Katheryn Winnick

Katheryn Winnick, born on December 17, 1977, in Etobicoke, Ontario, is a highly accomplished Canadian actress. She is widely recognized for her significant roles, most notably in the television series Vikings (2013–2020), Wu Assassins (2019), and Big Sky (2020–2023), along with appearing in the recurring role on the popular television series Bones (2010–2011). Her film engagements have also been quite significant, and she has starred in a number of movies, including Amusement (2008), Choose (2010), A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III (2012), The Art of the Steal (2013), Polar (2019), and The Marksman (2021).

Of Ukrainian descent, she spoke Ukrainian as her first language and began speaking English at the age of eight. Winnick's journey into the performing arts commenced at a young age with training in martial arts, establishing three Taekwondo schools by the age of 21. She later began teaching Taekwondo and self-defense to fellow actors while completing her degree in kinesiology at York University, Toronto. Her acting skills blossomed during her youth where she directed plays in high school and won a scholarship for drama and directing. Her entry into the film industry was marked by teaching martial arts to actors on movie sets, an experience that inspired her to pursue professional acting. Outside her TV and film career, she also lent her voice to the popular video game series, Call of Duty, specifically in the Nazi Zombies mode of Call of Duty: WWII.