Liane Balaban

Early life Balaban was born in North York, Ontario, the daughter of a Catholic mother who worked as a medical secretary, and a Jewish father from the Uzbek SSR in the Soviet Union, who worked in real estate. She grew up in the Willowdale neighbourhood of North York, now part of Toronto, and went to high school at Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute, where she was classmates with singer Henry Lau. She majored in journalism at Ryerson University but left to concentrate on acting. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Concordia University. as a 15-year-old misfit longing to escape the Cape Breton coal-mining town of New Waterford. Set in the 1970s, the film was directed by Allan Moyle. Producer Julia Sereny, who knew Balaban through her aunt and uncle, asked her to audition for the film. Balaban had studied drama in high school, but did not intend to be an actor. After seven auditions, she landed the part that won a Special Jury Citation at the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival and a nomination for a Canadian Comedy Award.

She made a follow-up with Saint Jude (2000), directed by John L'Ecuyer. She starred in the TV movie After the Harvest (2001), opposite Sam Shepard, and appeared in Happy Here and Now (2002), opposite David Arquette and Ally Sheedy. She also starred in the horror film Spliced (2002), co-starring Ron Silver. She was a member of the garage/electro/pop band We are Molecules, where she sang and played keyboards and drums.

While previously unsure of acting as a career, Balaban committed to seriously pursuing acting around 2007. She appeared in her first mainstream Hollywood feature film, Definitely, Maybe in 2008, a romantic comedy starring Ryan Reynolds. She next appeared in Last Chance Harvey, a romance starring Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, which had a wide release in January 2009, in the supporting role of Susan, the estranged and soon-to-be-married daughter of Hoffman's character.

Balaban starred in the independent drama One Week (2008) as Samantha Pierce, a woman whose fiancé (Joshua Jackson) is diagnosed with terminal cancer and takes a motorcycle trip across Canada. Directed by Michael McGowan, Balaban was nominated for the Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in 2010 for her performance. She starred in the black comedy You Might as Well Live (2009) as a psychotic girl who is obsessed with explosives.

Balaban's other films in 2009 included Not Since You, a drama about a group of college friends; and The Trotsky by Jacob Tierney. She also shot the CBC TV movie Abroad, based on the love life of Leah McLaren, a Toronto columnist for The Globe and Mail. Balaban was nominated for the Gemini Award for best lead actress in a dramatic program or miniseries for the role. She then starred in The New Tenants with Vincent D'Onofrio, a short film entered in the CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival, which also won the 2010 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.

Balaban starred in the 2010 comedy/drama Coach, directed by Will Frears, as an emergency room doctor who falls for an inner city soccer coach (Hugh Dancy). She appeared in the "Communication Breakdown" episode of the TV series Covert Affairs as Natasha Petrova, a Russian computer hacker, the character Auggie (Chris Gorham)'s ex-girlfriend. She also voiced Lucrezia Borgia in the video game Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. She played a journalist opposite Paul Ahmarani in The Future is Now!, a docudrama by Gary Burns.

Balaban made her stage debut in February 2011 starring as Claire in Divisadero: A Performance at the Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto. Directed by Daniel Brooks, it was an adaptation of a Governor General’s Award-winning novel by Michael Ondaatje, with music by Justin Rutledge.

Balaban filmed the independent comedy, Finding Joy, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in mid-2011. She signed on to a recurring role in the CW drama Supernatural in 2012, as Amelia, a young doctor with tragedy in her past. In August she was in Newfoundland filming The Grand Seduction, an English-language version of the 2003 Québécois comedy Seducing Doctor Lewis (French: La grande séduction), in which she plays the love interest, opposite Taylor Kitsch, directed by Don McKellar. She will also appear in the independent film The People Garden, starring Pamela Anderson and written and directed by Nadia Litz.

Personal life In 2007, Balaban lived in Mile End, Montreal. She described Montreal as "not a city that revolves around acting, so you stay very grounded here" to Hour magazine. She told Toronto's Now magazine in January 2009 that she was often mistaken for actress Natalie Portman. She moved to Los Angeles in 2010. and gave birth to a son on March 1, 2016.

Filmography + List of acting performances in film and television Year Title Role Notes 1999 New Waterford Girl Mooney Pottie Film debut, Nominated – Canadian Comedy Award 2000 The City Alison TV series, episode: "Blindside!" 2000 Saint Jude Jude 2001 Full Meryl 2001 After the Harvest Lind Archer TV film 2001 World Traveler Meg 2002 Happy Here and Now Amelia 2002 The Annual Crafts & Arts Contest Neilburt 2002 Spliced Mary 2004 Seven Times Lucky Fiona 2004 Eternal Lisa 2005 Anniversary Present Sandra Dobbs TV film 2005 Leo Ameilia 2005 Burnt Toast Woman TV film 2006 Above and Beyond Shelagh Emberly TV miniseries 2007 The Canadian Shield Genvieve 2007 St. Urbain's Horseman Jenny TV miniseries 2008 Definitely, Maybe Kelly 2008 Beware of Dog 2008 One Week Samantha Pierce Nominated – Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role 2008 Heartless Disappearance Into Labrador Seas Lily 2008 Last Chance Harvey Susan 2008 A Valentine Haircut Clare Short film 2009 You Might as Well Live Edna Kemperton 2009 Numb3rs Jessie Robertson TV series, episode: "First Law" 2009 The Trotsky Nadza 2009 Not Since You Heather 2009 The New Tenants Irene Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film 2010 Abroad Amy Pearce TV film; Nominated – Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series 2010 Coach Gabrielle 2010; 2014 Covert Affairs Natasha Petrova TV series, recurring, 1 episode in Season 1, 5 episodes in season 4, and 2 episodes in season 5 2010 NCIS: Los Angeles Emma Mastin TV series, episode: "Black Widow" 2011 The Future is Now! Woman of Tomorrow 2011 Rise of the Damned Jesse 2011–2012 Alphas Anna TV series, 3 episodes: "Rosetta", "Original Sin", "Gaslight" 2012 Maniac Judy 2012–2013 Supernatural Amelia Richardson TV series 2013 Motive Sarah Muller TV series, episode: "Against All Odds" 2013 Finding Joy Joy 2013 The Grand Seduction Kathleen 2013 Played Lida Simenko TV series, episode: "Untouchables" 2013 Rookie Blue Kelly Harrison TV series, episode: "Two Truths and a Lie" 2014 Saving Hope Abigail/Kayla Bradly TV series, episode: "Don't Poke the Bear" 2014 Republic of Doyle Ruby Rennette TV series, 2 episodes 2015 Man Seeking Woman Claire TV series, episode: "Feather" 2017 Meditation ParkDylan 2021 Woman in Car Safiye 2021 A Small Fortune Sam 2022 You Can Live Forever Beth