{{short description|Finnish American actress|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Infobox person | name = Anna Easteden | image = AnnaAtTiff.jpg | image_size = 200px | caption = At the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. | birth_name = Anna Katariina Shemeikka | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|11|29|df=y}} | birth_place = Tohmajärvi, Finland | occupation = Actress, model | website = {{URL|http://www.AnnaEasteden.com}} }}
'''Anna Easteden''' (born 29 November 1976) is a Finnish-American actress. Her film appearances include ''The House of Branching Love'' <ref name="TheHouseOfBranchingLove">{{Cite web |title=The House of Branching Love |url=http://plaza.fi/kaista/elokuvat/uutiset/kaurismaen-uusi-elokuva-vilisee-tahtinayttelijoita |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090623101458/http://plaza.fi/kaista/elokuvat/uutiset/kaurismaen-uusi-elokuva-vilisee-tahtinayttelijoita |archive-date=June 23, 2009 |access-date=August 29, 2009 |publisher=plaza.fi}}</ref> (2009) and ''Sideways'' (2009). She is known for her performance as "Bee Sting" in ''Who Wants to Be a Superhero?'' season 2 (2007) on Sci Fi Channel. She co-starred in soap operas: ''Passions'' and ''Days of Our Lives'' on NBC, the television series ''Bones'' on Fox and ''Two and a Half Men'' on CBS.
== Biography ==
Easteden was born in Tohmajärvi, Finland, as '''Anna Katariina Shemeikka''', the daughter of dairy farmers.<ref name="Anna Easteden INternational actress">{{Cite web |title=Anna Easteden. An International Actress |url=http://www.cinemawithoutborders.com/news/127/ARTICLE/1965/2009-08-16.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090916200546/http://www.cinemawithoutborders.com/news/127/ARTICLE/1965/2009-08-16.html |archive-date=September 16, 2009 |access-date=August 29, 2009 |publisher=CinemaWithoutBorders.com}}</ref><ref name="Dairy Farm">{{Cite web |title=Dairy Farm |url=http://www.savonsanomat.fi/viihde/viihdeuutiset/maitotilalta-parrasvaloihin/211150 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717043853/http://www.savonsanomat.fi/viihde/viihdeuutiset/maitotilalta-parrasvaloihin/211150 |archive-date=July 17, 2011 |access-date=August 29, 2009 |publisher=savonsanomat.fi}}</ref> She has a younger brother, Antti. Easteden was raised in Finland until her teenage years, excelling in public schools, and graduating youngest in her class.
=== Modeling career ===
Easteden graduated from a Finnish modeling school at the age of 12 and shortly booked her first modeling job in Finland. She appeared in her first magazine cover after winning a national contest held by popular teen magazine ''SinäMinä'' (as Anna Shemeikka). Still a teenager, Anna Easteden received her first international modeling contract with a Japanese modeling agency and moved to Tokyo. In Tokyo she appeared in advertisements for companies such as: Kanebo, Sony, Nissan, Wacoal, Oricom, NEC and Lux. She was designer Akira Kimijima's house model and had an exclusive contract with a Japanese cosmetics company. Easteden also worked as a model in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Slovakia, Guam and finally the United States. In the US, Anna Easteden has modeled for companies including: Avon, Salvatore Ferragamo, Calvin Klein, XOXO, Hermès, Diesel, Pony, T-Mobile, Toyo Tires, Michael Antonio, Jockey, Ashworth, Kohl's, Nissan, Victoria's Bridal, Gottschalks, Anna's Linens, PajamaGram, Rio Hotel, ''Marie Claire'', Chevy, Sue Wong and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.
=== Acting career=== Easteden started her acting career in TV commercials in Japan, Taiwan, and the United States. In her first play she was Sleeping Beauty in the play ''Sleeping Beauty'', which premiered in Chicago, at the Downers Grove Tivoli Theatre.
Easteden is known for her performance as supervillain "Beesting" from ''Who Wants to Be a Superhero?''. Her other television roles include: ''Two and a Half Men'', ''Bones'', ''Passions'', and ''Days of Our Lives''.
Easteden is the host of Wipeout in Finland, that started airing in Finland on FOX in March 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 April 2013 |title=Award-Nominated Actress Anna Easteden Chosen As Host of Wipeout Finland |url=https://www.shockya.com/news/2013/04/23/award-nominated-actress-anna-easteden-host-wipeout-finland/ |access-date=16 June 2023 |website=Shockya}}</ref>
===Humanitarian Work=== Easteden conducted a comparative legal research study on the different aspects of asylum procedures in selected European countries for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bratislava, Slovakia. Her research impacted the Slovak National Asylum Legislation, which was in the process of amendment. Easteden continued her work in Bratislava, with an international partner of The Foundation for a Civil Society (USA), where she was involved in the "Citizen Campaign "OK '98" for free and fair elections.
==Personal life== Easteden married an American baseball coach, Rob McKinley, in 2007 and gave birth to their daughter Everett on February 23, 2018. They live in Los Angeles.<ref name="Baseball Husband">{{Cite web |title=Baseball Husband |url=http://www.ksml.fi/viihde/viihdeuutiset/baseball-valmentajamies-innostui-pesäpallosta/32710 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091126142216/http://www.ksml.fi/viihde/viihdeuutiset/baseball-valmentajamies-innostui-pes%C3%A4pallosta/32710 |archive-date=November 26, 2009 |access-date=August 29, 2009 |publisher=ksml.fi}}</ref>
== Filmography == {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes |- | 2001 || ''Inside Schwartz'' || Golf Date || Television series. Played as promos on NBC |- | 2002 || ''Law & Order'' || Poster Movie Star || Television series |- |rowspan="2"| 2003 || ''Let's Make a Deal'' || Finnish Actress || Television gameshow |- | ''Days of Our Lives'' || Francoise || Television series |- | 2004 || ''Casting About'' || Herself || |- |rowspan="2" | 2005 || ''Happy Endings'' || Body Double Maimee || |- | ''3 Wise Women'' || Dorothy Snapp || |- | 2006 || ''Bones'' || Polina Decker || Television series |- |rowspan="3" | 2007 || ''Who Wants to Be a Superhero?'' || Bee Sting || Television series |- | ''John from Cincinnati'' || Beer Model Cutout || Television series |- | ''You're So Dead'' || Robin DeBiggers || |- | 2008 || ''Passions'' || Julian's nurse || Television series |- |rowspan="2" | 2009 || ''The House of Branching Love'' || Nina || |- ||''Sideways'' || Alli || Japanese film |- |rowspan="2" | 2010 || ''A Voice In The Dark'' || Harriet || |- | ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' || Miranda from ''Sex and the City'' || Television series |- |rowspan="3" | 2011 || ''Two and a Half Men'' || Wanda || Television series |- | ''Mann's World'' || France's Redhead || Television pilot |- | ''Temazcal'' || Belle || |- |rowspan="1" | 2012 || ''Through the lens'' || Mother || Nikon D800 Official D-Movies |}
==Awards== In 2010, Easteden was nominated for Best Supporting Actress award at the Method Fest Independent Film Festival in Los Angeles, California.
==References== {{reflist|2}}
== External links == * {{Official website}} * {{IMDb name|0794609}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Easteden, Anna}} Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:People from Tohmajärvi Category:American film actresses Category:American television actresses Category:Actresses from Los Angeles Category:American female models Category:American people of Finnish descent Category:Finnish expatriates in the United States Category:Finnish female models Category:Finnish television actresses Category:Finnish film actresses Category:American human rights activists Category:American women human rights activists Category:United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees goodwill ambassadors Category:Activists from California