Mia Kirshner: Summary

Recent Role:: Jenny Schecter on The L Word

Gender:: Female

Birthday:: 1-25-1976

Birthplace:: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Birth Name:: Mia Kirshner

Born in Toronto, Ontario, she is a granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. Her father, Sheldon, a journalist for The Canadian Jewish News, was born in a displaced person camp in Germany in 1946. He met her mother, Etti, a Bulgarian Jewish refugee who is a teacher, in Israel. Kirshner has a younger sister.

In 1993 she played a dominatrix in Denys Arcand's movie Love and Human Remains. She won a Genie nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. The year after, she starred in Atom Egoyan's Exotica yet another time showing her talents as an actress. Her performance in Exotica won her a Cannes Critics Choice Award.

After working for a decade in film and television, Kirshner became well known when she starred in the first three episodes of 24 as a bisexual terrorist Mandy, in 2001. She returned for a cameo appearance in the last episode of the second season, when she attempted to assassinate President David Palmer. Kirshner returned for the last episodes of the show's fourth season in 2005.

She is also a main cast member of Showtime series The L Word, where she plays Jennifer 'Jenny' Schecter, a sexually confused fiction writer.

Mia Kirshner studied Russian literature and 20th century movie industry at McGill University in Montreal.

In 2006, Kirshner starred in the third season of The L Word as Jenny Schecter. She also starred in Brian De Palma's movie The Black Dahlia, alongside Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckhart, Scarlett Johansson and Hilary Swank, playing the young actress Elizabeth Short, who was horrifically murdered in 1947.

She also has a book, I Live Here. In the book, woman and children refugees, from dangerous places such as Chechnya, Juarez (Mexico) and Africa tell their disturbing life stories. Born in Toronto, Ontario, she is a granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. Her father, Sheldon, a journalist for The Canadian Jewish News, was born in a displaced person camp in Germany in 1946. He met her mother, Etti, a Bulgarian Jewish refugee who is a teacher, in Israel. Kirshner has a younger sister.

In 1993 she played a dominatrix in Denys Arcand's movie Love and...

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The L Word loses one
Showtime drama announces plan to axe major character. Spoilers ahead!
- 12/05/08 3:03 PM
- 46 comments \ add yours

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Bdero550
member since: Oct 7, 2008
"I Live Here" - Mia's New Book ...Continue »
Mia Kirshner's much anticipated 'I Live Here', is a unique paper documentary brought to life in collaboration with J.B MacKinnon, Paul Shoebridge, and Michael Simons. It's a publication of the I Live Here Foundation- a foundation dedicated to telling the stories of silenced and unheard people through a series of books and other media projects about our world- and will be released this October. Here's a quick note from the publisher!

"I LIVE HERE (Pantheon Books/October 14, 2008/$29.95) is a visually stunning paper documentary, in which the lives of refugees and displaced people become at once personal and universal. It is a raw and intimate journey to crises in four corners of the world: war in Chechnya, ethnic cleansing in Burma, globalization in Mexico, and AIDS in Malawi.The voices we encounter are those of displaced women and children, told in their own words or by noted writers and artists, including Joe Sacco, Ann-Marie MacDonald, Phoebe Gloeckner, Chris Abani, and many others. Threaded throughout these accounts is Mia Kirshner's intimate travel narrative, brought vividly to life in collaboration with writer J.B. MacKinnon and designers Paul Shoebridge and Michael Simons.This groundbreaking book is but one element of a larger project known as the I Live Here Foundation, committed to establishing creative writing programs for marginalized people. Further information is available at i-live-here.com"

Please visit Causecast.org (http://causecast.org/leader/mia-kirshner) to read Mia's blog entries with even more information about 'I Live Here' including photos, trailers and also the new I Live Here Foundation that she has set up in order to help fund creative writing programs in the areas she and her partners have visited. If you would like to donate to the foundation, you can do so through Causecast.org or through the official I Live Here website (http://i-live-here.com/)
10/07/08 03:24pm | report abuse
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Spank79
member since: Sep 17, 2006
L Word season 3: Mia Kirshner's character partners up with a female-to-male transgendered/transexual and supports Max with his transition. Her character develops a much needed backbone. ...Continue »
It was disappointing to see where they were taking Mia's character for the first two seasons of the L Word as I find her to be a highly memorable and captivating actress. I saw Mia's first film ages ago and have been keeping an eye out for her since. Definitely a Canadian talent to be proud of.

Mia has managed to resurect her L Word character. How many actors could really pull that off? A terrible shame they wasted her acting talent with painful sorrowful dialogue in the first couple seasons. The memory of the wales and acid tripping circus scenes will eventually be forgotten as she thrives in this re-birthed strong and witty character.
09/16/06 04:34pm | report abuse
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mandytjie
member since: Jun 22, 2005
Gorgeous, feisty, convincing ...Continue »
She's really lovely. With her long dark hair and petite physique, she is simply lovely to behold. I love her eyes.

She was truly menacing on 24. Had I not read reviews on the final episode, I would have been quite sure that a lot more people were going to die at her hands.

I hope to see her more.
11/11/05 03:24am | report abuse
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tvchick
member since: Aug 4, 2005
Strongly disagree with the above poster! ...Continue »
Please be tactful and think when submitting reviews! I, for one, am a woman who is very attracted to Mia and her character Jenny, and have been from day one. Just because YOU feel someone has no talent, does not make it so! That is your opinion, and you are entitled to it, but don't state it here as though it were fact, and do not try to speak for lesbians, or other women when you have no idea what we're thinking! Speak only for yourself, and you will come across as much more intelligent.
How could you possibly compare Mia to Jennifer Love Hewitt? Mia has an impressive resume of independent movies under her belt, and never seeks out 'Hollywood' crap just to make money. In addition, she is one of the stars of a wonderful ensemble cast of a hit show. What was the last project Jennifer Love Hewitt did? The only successful venture she was ever part of was Party of Five, and she was merely a supporting member of the cast. Mia is one of the main characters in The L Word, and it would not be the same without her. If you can understand it, go and rent Exotica. That is one of the most subtly-acted, and moving movies I have ever seen. Watch that, REALLY watch it, and tell me if Jennifer Hewitt could play that role. I think not. She wouldn't know subtlety if it smacked her in the face.
It sounds to me as though you are possibly jealous, why, because Mia is beautiful? That is just a part of the package. It's not what gets her roles. Once again, watch Exotica, especially the end. She can make you believe that she is an awkward teenager, uncomfortable in her own skin. When necessary, she sheds or hides her beauty for a role. That is talent. She is not overproduced Hollywood bimbette fodder. She is a strong, talented individual who is highly underrated as an actress, and your close-minded review should be taken with a grain of salt by anyone who reads it as just the opinion of someone who doesn't care for the actress, not as a true review of her credibility or talent. Shame on you for slandering someone and calling it fact. It is your opinion, and that is all, and we would be better served if you kept it to yourself, or at least portrayed it as that: your opinion.
08/03/05 08:44pm | report abuse
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lilaholland
member since: Mar 31, 2005
I'm not a fan. ...Continue »
To be honest, I have not seen Mia Kirshner act in anything other than "The L Word" and an old episode of Nickelodeon�s "Are You Afraid of the Dark," but I feel qualified to say that she irritates the hell out of me. In my eyes, she�s an only slightly less puke-worthy version of Jennifer Love Hewitt. Dark brows raised, eyes wide open with faux innocence, pointy chin raised to accentuate a "swanlike" neck, Mia ruins hot "L Word" scenes whenever she steps onto the screen. Her character, Jenny, is not so much sympathetic as simply pathetic. Season One was inexplicably chock-full of heterosexual action, as if the writers were completely unaware of why we all watch and love this show. A hint: it�s not the sight of Jenny getting it on with some dude in an aquarium, tears running down her cheeks because she�s just so darn confused. That kind of thing is a shameful waste of potential lesbian-sex time.
I�m still unsure of why Mia was cast for "The L Word" in the first place. Sure, she was perfect as Season One�s blundering, manipulative Jenny, but you�d think that Jenny was meant to develop into a more likeable character. As she settles into her new sexual identity, Jenny should become more attractive to viewers, but I don�t see that happening with Mia in the role. I also don�t buy her �babe� status on the show. Mia is the kind of woman men love, but I�m sure I don�t know a lesbian who finds that kind of sniveling, injured-filly attitude to be sexy. For shame, "L Word!"

06/01/05 03:03am | report abuse