Aryana Engineer
| Aryana Engineer | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 6, 2001 British Columbia, Canada |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2009–present |
Aryana Engineer (born March 6, 2001)[1] is a Canadian child actress who made her debut in the 2009 horror film Orphan. In 2012 she starred, alongside Milla Jovovich, as Becky in Resident Evil: Retribution, the fifth movie in the franchise.
Life and career
Engineer was born partially deaf on March 6, 2001 in British Columbia, Canada.
In 2007, she was discovered when she was spotted using sign language with her mother. The neighbor (Brenda Campbell) who discovered her was an agent, who suggested Aryana for the role of six-year-old Maxine "Max" Coleman in the film Orphan (2009). The neighbor knew the producers were searching for a blond-haired girl who knew how to sign, and decided to take action.[2] In the script of Orphan, Maxine Coleman was described as 'unimaginably cute'. When director Collet-Serra saw that Aryana had the ability "while crying, to perform a scene -- to immediately go from there still keeping this emotion", he knew she was the one for the part.[3] According to Collet-Serra, Aryana didn't understand what was going on during the making of Orphan and thought it was all a game.[4]
After the release of Orphan, Aryana took part in a commercial for the 2010 Winter Olympics that was being held in Canada. She also represented Canada with her brother at the 2010 Winter Paralympics opening ceremony, welcoming viewers using sign language.[5]
In September 2012, Resident Evil: Retribution was released to the public. In the film, Aryana plays a deaf girl named Becky who builds a mother-daughter relationship with the main character Alice (Milla Jovovich). According to Jovovich, an actor or actress to play Ben/Becky had not been intended to have impaired hearing.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Orphan | Maxine "Max" Coleman | |
| 2012 | Resident Evil: Retribution | Becky | |
| 2015 | Dreaming of Peggy Lee | Belinda |
Self
| Year | Title | Character | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Winter Olympics | Herself | With Glowing Hearts Dance |
| 2010 | Winter Olympics | Herself | Paralympics Opening Ceremony |
| 2012 | Back From the Afterlife: Making Resident Evil: Retribution | Herself | Behind the Scenes Documentary about Resident Evil: Retribution |
References
- ↑ "Aryana Engineer Official Site". Archived from the original on 22 October 2009. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
- ↑ "Agent neighbour knew it was a sign". Vancouver Province. May 25, 2008.
- ↑ "To play a deaf child, cast a deaf child". Ottawa Citizen. August 6, 2009.
- ↑ "Why children are great horror movie stars". Emirates 24/7. August 8, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
- ↑ "One Inspires Many: a celebration of ability, courage and the human spirit at Opening Ceremony for the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games". VANOC. March 12, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2013.