The portrayal of Natalya Simonova in the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye established Izabella Scorupco as an international figure in film. Born in Białystok, Poland, in 1970, she migrated to Sweden as a child before building a multidisciplinary career that spans professional modelling, singing, and acting across multiple European markets and industries.
Early life and migration
Born Izabela Dorota Skorupko on 4 June 1970 to Lech, a musician, and Magdalena Skorupko, a doctor, she spent her first year in Poland. Following the separation of her parents, she remained in her mother's care. In 1978, the pair relocated to Bredäng in Stockholm, Sweden. During her youth in Scandinavia, she acquired proficiency in Swedish, English, and French.
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During the late 1980s, Scorupco travelled across Europe to sustain a career in modelling, eventually securing a cover for Vogue. Her transition to screen acting began in 1987 after director Staffan Hildebrand discovered her, leading to her performance in the film Ingen kan älska som vi. By the early 1990s, she pursued a music career, releasing the studio album IZA, which attained gold certification in Sweden in 1991. Her 1992 cover of the Shirley & Company track Shame, Shame, Shame achieved success as a hit across multiple European countries.
Film and television engagements
Following her appearance in the James Bond series, Scorupco maintained a presence in both film and television. She returned to music briefly in 2011 to perform a duet, Jag Har Dig Nu, with Swedish musician Peter Jöback, appearing in the associated music video and the short film La vie, L'amour, La mort. In 2012, she served as the host for the spring series of Sweden's Next Top Model. Her subsequent work included a lead role in the romantic comedy Micke & Veronica, which premiered in December 2014.
Personal life and citizenship
Scorupco has married three times. She wed Polish ice hockey player Mariusz Czerkawski on 25 December 1996, with whom she had one daughter, before the couple divorced in 1998. In 2003, she married Jeffrey Raymond, an American, with whom she had a son named Jakob. This marriage ended in 2015. She obtained citizenship in the country of her second husband in 2014. In 2019, she married Karl Rosengren, whom she had been dating since 2017. She currently resides in Los Angeles and New York City.
Fast facts
- Born: 4 June 1970, Białystok, Poland
- Citizenship: Polish, Swedish, and since 2014, American
- First film role: Ingen kan älska som vi (1987)
- Music album: IZA (1991)
- James Bond role: Natalya Simonova (1995)
- TV hosting: Sweden's Next Top Model (2012)
- Romantic comedy lead: Micke & Veronica (2014)
- Spouses: Mariusz Czerkawski, Jeffrey Raymond, Karl Rosengren
Questions readers ask
What is Izabella Scorupco's most famous film role?
She is most recognised for her role as Natalya Simonova in the 1995 film GoldenEye.
Did she have a career as a singer?
Yes, she released a gold-certified album titled IZA in 1991 and had a European hit with her cover of Shame, Shame, Shame in 1992.