Noomi Rapace captured the eyes of the international entertainment community with her commanding, unnerving and critically acclaimed portrayal of Lisbeth Salander in the film adaptations of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.

Rapace garnered high praise for her breakthrough performance in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, the first installment of the Millennium trilogy which opened in February 2009 in Sweden. She won the Best Actress Guldbagge Award (Swedish Academy® Award) and the Best Actress International Jupiter Award (Germany) in addition to being nominated for a Best Actress European Film Award for her role. Rapace garnered subsequent praise for her performances in the second and third installments, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.

Next, Rapace will be seen in Beyond (Svinalägorna) which screened at the 2010 Venice Film Festival and will premiere in Sweden November 12, 2010. Directed by Pemilla August the drama is set in 1970s Sweden and tells the story of a young woman’s experience growing up in a home plagued by abuse and alcoholism.

Rapace recently wrapped production on the thriller, Babycall which is set for release February 2011.

Rapace will soon begin production on the Untitled Sherlock Holmes Sequel. The Guy Ritchie directed film is set to be released by Warner Bros. on December 16, 2011.

Rapace on Lisbeth Salander:

“Lisbeth is a human being who’s suffered a lot. She needed to create her own world, her own set of rules, as the ones that exist haven’t helped her. She’s always been completely alone in her world, outside it she’s been vulnerable.

Lisbeth has locked away her emotions, her heart, to protect herself. Everything inside her is deeply rooted, and once she’s let someone in she’s incredibly faithful and loyal. She will fight to the death for what she believes in.”

Rapace on working on the role:

“All people possess all qualities in different amounts, to differing degrees. For all of the roles that I play, it’s a matter of finding the important element inside me. In Lisbeth, her wounds and vulnerabilities are right to the fore. For me they were much deeper down, I had to emphasize them to be able to portray Lisbeth.”