Kari Kleiv was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, to a family with diverse cultural heritage. Her mother, Grete Salomonsen, is a Japanese-born film director and writer of Norwegian and Mongolian descent, while her father, Odd Hynnekleiv, is a Norwegian producer and cinematographer raised in Norway and Brazil. This unique blend of cultures had a profound impact on Kleiv's upbringing, as she grew up in five different countries.
From a young age, Kleiv was drawn to the world of acting. At the age of eight, she was inspired by a one-woman play about Florence Nightingale, and her desire to become an actress only grew stronger. Her nanny, who was also an actress, would often act out characters from Shakespearean plays, including Romeo and Juliet and The Merchant of Venice, and Kleiv was fascinated by her performances.
Kleiv began acting on stage at the age of ten, and simultaneously took acting classes at the Actors Place in Virginia with her teacher, whom she affectionately refers to as her "American mom." She continued to hone her craft, writing her first screenplay at the age of 11 with her best friend in mind to play the lead role.
At the age of 12, Kleiv moved to Norway, where she studied acting and performed in plays such as Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Her talent did not go unnoticed, and at the age of 14, she was spotted by a director while out walking her dog. This led to her debut on TV in a leading role on the Norwegian teenage program "Midt i Smørøyet," coinciding with her debut on stage with a self-formed girl rock band, where she played guitar and co-wrote the music.
Kleiv's early career was marked by a series of short films, TV commercials, and music videos, both in Japan and Norway. In 2003, she moved to London, where she was spotted by Mark Owen of Take That while filming a music video. He approached her in the street, asking if she actually played guitar or if it was just a prop, and was impressed by her talent. He subsequently offered her a producing contract, and her single "When Can I See You" was released on Fierce Panda Records, a label that had previously debuted singles by successful bands such as Coldplay and Keane.
Kleiv focused on music for a few years, touring the UK and writing for other artists, before returning to acting full-time. She trained at Drama Centre London, studying Stanislavski, Meisner, and Yat Malmgren/Laban techniques, and graduated in 2012. Her graduation show was met with critical acclaim, and she received several requests from agents. She has since worked on a wide range of projects, including feature films, shorts, TV, music videos, commercials, and stage productions.
Some of Kleiv's notable roles include her appearances on the BBC program "The Real White Queen and Her Rivals" and in the short film "Drone," starring Ewan Bremner. She has also acted opposite Kris Kristofferson in the feature film "Yohan," and is set to appear in director Stephen Frears' upcoming film "The Program," alongside Ben Foster.
