Woman Crush Wednesday: Get to Know ‘The Princess’ Actress Olga Kurylenko

There is no better time than now to lift up the incredible and hard-working women around the world who bring joy to our everyday lives through their dedicated and heartfelt performances in our favorite streaming movies and TV shows. In today’s Woman Crush Wednesday, we seek to celebrate one of those amazing actresses by highlighting the accomplishments and career of a Ukrainian-French actress and model who has been gracing screens big and small for just over two decades now, and is still going strong serving up consistently rich and versatile performances year in and year out. So, without further ado, give it up for your latest WCW, the outstanding Olga Kurylenko!

WHO’S THAT GAL: Olga Kurylenko

WHY WE’RE CRUSHING: Kurylenko plays Kai in upcoming Hulu Original title The Princess, which premieres on the platform this Friday, on July 1. The dark fantasy action-comedy film follows a beautiful and strong-willed Princess (Joey King) who is kidnapped and locked away in a remote tower after publicly refusing to marry Julius (Dominic Cooper), a cruel sociopath who endeavors to steal her father’s throne and usurp him as King. As a result, it’s up to The Princess to protect her family and save her kingdom, launching an epic, action-packed adventure led by kickass ladies that will go to great lengths to uphold their morals and fight for what’s right.

In addition to King, Cooper, and Kurylenko, the film also stars Veronica Ngo, Martin Taskov, and Ivo Arakov, so be sure to check out their great work in this thrilling new movie as soon as it drops later this week only on Hulu!

WHERE YOU’VE SEEN HER BEFORE: Kurylenko’s professional onscreen career began in 2001, when she played Carole in an episode of French crime action-adventure series Largo Winch. After a few more years, she was on a roll, steadily accumulating acting jobs in films like 2005 drama L’Annulaire (AKA The Ring Finger), 2006 anthological romantic comedy-drama Paris, je t’aime, 2006 thriller Le serpent (AKA The Serpent), 2007 action-thriller Hitman, and 2008 neo-noir action-thriller Max Payne, as well as in shows like Suspectes (AKA Secrets), Tyranny, and Magic City.

It was her role as Bond girl Camille Montes in 2008 James Bond spy film Quantum of Solace that took Kurylenko’s acting career to the next level by making her a household name and earning her fans from all over the world. The opportunity then paved the way for many others, opening the door for additional notable performances and appearances in films like 2012 experimental romantic-drama To the Wonder, 2012 dark comedy Seven Psychopaths, 2013 post-apocalyptic action-adventure Oblivion, 2014 fantasy horror-comedy Vampire Academy, 2017 political satire The Death of Stalin, 2018 adventure-comedy The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, and 2019 action-thriller The Courier.

In the past few years, Kurylenko has continued to shine through her work starring in French TV show Romance (AKA Wonderland, the girl from the shore), as well as with her roles in films like 2021 Marvel superhero blockbuster Black Widow, 2022 Korean and French crime-mystery Vanishing, and 2022 star-studded action flick White Elephant. It’s an extremely awe-inspiring filmography that only continues to grow and diversify with every year, so be on the lookout to see that trend continue with even more evocative and gripping performances in the years to come.

WHERE YOU’LL SEE HER AGAIN: Luckily, you won’t have to wait much longer to see more from Kurylenko, as the actress currently has a staggering four (potentially five!) projects in the works over the next several years. Most immediately, you can see her play Ana in action-comedy film High Heat, which revolves around her character’s brutal fight to protect her restaurant against the local mafia attempting to use her complicated past as an excuse to burn it all down. After that, you can see Kurylenko in action drama-thriller series Treason, thriller film Run, crime-thriller film Jane Millen, and, potentially, in coming-of-age drama film Bear Season.

For more from Kurylenko in the meantime, be sure to follow her now on Twitter and Instagram so that you never miss a moment from your world-class WCW!