Ali Larter

Alison Elizabeth "Ali" Larter (born February 28, 1976) is a Saturn Award-nominated American actress and former fashion model best known for her screen roles aimed at teenage audiences. Larter can currently be seen on the hit television series Heroes. She has also had roles in successful Hollywood films including, Varsity Blues (1999), House on Haunted Hill (1999), Final Destination (2000), Legally Blonde (2001), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) as Claire Redfield and the upcoming thriller Obsessed (2009) as Lisa Sheridan.

Born February 28, 1976 (1976-02-28) Cherry Hill, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Occupation actress, fashion model
1996 — present
Spouse(s) Hayes MacArthur (fiancé)

Career

In November 1996, Larter portrayed the hoax model Allegra Coleman in Esquire magazine. The article published in the magazine told of the fictional model's relationship with David Schwimmer, how Quentin Tarantino broke up with Mira Sorvino to date her, and Woody Allen's overhaul of a film to have her star. Even after the hoax had been revealed, its effects lingered, and various talent agencies sought to represent the non-existent Coleman.

Larter landed her first professional roles in 1997, in which she appeared for one episode in the Brooke Shields' television series, Suddenly Susan, and the short lived television series Chicago Sons. The roles were followed by a number of other appearances on Dawson's Creek with James Van Der Beek, Chicago Hope and Just Shoot Me!

In 1999, Larter began her film career with an appearance in Varsity Blues which re-united her with Dawson's Creek star Van Der Beek, and close friend Amy Smart. Varsity Blues drew a domestic box office gross of $53 million, making Larter's first film a commercial success. Larters' most infamous scene was one with her wearing nothing but whipped cream (aka "the whipped-cream bikini") in attempts to seduce Van Der Beek's character. Afterwards, Larter appeared in teen comedies, Giving It Up and Drive Me Crazy. That year as well, Larter starred in the horror remake House on Haunted Hill. Made for around $20 million, the movie was panned by the critics but grossed $15 million on its opening weekend and went on to earn over $40 million.
In 2000, Larter starred in the teenage audience aimed horror film Final Destination as the "final girl" Clear Rivers. The following year in 2001, she appeared in the comedy Legally Blonde with Reese Witherspoon, western American Outlaws with Colin Farrell and the Kevin Smith film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. That year as well, Larter appeared on the cover of Maxim magazine and performed in the stage play The Vagina Monologues in New York City. The next year in 2002, Larter was ranked #40 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World". In 2003, Larter reprised her role as Clear Rivers in the sequel to Final Destination, Final Destination 2. In 2005, Larter appeared in the independent film Confess and the romantic comedy A Lot Like Love alongside Amanda Peet and Ashton Kutcher.

2006 saw Larter in the biographical film Crazy based on guitarist Hank Garland. As of September 2006, Larter has been portraying Niki Sanders & Tracy Strauss on the NBC Emmy Award-nominated science fiction drama television series Heroes, created by Tim Kring. The show includes an ensemble cast including Hayden Panettiere, Milo Ventimiglia, Leonard Roberts, Kristen Bell, Masi Oka and Greg Grunberg. Larter's character Niki Sanders, who is a wife and mother, is a former internet stripper from Las Vegas who exhibits superhuman strength and an alternate personality who goes by the name of Jessica. After completing half its first season, Heroes had already collected an assortment of honors and accolades, and Larter had been nominated for "Best Supporting Actress" for the 33rd Saturn Awards. As of the third season, Larter portrays a new character, Tracy Strauss.

In 2007, Larter starred in the Bollywood Marigold as the title character alongside Salman Khan, which was released in August. She also joined the cast of the popular film franchise Resident Evil: Extinction portraying the character Claire Redfield in the horror film with Milla Jovovich. Her role sent her to Mexicali, Mexico for filming from May to late July in which she also dyed her hair a light red for the film. Larter explains on her character Claire, "She became the leader of this convoy. She's incredibly strong, patient. I think she serves a role for everyone within this convoy, let it be a mother to someone, a buddy, a best friend.” Larter also attended the 2007 Comic Con International, her second appearance at the event, to promote the film, which was released in theaters on September 21, 2007. This year as well, she will appear in the comedy Homo Erectus. Larter was also featured as #6 in Maxim's Hot 100 for 2007.

In an interview for Resident Evil: Extinction, Larter had expressed interest in producing films in the future, saying, "I definitely have many ideas and different avenues that I want to take as my career goes on."

Larter has been revealed to be part of the cast of When Angels Fall, a film where 7 demons, each representing one of the deadly sins, are unleashed upon the world and enact their biblical vengeance for being banished to a prison-like dimension, it has been revealed that she will play Lustacia, the queen of lust and seduction.

In March 2008, it was announced that Larter would star opposite Beyonce Knowles and Idris Elba in the Screen Gems-produced film Obsessed, about an office worker (Elba) whose marriage to Knowles' character is threatened by the aggressive interests of a co-worker, to be portrayed by Larter. Shooting began in the summer of 2008. "Obsessed" is slated to be released in April 2009.

Personal life

Ali Larter was born in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, the daughter of Margaret, a homemaker, and Danforth Larter, a trucking executive. She attended Carusi Middle School and Cherry Hill High School West. She began modeling with Ford Models at the age of fourteen and traveled the world. At seventeen, Larter settled temporarily in Japan. A year later, in 1995, she accompanied her boyfriend in his move to Los Angeles, California. Soon afterwards, he left her and she flew to Australia "to put a little distance between us." Back in Los Angeles, she began taking acting classes at a friend's suggestion.

Larter is a good friend of actress Amy Smart with whom she co-starred in Varsity Blues and Erick Alegria, a former Sam's Kid. The two had previously been roommates, but failed to pay their rent, so they got evicted. Larter has also lived in Miami and then New York City after the spring of 2002, where she studied at Michael Howard Studios. In January 2007, she moved to Los Angeles to take on the commitment of working on Heroes.

Larter is engaged to her longtime boyfriend, actor Hayes MacArthur.

Filmography

Films

1999 - House on Haunted Hill as Sara Wolfe
1999 - Varsity Blues as Darcy Sears
1999 - Drive Me Crazy as Dulcie
1999 - Giving It Up as Amber aka Casanova Falling
2000 - Final Destination as Clear Rivers - Won a Young Holywood Award Nominated for a Blockbuster Entertainment Award
2001 - American Outlaws as Zerelda 'Zee' Mimms
2001 - Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back as Chrissy
2001 - Legally Blonde as Brooke Taylor Windham
2003 - Final Destination 2 as Clear Rivers
2004 - Three Way as Isobel Delano aka 3-Way
2005 - Confess as Olivia Averill
2005 - A Lot Like Love as Gina
2007 - Marigold as Marigold Lexton
2007 - Crazy as Evelyn Garland
2007 - Resident Evil: Extinction as Claire Redfield
2007 - Homo Erectus as Fardart aka National Lampoon's The Stoned Age
2009 - Obsessed as Lisa Sheridan

TV Shows

1997 - Suddenly Susan as Maddie - One Episode - The Ways and Means
1997 - Chicago Sons as Angela - One Episode - Beauty and the Butt
1998 - Chicago Hope as Samantha - One Episode - Memento Mori
1998 - Just Shoot Me! as Karey Burke - One Episode - College or Collagen
1998 - Dawson's Creek as Kristy Livingstone - Two Episodes - The Dance & The Kiss
2006-present - Heroes as Niki / Jessica Sanders / Tracy Strauss - Nominated for a Saturn Award - Nominated for a Scream Award - Won a Gracie Award - Won a Teen Choice Award

(wikipedia)