London-born Katrina Durden is quickly making a name for herself in action films, but there’s much more to this multi-talented performer. Before her scene-stealing turns in Marvel’s “Doctor Strange” and “Street Fighter: Resurrection,” Katrina pursued sports science, instructed martial arts, and honed her craft on stage and screen.
With an uncle in the business and a lifetime passion for the arts, acting was her destiny. Juggling simultaneous film projects tested her dedication. Beyond kicking butt on camera, Katrina is eager to inspire young girls in martial arts. Get the inside scoop on this rising star – from her roots to her dream roles – in our list of 10 fascinating facts about Katrina Durden.
1. Katrina was born in London into a creative family
Katrina hails from a family deeply rooted in the creative fields, including writing, journalism, and filmmaking, which fostered her innate artistic inclinations from a young age.
Starting at the age of 13, she immersed herself in various forms of artistic expression—be it theater, dance, music, or poetry. She honed her skills through training and education at prestigious institutions like Sylvia Young, Moscow Arts Theatre, Lyric Theatre, and St. Charles College.
2. Katrina has practiced martial arts from a young age
Katrina began boxing at the age of eight and explored various martial arts styles, including TaeKwonDo. She later became a martial arts instructor.
For her role as the Blonde Zealot in “Doctor Strange” she required extensive training in various martial arts styles, including Silat, Cali, JKD, and Kung Fu. She also had to become comfortable with wire work for the film’s action sequences.
In an interview with “Kung Fu Movie Guide” she said about martial arts: “There are more girls (now) in martial arts class… You end up seeing a lot more kids wanting to be tougher and stronger. I love it when a girl comes into class and says, ‘what you do is cool! I want to be tough. I want to learn to be strong as well’.”
3. She’s a big Marvel fan
Growing up, Katrina was a big fan of Marvel, particularly the X-Men series. Being a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with “Doctor Strange” was like a dream come true for her.
4. Her uncle is the British TV and film actor Richard Durden.
Richard is an actor known for “From Paris with Love”, “The Jacket” and “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker”. He has a long career in British television, including guest spots on multiple installments of “Miss Marple”; “Inspector Morse,” and “Poiriot”.
5. Katrina graduated from Brunel University
Before diving into the world of acting, Katrina pursued a career in Sports Science and Human Performance. This background gave her a profound understanding of the human body, its capabilities, and how to improve performance.
In 2014, Katrina graduated from Brunel University with a degree in Sports Sciences and Human Performance.
6. She’s also a stuntwoman and fight choreographer.
After completing her education, Katrina focused intently on advancing her acting career, benefiting from private coaching, mentorship, and guidance from her uncle, Richard Durden. She has showcased her talents in a variety of mediums, including short films, music videos, feature films, and television productions.
Additionally, she has contributed as a fight choreographer and served as the assistant fight coordinator for short films like “Chameleon”, “Kung Fu Darling”, “Cible”, and “The Academy”.
7. Katrina has fought alongside big Hollywood names.
In 2016, Katrina took on the role of the Blonde Zealot in the Marvel film adaptation of “Doctor Strange”.
In the movie she fought alongside stars like Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen, and Benedict Cumberbatch. The movie also showcased prominent UK action talents such as Scott Adkins and Zara Phythian.
8. “Street Fighter: Resurrection” was one of her breakout roles
Collaborating with UK-based writer, director, actor, and fight choreographer Joey Ansah, she landed the role of the villain Decapre in the 2015 web series “Street Fighter: Resurrection,” a sequel to Ansah’s 2014 series “Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist.”
9. Katrina worked on “Doctor Strange” and “Street Fighter” at the same time.
Katrina found her role as Decapre in “Street Fighter: Resurrection” to be the most challenging. She had to juggle her schedule with “Doctor Strange,” staying awake for about 65 hours to fulfill her commitments to both projects.
Both the “Doctor Strange” and “Street Fighter” teams were accommodating, allowing her to work on both projects simultaneously.
10. Katrina is active on several social media platforms
For those interested in following Katrina’s journey, she is active on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.