woman on the verge fashion magazine by shawna cohen

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WOMAN ON THE VERGE

EDITOR: ELIO IANNACCI

With three films wrapped for this year, Canadian actress Kristen Hager’s career is taking off. By SHAWNA COHEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACLYN LOCKE STYLED BY ELIZA GROSSMAN

IN HER ROLE AS A WEREWOLF IN THE POPULAR SUPERnatural series Being Human, Kristen Hager has appeared naked in the woods—dirty, dishevelled and dripping with blood. “My director will say, ‘Imagine that your body is being ripped apart, your bones coming out of your skin.’ I go into that place of pain,” she says. The experience, however, was nothing compared to the anticipation of meeting Angelina Jolie. “That was the most nervous I’ve ever been for a day of work—[she’s] one of the biggest celebrities on the planet,” Hager recalls of the 2008 thriller Wanted, in which she appears alongside Jolie. “She went out of her way to get to know me and everyone else.” »

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What amazed her the most, however, and metaphoric than you’d assume.” “I always feel re-energized coming back to In reality, Hager splits her time L.A. after I’ve been home. I love the conwas Jolie’s visual transformation from makeup-free, girl-next-door type during between L.A. and Montreal, where Being trast of those two worlds.” Fortunately rehearsal to what Hager describes as “a Human—now into its fourth season—is for her, both worlds are geared toward knockout in four-inch heels.” The same filmed, with frequent trips to her home- the great outdoors. “I spend a couple of could be said for Hager, who, like Jolie, town of Red Lake, Ont. (pop. 5,000). days a week outside, hiking, swimming, is a woman of contrasts. Onscreen, the Growing up, she would accompany her or just being alone with my thoughts.”

On a rare day off, you’ll find Hager 30-year-old blonde—who resembles mother, a drama teacher at the town’s Jennifer Lawrence and Elisha Cuthbert— sole high school, to rehearsals at the doing just that, along with a dose of is deeply rooted in the sci-fi realm. In local community theatre. “I remember retail therapy. “I do love vintage shopaddition to playing Nora Sergeant on climbing up on stage after the actors had ping,” she says, pointing out her latest Being Human, Hager has starred in Aliens gone home for the night and [feeling] purchase—a pair of brown boots by Rag & Bone which she likes to wear vs. Predator: Requiem and the comedy how exhilarating it was,” she recalls.

Figure skating was also a big part with a vintage tee that belonged to her horror film A Little Bit Zombie. But now she’s breaking out of her usual genres. In of Hager’s childhood—“I loved the older brother when he was 14. Her list the next year alone, we’ll see Hager play performance aspect the most”—while of favourite designers includes Isabel a heroin addict (In Embryo); a police mornings were spent swimming in her Marant, Derek Lam and Phillip Lim. Aside from a good pair of heels, Hager officer who goes undercover as a call girl backyard lake. To watch a movie, she’d (Trigger); and a blogger-turned-overnight have to drive five hours to Winnipeg, an says a good book is her must-have accesInternet sensation (The Right Kind of outing she made once every six weeks. sory. She just read two works of fiction “It lends itself to me being the creative back-to-back, devouring Ian McEwan’s Wrong, starring Catherine O’Hara).

“The most gratifying work comes from person that I am,” she says. “I had to Sweet Tooth and Jennifer Egan’s A Visit indie films,” Hager says. “The material be very imaginative and set big goals.” from the Goon Squad. Part of her literary It’s more than 3,000 kilometres from obsession has to do with the fact that is often grittier and more real—you have to go to darker places.” So much Red Lake to L.A., yet it wouldn’t be sur- she’s hunting for a pet project to produce so, in fact, that she almost said no to prising to find Hager ice fishing with her and ultimately direct (Sofia Coppola is a her starring role in In Embryo. “When dad one day and walking the red carpet hero). But for now, she’s looking forward I read the script, I thought, ‘This is too the next. It’s these extremes that keep her to her latest slew of films hitting the much for me.’ I play a girl who’s been grounded. “I couldn’t imagine being in big screen—and to what comes next. “I molested as a child and into heroin since L.A. year-round. There’s so much focus will never stop acting—it’s too much a the age of 13 or 14,” she explains. “The on the entertainment business, it’s all part of who I am,” she says. “I just want director insisted it’s much more poetic anyone wants to talk about,” says Hager. to do good work that’s inspiring.”

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FASHION OCTOBER 2013