“I can live a thousand lives in one lifetime”: Maria Sten on leaving her dance career behind to become an action hero

Unlike the situation for many other actors, 2023 turned out to be one of the busiest years ever for the Danish-born Maria Sten. The second season of her Amazon series Reacher was shot just in time to avoid being shut down by the SAG-AFTRA actors' strike. “Growing up in Denmark, if you didn't like something, you took to the streets to demonstrate. You made your civil voice heard in a different way than you can in the states. So it was nice to see people standing together,” Sten tells me.

Sten, who is of Danish, Swedish, and Congolese descent, has been based in America since she was 18 years old. Now she calls New York her home, where I reach her via a video call. Wearing a grey cardigan from the French brand Sézane, her hair in a bun, and layers of chunky rings, she has taken to her home office to buckle in for a day of press. “I'm also shooting and doing some pitching on the writing front. So it's definitely very hectic weeks”, she says.

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First venturing out of Scandinavia to pursue a career as a dancer and model, Sten later found her true calling in acting and writing. Her knack for choreography would instead come in handy when doing action scenes. “I was in a hurry to leave. I didn't feel that there were any opportunities for me in Denmark at the time,” she explains.

“When I was a kid you didn’t see people of colour in ads. I love that it seems to be changing now, there seems to be a push towards diversifying media. New York is where I feel I belong, but Denmark will always be my roots. I still have my whole family there.”

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The want for better representation in the film industry is also what launched her into own projects. Sten has previously written for the ABC show Big Sky and debuted her short film When it Burns in 2016. “I have always had this incredible thirst and curiosity for exploration. I know it sounds really corny, but acting for me is getting to discover someone else's human nature. I can be a doctor, a hedge fund billionaire, or a serial killer. I can live a thousand lives in one lifetime”, she says.

Reacher finds its source material in the extensive series of books about anti-hero Jack Reacher by British author Jim Grant (under the pen name of Lee Child). The original 2016 screen interpretation starred Tom Cruise, who failed to convince as the buff ex-military character. But to the audience's delight, Amazon's fresh rendition managed to managed to balance heart, humour, and action perfectly, earning it rave reviews not just from viewers but critics as well. “When I read the script I thought this adaptation was closer to the spirit and tone of the books, so I saw the potential,” Sten recounts. “But there's a bigger responsibility when you are adapting something that already has a fan base built in. I think it was a shock to everybody involved when it was the hit that it was,” she says.

Another welcome surprise for Sten came as her character Frances Neagley quickly became a fan favourite. More than just Reacher’s sidekick, she’s self-reliant and often the one to save the day. Perhaps thanks to the fans accrued in season one, Sten had a boost in screen time throughout the second season. “She’s tough, guarded, and a badass, but also kind of endearing and a little quirky,” Sten says of her on-screen identity. “I think that's what makes her interesting. She grew up very fast and I can relate to that because I was also very independent from a young age” she says, referencing the point in her life at which she left Scandinavia.

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In a past that seems worlds away from her current work as an actor, Sten earned the title of Miss Denmark in 2008. “Neagley is such a tomboy, so I really have been gravitating towards the more feminine and sensual in my personal life. Going on the red carpet and dressing up in a beautiful gown – I need that balance for me to feel like a woman. When I was modelling it was mainly just to pay my bills, but within the last couple of years, my own style and view of fashion has evolved. I get to have an impact on how the world sees me”, she says.

Next, Sten would like to explore the drama genre or get to play a villain for once. But will we ever see her back in Scandinavia? “There are so many amazing Danish filmmakers, like Nikolaj Arcel, Susanne Bier, and Nicolas Winding Retten. I would love to do some acting there”, she says.