Noomi Rapace

Noomi Rapace captured the attention of filmgoers with a gripping and explosive performance in the Swedish film "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (2009). The actress played a gutsy and troubled computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander, a character based on Stieg Larsson's 2005 best-selling novel of the same name. Rapace's performance resonated among critics and audiences who loved to watch a strong yet complex female character on screen. Rapace reprised her breakout role in two other films from Larsson's "Millennium Trilogy" (2005-07) - "The Girl Who Played with Fire" and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" - both released in 2009. Even though she was not cast in the American film version, Rapace capitalized on her popularity and landed featured parts in mainstream Hollywood projects. Still, it was the commitment and passion she threw into the physically and emotionally demanding role in the original "Dragon Tattoo" that catapulted Rapace from an independent film ingénue into an internationally renowned star.