Musetta Vander Biography South African born beauty Musetta Vander has been involved in the acting world since the late 80s. And during her time in show business, she has appeared in everything from commercial blockbusters such as Wild Wild West to critically revered works like O Brother, Where Art Thou. Musetta Vander was born May 26, 1969 in Durban, South Africa. Growing up without television, Vander still managed to keep her finger on the pulse of entertainment and culture thanks to her mother. A ballet teacher, Vander’s mother immediately exposed her to the world of the stage. Beginning at the age of four, Vander found herself with several career options. Trained as a ballet teacher herself, she could either teach or act. Dealing with her education first, she obtained a double major in psychology and communications. She then gained some exposure as host of a local South African television series. Fellow actor Jeff Celentano saw Vander on the program and was impressed by her. Finagling a meeting with the beauty, Celentano and Vander met, hit it off, and married shortly after in 1988. They moved to Hollywood where Vander could really pursue her acting. Like many young actresses before her, Vander got her start in music videos. To that end, she worked with Chris Isaak, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, and others.
Transitioning into film and television, she made her onscreen debut in 1989 opposite Celentano, her husband, in Crime of Crimes. She also shared the screen with Richard Yniguez and David Carradine. She finished out 1989 with appearances in The Endangered and The Revenger. After finding slim work, she took a role in 1993 opposite Bill Paxton, Lindsay Frost, and John Hurt in Monolith. Unfortunately, the film was a flop with critics, audiences, and the box office. After landing numerous roles in tepidly received productions, Vander had a sizable and notable role as Queen Sindel in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. The film was still criticized by many, but Vander was at least earning more screen time and recognition. The movie also starred Robin Shou, James Remar, Talisa Soto, and others. Next, she appeared in a cult classic remake when Vander took the role of Lady Elara in 1998’s video game, Dune 2000. Continuing to work often with her husband, she signed on for the 1998 crime drama Gunshy, which he directed. The cast included William Petersen, Diane Lane, and Meat Loaf. Slowly earning her way into more commercial projects, Vander is perhaps best known for her work in 1999’s Wild Wild West with Will Smith, Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, and Salma Hayek.
Others may recognize her as the Siren in Joel Coen and Ethan Coen’s modern classic O Brother, Where Art Thou where she briefly shared the screen with George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson. She also appeared with Jennifer Lopez and Vince Vaughn in 2000’s visually stunning psychological thriller The Cell. Most recently, she took roles opposite Will Ferrell and Kate Walsh in Kicking & Screaming as well as Say It in Russian with Faye Dunaway. She currently has two projects in post-production—Order of Redemption and Napoleonic. Both are slated for a 2008 release. | 
