A former child model, actress Liv Tyler, daughter of Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler, turns 39 today. Shuib Taib looks at her cinematic achievements
1. STEALING BEAUTY (1996)
Tyler plays Lucy Harmon, who travels to Italy to solve a mystery in her deceased mother’s diary, which leads to her finding her biological father.
This marks 19-year-old Tyler’s first leading role. She was nominated for a Young Star Award for Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Drama Film. The movie was also selected for the 1996 Cannes Film Festival in France.
2. ARMAGEDDON (1998)
Although director Michael Bay thought it was his worst film, it earned a whopping RM2.26 billion worldwide and raised Tyler’s profile.
She ironically turned down the role of Grace Stamper twice before finally accepting. In the movie, she plays the daughter of Bruce Willis’ character and the love interest of Ben Affleck’s character. It tells the story of a Nasa-recruited misfit team of deep core drillers who saved the earth from an asteroid.
She shot it concurrently with Plunkett & Macleane (1999), so she would frequently fly from Los Angeles to her locations in the Czech Republic for stretches at a time.
The theme song, I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing, was sung by her father, Steven.
3. ONEGIN (1999)
Tyler plays Tatiana, a passionate and virtuous Russian girl who falls hopelessly under the spell of Eugene Onegin, a jaded but dashing aristocrat.
Onegin received mixed reviews, with criticism levelled at the pacing and writing but praise for its production values and performances.
Tyler garnered the Golden Aries prize for Best Foreign Actress from the Russian Guild of Film Critics.
4. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001)
This epic film, which was based on the first volume of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord Of The Rings, sees Tyler as the elf maiden Arwen Undomiel.
It’s about a meek Hobbit and his eight companions who set out to destroy the One Ring of the Dark Lord Sauron. The filmmakers approached Tyler after seeing her performance in Plunkett & Macleane.
She had to learn to speak the fictitious Elvish language that was created by Tolkien. She deepened her voice so much to play Arwen that even her father asked if her voice was dubbed.
The film, which won four Academy Awards, was a massive box office success, earning over RM3.56 billion worldwide.
5. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (2002)
Tyler returned for the sequel, which out-grossed its predecessor, earning over RM3.78 billion worldwide.
Originally, Tyler’s character Arwen (and Aragorn’s love interest) was to be included in the fighting force of elves, who join the men in the battle of Helms Deep. She spent months learning sword fighting but her fight scenes were removed after the script was changed when the writers realised that this approach wasn’t working. The movie won two Academy Awards.
6. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003)
Each of the cast members received a gift on their last day of shooting, usually a prop that was significant to their roles. While Orlando Bloom got one of Legolas’ bows, Tyler received Arwen’s “dying dress”.
The movie won 11 Academy Awards and is the second film in history to earn over US$1 billion (RM4.09 billion) worldwide. This also marks the only time that a third movie in a series or trilogy has won an Oscar for Best Picture.
7. LONESOME JIM (2005)
The film follows Jim, a 27-year-old novelist, who moves back in with his parents and deals with crippling family obligations when he fails to make it in New York city. Tyler plays a good-hearted nurse who finds contentment in encouraging optimism in Jim’s gloomy world.
The movie was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. It won the Top Independent Films award at the 2006 US National Board of Review.
8. THE INCREDIBLE HULK (2008)
Tyler accepted the role without reading the script. She plays Dr Betty Ross, the love interest of the title character, played by Edward Norton.
In it, Dr Bruce Banner seeks a cure to his unique condition, which causes him to turn into a giant green monster under emotional stress.
The movie was a box office success, earning over RM1 billion worldwide.
9. THE STRANGERS (2008)
Tyler acts alongside Scott Speedman as Kristen and James, a couple who are expecting a relaxing weekend at a family vacation home that turns out to be anything but peaceful. Before filming any terrorising scenes, Tyler would run laps, do jumping jacks and other physical activities to get her out of breath. Tyler won Best Horror Actress at the 2008 Scream Awards and received a nomination for Choice Movie Actress: Horror/Thriller at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards.
10. SUPER (2010)
A story about Frank (Rainn Wilson), an everyday guy who transforms into Crimson Bolt, a superhero with the best intentions but lacking in heroic skills, after his wife Sarah (Tyler) leaves him for Jacques (Kevin Bacon), a charismatic strip club owner who gets her hooked on drugs.
Towards the end of the movie when Tyler is in her rehab group session, she is heard stating, “f**ked up, insecure, neurotic and emotional”. This is a reference and nod to her rocker father Steven and his 1980s song, Fine, which is an acronym for the same line.
At the 2011 Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal, Super was tied with the documentary Superheroes for the Best International Film Prize from the AQCC (Association Quebecoises des Critiques de Cinema) Jury.