Anita Briem
Aníta Briem is an Icelandic actress and screenwriter. She is known for her role as Queen Jane Seymour on The Tudors and her role as Hannah Sigursdóttir in Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Personal life
Anita was born on 29 May 1982, in Reykjavík, Iceland. She is the daughter of drummer Gunnlaugur Briem of Mezzoforte and back-up vocalist Erna Þórarinsdóttir. She started acting when she was nine at the National Theatre of Iceland. She moved to England at the age of sixteen, graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London in 2004, with a BA in Acting Degree, and having received the John Barton award in Stage Fighting. She was trained in hand-to-hand combat and self-defence with weaponry skills. She is married to actor/director Constantine Paraskevopoulos.Career
In 2008, Anita starred in Journey to the Center of the Earth as the female action hero lead, and also had major roles in the films Dylan Dog: Dead of Night, and Elevator.She appeared in the second season of The Tudors, portraying King Henry VIII's third queen consort, Jane Seymour; she was replaced by Annabelle Wallis in the third season after the show was unable to work out conflicting dates with New Line Cinema over her previous commitment to the premiere and press for Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Writer
After living in Los Angeles, in a culture of ageism dictated by men, she returned to Iceland. After working with four female Icelandic directors, she decided she wanted to create stories herself, that have a real impact; to explore female sexuality and sensuality deeper, rather than women just being sexual objects. In her opinion, in Iceland, women are generally perceived as being sexier, wiser, and more interesting because they are getting older and having children. As a writer, she was able to explore love and how relationships change, hormonally and emotionally, from a women's perspective, creating work such as As Long as We Live a series shown on Iceland’s Channel 2.Film and television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2004 | Doctors | Anneka Marsh | Episode: "Golden Girl" |
| 2005 | Doctor Who | Sally | Episode: "The Christmas Invasion" |
| 2006 | The Evidence | Emily Stevens | Episodes: "And the Envelope Please" "Stringers" "Wine and Die" "Yi vs. Li" "Borrowed Time" "Pilot" "Down for the Count" |
| 2008 | The Tudors | Jane Seymour | Season Two, 4 episodes |
| 2008 | Up Close with Carrie Keagan | Aníta Briem | |
| 2020 | The Minister | Steinunn | 16 episodes |
| 2020 | Venjulegt fólk | Lilja | |
| 2023 | Manny | Nikki Maynes | TV film |
| 2023 | As Long as We Live | Beta | Actress and writer - 6 episodes |
| 2023 | Áramótaskaup | various | S1.E58 |
| 2025 | BFFs | Anita Goode Bonin | film |