2006 is proving to be a
breakthrough year for Katheryn Winnick. Just
days after playing the female lead opposite
Matthew Lillard in FOX’s highly-anticipated
hidden treasure mystery pilot 13
GRAVES, directed by Dominic Sena, she hit
the big screen playing Melissa, Matthew
McConaughey’s girlfriend in the #1
box-office hit FAILURE TO LAUNCH.
Winnick has also recently showcased her
diverse artistic abilities in WHEN NIETZSCHE
WEPT, starring opposite Armand Assante and
Ben Cross. In this film, based on the
bestselling novel of the same name, she
portrays real-life 19th century Russian
poet, Lou Salome. “No woman has radiated a
stronger or more direct influence in
German-speaking lands in the last 150 years
than this Lou von Salome from Petersburg,”
according to esteemed German scholar and
publisher Kurt Wolff.
This recent success comes
as no surprise, as Winnick has landed
numerous starring roles in the past couple
of years, moving effortlessly from drama to
genre fare in both film and television. When
no less an authority than The Hollywood
Reporter gushed about Winnick that she
“steals nearly every scene” playing the
young Ivana Trump in ABC’s highly-publicized
2005 biopic TRUMP UNAUTHORIZED, this only
confirmed her status as one of Hollywood’s
most up-and-coming young actresses.
Other notable roles include the
Oscar-nominated short film OUR TIME IS UP,
the teen road-trip comedy NATIONAL LAMPOON’S
GOING THE DISTANCE, and her award winning
performance in DADDY’S LITTLE GIRL. On
the small screen, Winnick has also
guest-starred on such hit shows as CSI: NY,
LAW & ORDER, CRIMINAL MINDS and OZ. After
her teen debut as a recurring character on
the popular Canadian TV series STUDENT
BODIES, Winnick - who hails from Toronto,
Ontario - was selected from among thousands
of young actors to be documented as one of
the next ones to have “it” in Bravo’s
groundbreaking show, THE “IT” FACTOR. She
currently holds a third-degree Black Belt in
Tae Kwon Do, a second-degree Black Belt in
Karate, and is a licensed bodyguard to boot.
