Kristina Anapau

Kristina Elizabeth Anapau Roper (born October 30, 1979), better known as Kristina Anapau, is an American actress and writer. She is known for her roles as Maurella on the HBO series True Blood and as Galina in the 2010 film Black Swan. She also portrayed Cassidy Merteuil in Cruel Intentions 3. Early life Kristina Elizabeth Anapau Roper was born in Hawaii. She graduated from high school at age 15 and began her studies at University of Hawaii at Manoa that same year. Before gaining success as an actress, Anapau had intended to become a classical ballerina, having trained seriously since the age of 4. She is a classically trained pianist and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Skidmore College in New York. Career Early career (1997–2009) As a student of 16, while majoring in Art History and Dance, and with no plans of being an actress, Anapau was discovered by a talent agent and encouraged to audition for the 1997 film Escape from Atlantis (1997), which filmed in Anapau's native Hawaii. She landed the role of Katriana in the production and at the request of the film's director, Strathford Hamilton, she relocated to Los Angeles where she pursued more work, ultimately continuing to work steadily across theater, film, and television.