Natasha Tonya Henstridge (born August 15, 1974) is a Canadian actress. In 1995, she rose to prominence with her debut role in the science-fiction horror film Species, followed by performances in Species II and Species III. She has since starred in a string of films and television series, including Maximum Risk (1996), The Whole Nine Yards (2000), The Whole Ten Yards (2004), Ghosts of Mars (2001), She Spies (2002–2004), Eli Stone (2008–2009), and Would Be Kings (2008). For the latter, she won the Gemini Award for Best Actress. From 2019 until 2022, she starred in the CBC Television series Diggstown.

Early life Henstridge was born in Springdale, Newfoundland and Labrador, on August 15, 1974, to Helen Henstridge, a homemaker, and Brian Henstridge, a construction manager and business owner. She was raised in Fort McMurray, Alberta, with her younger brother, Shane.

At age 14, Henstridge entered the Casablanca Modeling Agency's Look of the Year contest and was chosen first runner-up. The following year, she went to Paris to pursue her modeling ambitions. At age 15, she was featured on her first magazine cover, the French edition of Cosmopolitan. Several more magazine covers followed and Henstridge filmed television commercials for products such as Olay, Old Spice, and Lady Stetson. With her modeling career established, Henstridge decided she preferred acting. One of her first roles was as Foxy Fox in the Missoula Children's Theater production of Snow White and the seven Dwarfs staged in Fort McMurray.

Career

Film In her film debut Species (1995), Henstridge played Sil, a genetically engineered alien/human hybrid created from a message received by SETI. When she escapes the laboratory where she is held for observation, a team of experts is assembled to track and capture her. Sil embarks on a killing spree while discovering her powerful instinct to mate, which would result in her offspring being a threat to mankind.

Species was an instant hit, making US$113 million at the box office."Species (1995)". boxofficemojo.com. Notable for its sexual content, the film won Henstridge the MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss for a scene in which Sil, while kissing an abusive date, impales his head with her tongue. In 1998, she played Eve, a more ambiguous genetic duplicate of Sil, in Species II, a box office failure. Between Species films, Henstridge starred in two action films in 1996, Adrenalin: Fear the Rush with Christopher Lambert and Maximum Risk opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme.

A few smaller independent movies followed, including Bela Donna and Dog Park, with varied box-office returns. Henstridge also starred in The Whole Nine Yards (2000) and its sequel The Whole Ten Yards (2004). Despite having some reservations about the science-fiction genre, she signed up for John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars (2001) in the lead role of Lieutenant Melanie Ballard. The film was not well received, with a 20% rating on Rotten Tomatoes."Ghosts of Mars". rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved February 6, 2011. In 2004, she briefly appeared as Eve in Species III.

In 2007, Henstridge was a festival judge at the first annual Noor Iranian Film Festival.

Television Henstridge has played a number of roles on television, for example in Caracara and The Outer Limits. From 2005 to 2006, she had a recurring role as the speaker's chief of staff on the ABC drama Commander in Chief, which starred Geena Davis as a U.S. president. She also hosted Mostly True Stories: Urban Legends Revealed on TLC, a show about urban legends. She guest-starred as a substitute teacher in the first-season South Park episode "Tom's Rhinoplasty", and was credited as "the chick from Species".

Henstridge appeared on the television series She Spies until its cancellation and completed a television movie for the Lifetime channel titled Widow on the Hill. In 2006, she filmed the CTV original miniseries Would Be Kings in Hamilton, Ontario, for which she won a Gemini Award. She also starred in the expansion set to the video game Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, entitled Kane's Wrath.

In 2008, Henstridge played a role on the ABC comedy-drama series Eli Stone. She has also been involved with two other productions, joining the cast of Dave Rodriguez's Anytown, an indie drama that examines a racist high-school attack and its aftermath. She has been involved with the production of Should've Been Romeo from American Independent Pictures.

In 2009, Henstridge did a guest spot on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. During this, she demonstrated a Newfoundland custom called "screeching in", which involved getting O'Brien to drink Newfoundland Screech rum and kiss a large fish."Conan O'Brien Screeched In". youtube.com. November 16, 2009.

In 2011, she appeared on the season-9 finale and season-10 premiere of CSI: Miami as Renee Locklear. She then starred in the CW television series The Secret Circle as Dawn Chamberlain.

From 2019 to 2022, she starred in the CBC Television/BET+ drama series Diggstown.

Personal life Henstridge married American actor Damian Chapa in 1995; they divorced in 1996.

She dated American actor Liam Waite from 1996 to 2004; they have two sons together.

She began a relationship with Scottish singer Darius Campbell in 2004. They became engaged, but broke it off in early 2010; however, they married on Valentine's Day 2011. They filed for divorce in July 2013. The divorce was finalized in February 2018.

In June 2009, Henstridge spoke of her past use of diet pills in combination with extreme diets for weight loss; she said this damaged her metabolism and led to subsequent weight gain.

In November 2017, during the height of the #MeToo movement, Henstridge joined six other actresses in accusing director Brett Ratner of sexual assault and harassment; she maintains that he forced her to perform oral sex on him in the early 1990s. She also accused producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1995SpeciesSil1996Adrenalin: Fear the RushDelon1996Maximum RiskAlex Bartlett1998StandoffMary1998Species IIEve1998Bela DonnaDonna1998Dog ParkLorna2000It Had to Be YouAnna Penn2000 The Whole Nine YardsCynthia Tudeski2000 A Girl, Three Guys, and a Gun5 O'Clock Girl2000 A Better Way to DieKelly2000BounceMimi Prager2000Second SkinCrystal Ball2001Ghosts of MarsLt. Melanie Ballard2001Kevin of the NorthBonnie Livengoodalso known as Chilly Dogs2002StealKaren2004 The Whole Ten YardsCynthia Ozeransky2008DeceptionSimone Wilkinson2009AnytownCarol Millsalso known as American Bully2010Let the Game BeginAngela2010The Devil’s TeardropMargaret Lukas 2013 Against the Wild Susan Wade Direct-to-video2014Anatomy of DeceptionDet. Alison Briggs2014Nowhere SafeJulie Johnson2014Badge of HonorRebecca Miles2014 The Christmas GambleSusan Wells2016Home InvasionChloeDirect-to-video2016 The Bronx BullSally Carlton2016InconceivableValeriealso known as Deadly Ex2017 The Black RoomJennifer2018RaversEditor2019House RedMary2021 The UnhealerBernice Mason2021Night of the SicarioTaylor Wardalso known as Blindsided2021Hero Dog: The Journey HomeSusan Wade2021This Game's Called MurderMrs. Wallendorf2021Why?Nina2022 7th SecretOlivia Divine2024Cinderella's RevengeFairy Godmother

Television Year Title Role Notes1997 The Outer LimitsEmmaEpisode: "Bits of Love"1997Homeboys in Outer SpaceZimaEpisode: "Happy Happy, Droid Droid, or Amma Sees Red"1998South ParkMs. Ellen (voice)Episode: "Tom's Rhinoplasty" (credited as "The Chick from Species")1999 The Last WitnessRachel SutherlandTelevision film2000Jason and the ArgonautsHypsipyleTV miniseries2002Power and BeautyJudy ExnerTelevision film2002–2004She SpiesCassie McBainMain role (40 episodes) 2002–2004 Mostly True Stories?: Urban Legends Revealed Herself/host Documentary television series2004Species IIIEveTelevision film2005Widow on the HillLinda Dupree CavanaughTelevision film2005–2006Commander in ChiefJayne MurrayRecurring role (16 episodes)2007SharkNicolette RossEpisode: "Fall from Grace"2008Would Be KingsTV Mini-Series (2 episodes)2008–2009Eli StoneTaylor WethersbyMain role (26 episodes)2009ImpactDr. Maddie RhodesTV miniseries2009–2010Time JumperCharity Vyle (voice)Main role (10 episodes)2010You Lucky DogLisa RaybornTelevision film2010 The Devil's TeardropMargaret LukasTelevision film2010Drop Dead DivaClaire HarrisonEpisodes: "Bad Girls", "Freeze the Day"2011 The Perfect StudentNicole JohnsonTelevision film2011CSI: MiamiAgent Renee LocklearEpisodes: "Mayday", "Countermeasures"2011–2012 The Secret CircleDawn ChamberlainMain role (21 episodes)2012 A Christmas SongDianaTelevision film2013Cold SpringSaraTelevision film2013Against the WildSusan WadeTelevision film2013 A Sister's NightmareCassidy RydertTelevision film2014Republic of DoyleInspector Valerie O'BrienEpisodes: "Expansion", "Buried", "True Lies"2014SelfieMrs. SapersteinEpisodes: "Pilot", "Never Block Cookies", "- Even Hell Has Two Bars"2014Hawaii Five-0Caroline PorterEpisode: "Ka Makuakane (Family Man)"2015Beauty & the BeastCarol Hall3 episodes2016Ice GirlsRoseTV movie2016Summer in the CityKendallTV movie2017MedinahSalma6 episodes2019–2022DiggstownColleen11 episodes2026FalloutJoanEpisode: "The Handoff"

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