British actress Ophelia Lovibond’s latest screen credits include the Disney family comedy Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made, and the musical biopic Rocketman. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Lovibond is prominently known for her brief yet significant appearance as Carina in Guardians of the Galaxy.
Her character serves as an aide and servant to the Collector (Benicio Del Toro), the keeper of the galaxy’s most prized relics and the Power Stone. Fed up by his exploitative treatment, Carina attempts to kill him by harnessing the Stone’s energy. However, she cannot handle the Orb’s extreme power and ends up dead in an explosion.
10 She Has Played Elton John And John Lennon’s Girlfriends
One of Ophelia Lovibond’s earliest movie roles was in Nowhere Boy, playing Marie Kennedy, one of John Lennon’s many girlfriends in his teenage years. The film is a look into the Beatle’s early life, his troubled relationship with his mother and aunt, and the formation of his future band.
In Rocketman, she played the role of a young Elton John’s landlady named Arabella with whom he shares a romantic relationship. The couple soon breaks apart as Elton John is later revealed to be gay. The character of Arabella is supposedly based on a secretary named Linda Hannon who was engaged to the singer for two years.
9 Her Debut Was At The Age Of 12
Lovibond’s first TV role was at the age of 12 in the British sitcom The Wilsons. Broadcasted by ITV, she played the part of Poppy Wilson for 6 episodes. She claims in an interview that she had actually lied about her age, auditioning as a 14-year-old.
Following this, she got several other small parts during her schooling. She however focused on her academics in Latymer Upper School. In the same interview, she mentions that even though she interacted and worked with actors like Ben Whishaw, she didn’t join a drama school and ended up studying English at the University of Sussex.
8 Her First Movie Was Oliver Twist
Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist Received another big screen adaptation in 2005. Starring Sir Ben Kingsley as Fagin, the drama received mixed to positive reviews. The film didn’t offer that fresh a perspective to the classic novel as it already been the subject of many film and stage adaptations.
The film also marked Ophelia Lovibond’s film debut as she had a brief appearance as Bet, a fellow pickpocket and friend of Oliver’s. Terrorized by the brutish Fagin, she is often shown to be compassionate to the other pickpocketing children.
7 Guardians Of The Galaxy Wasn’t Her First MCU Film
Even though viewers remember her role of Carina mostly in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, her first MCU film was technically Thor: The Dark World. The film’s mid-credits scene foreshadowed Gunn’s film as Carina and the Collector are introduced.
In this scene, the Asgardian warriors Sif and Volstagg bring the ‘Aether’ (aka the Reality Stone). The Asgardians grow skeptical with the Collector’s imprisonment of living beings in his museum but Carina re-assures them that he would keep the Reality Stone safe. The greedy Collector mumbles to himself, “one down, five to go.”
6 She Played Sherlock Holmes’ Apprentice
One of Lovibond’s major TV role was in Elementary, the modern-day reworking of Sherlock Holmes imagining the British sleuth as a New York-based detective helping the local police. The actress had a recurring role for 13 episodes as Katheryn Winter (also known as Kitty).
She serves as Holmes’ protégée and studies his methods while assisting him on cases in both London and New York. Her character’s name is a reference to a Baron’s mistress who helps Sherlock Holmes in a case in the Arthur Conan Doyle short story The Adventure Of The Illustrious Client.
5 Made An Appearance In A Gabrielle Aplin Video
Gabrielle Aplin is a singer-songwriter from Wiltshire who gained a viral following from her acoustic covers on YouTube. Soon, she signed a recording deal with Parlophone in 2012, releasing new original tracks. Her second single from her debut album was titled Please Don’t Say You Love Me.
The music video for the same featured Ophelia Lovibond alongside Iain de Caestecker (of Agents of SHIELD fame). The video depicts the ups and downs of a romantic relationship, as the two actors fall in and out of love.
4 Her MCU Character Was The Collector’s Daughter In The Comics
Lovibond’s character Carina did serve The Collector in the comics but she was also shown to be his daughter. As the Collector is one of Marvel Universe’s ‘Elder Beings,’ she is probably one of Marvel’s oldest characters. Carina’s powers include shooting bursts of powerful energy and altering the molecular nature of matter.
Because of her dispersed extra-terrestrial energy, Carina Tivan was also mistaken as the late Janet Van Dyne (the alter ego for the Wasp) by her husband Hank Pym (Ant-Man). In fact, Pym shaped Carina’s energy into Janet’s form and broadcasted her brainwaves into Carina.
3 She Had A Leading Role In A Titanic Mini-Series
One of Livibond’s leading TV roles was in the 12-part miniseries Titanic: Blood & Steel that detailed the construction of the RMS Titanic. The show was released in 2012, the centenary year of the ships’ sinking. The characters include workers as well as the financiers behind its construction.
She plays Kitty Carlton, the daughter of a rich magnate who enters into a controversial marriage who later becomes a stage and screen actress.
2 Several Rock N’ Roll Groups Trace Their Roots From Her District
The actress grew up in Shepherd’s Bush, a district of West London. Some major rock n’ roll groups have had a connection with this settlement. In fact, Shepherd’s Bush was named as UK’s Rock n’ Roll Capital according to a 2008 study.
The Who’s three members were born in Shepherd’s Bush and infused much of the youth culture from there in their 1960s-70s discography. The Clash’s Mick Jones and The Animals’ John Weider too were born in the same district, along with three members from The Sex Pistols. The Clash’s early work also traces influences from the culture of Shepherd’s Bush.
1 Her Stunt Double Also Doubled For Bereet
Sian Milne served as the stunt double for Ophelia Lovibond in Guardians of the Galaxy. Interestingly, she also doubled for the character of Bereet. Bereet was introduced as Peter Quill’s girlfriend with whom she has a one-sided relationship.
Towards the end of the film, she’s also shown to be helping civilians on Xandar when the planet is attacked by Ronan. Her pinkish skin is similar to Carina because both of them belong to the Krylorian species of the galaxy.
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