Deborah Kara Unger Biography

Fast Facts

• In 2010 she received a Star of Excellence on Germany's Walk of Fame
• Recipient of Best Actress at the 2005 Málaga International Week of Fantastic Cinema for "One Point O․"
• Recipient of the Libertas Award at the 2003 Dubrovnik International Film Festival
• Was the first Canadian accepted into the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art
• Winner of a Star of Excellence at the 2010 Oldenburg Film Festival
• Nominated for a Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award in 2004 as Best Supporting Actress in a Canadian Film for "Emile․"
• Recipient of Best Actress at the 2004 Method Fest Independent Film Festival in the Feature Film category for "Emile․"
• Winner of a New American Cinema Award at the 2000 Seattle International Film Fesival in the Citation of Excellence for Ensemble Cast Performance for "The Weekend․"
• Nominated for two Genie Awards, once in 2000 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for "Sunshine" and once in 2003 as Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for "Between Strangers․"
• Recipient of Imagery Honors at the 2004 Sonoma Valley Film Festival
• Winner of the Half-Life Award at the 2010 Action on Film International Film Festival
• While filming for "The Game," she had to jump into a dumpster infested with rats, which resulted in her fracturing a bone in her foot
• After graduating from high school she planned to audition for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Julliard, and the National Institute of Dramatic Arts in Australia, but only auditioned for the latter and was offered a spot at the school
• Quote: "That excites me, working with really excellent people, be it wonderful directors or actors or cinematographers and especially writers․ My work life is going to a set and having these great experiences and coming home shifted by them․"
• Quote: "For me, on set, film is not a hierarchical experience - it's an ensemble wherein everyone is interdependent․ I like to remain on set as much as possible to stay in the world and absorb the environment, so unless a quick change is needed or a specific emotional focus needs to be maintained, I'm rarely in my trailer - but with the team quietly on set․"
• Starred alongside Michael Douglas in the financially successful thriller "The Game," debuting at No․ 1 at the box office
• Starred in her second thriller film in 2005, "White Noise" with co-star Michael Keaton
• Was the first Canadian to be accepted into Australia's National Institute of Art