure, thank you!