Title: Norwegian-American Bird of Prey in Bergen
Publiser: Bergens Tidende
Publishing Release Date: August 1st, 2003
Byline: Anne-Cathrine Reuterdahl
Related Link: http://www.bt.no/kultur/article173690
Translated By: Anonymous

She got her first kiss on TV and has been partying with the big Hollywood stars. Now the Norwegian-American, Rachel Skarsten (18) is on a family visit in Bergen, while she's rolling through the screen every Sunday in the TV series "Birds of Prey" on NRK2.

“I feel home here in Norway,” says Rachel Skarsten as she rolls herself in the living room's good chair. She’s visiting her aunt and uncle in Søreidgrend, Bergen with her mother and 12 year old younger. Skarsten was born in Toronto, Canada and has half of her family there--and the rest here. Her Norwegian father died when she was 9 years old, but she visits her relatives in Bergen as often as she can.

Coincidentally Discovered

In connection with her father's death, a special memorial program was held on TV, where Skarsten sang in honor of her father. An agent saw her and asked if she wanted to become and actress.

“I was very busy with the prom at that time, and was basically not interested. The agent told me anyways to just go on one audition, and then I could just forget everything after that if I wanted to. I went, and before I knew the word was out and I was in a cereal commercial,” she says with a smile.

When she was 13 years old, she had landed the part of one of the main characters in the TV series, "Little Men.” The ball got bigger, and there were more guest appearances in different TV series and small parts in TV movies. In 2002 she got one of the leading roles in the movie "Virginia's Run.”

She was just 17 years old when she moved to Los Angeles by herself to play in the series "Birds of Prey.” The show is now airing on NRK2.

The Superhero's Daughter

"Birds of Prey" is about three girls with superpowers, who are all daughters of different superheroes, including Batman.

“The series can be described as when Batman meets Charlie’s Angels,” says Skarsten.

In her role as Dinah in the series, she can read others' minds and move things with her mind.

“My character in the series is a big nerd. That's different from everything I've done earlier. I have always played the blonde and popular girl, while Dinah is very insecure,” says the apparently confident girl.

Even though she's not happy with the clothes she has to wear as Dinah, she's very happy that many companies, like Nike, give her free clothes and accessories. She thinks there’s a lot of fun that follows with living in LA, like for example, the celebrity parties with all the big stars.

“A lot of celebrities are much more nicer that you think. They are just completely normal,” she says.

Had To Give Up A Lot

When Skarsten made the decision of moving to LA, she had to give up a lot of her life, including her friends and her family back home in Toronto. The daily life in LA seemed to be lonely, and it didn't help much when she was told to lose 22 pounds immediately.

“They said I looked too fat on TV, and gave me a strict diet.”

Skarsten didn't like the diet at all, but she had to lose weight if she wanted to keep the part. She also had to take out the piercing in her nose, and was given a strict order not to cut or color her hair. In addition, she had a stand-in who looked like her, and who had to do all dangerous and even less dangerous stunts in the series.

“They watched out that I didn't do anything that was dangerous for me,” she says.

But in spite of the strict rules, she was also waited out the hard road.

Long Days on the Set

A normal working day on the set takes up to 11 hours. During the breaks, Skarsten received private schooling to accomplish her last school year under the shooting.

“The day starts out with being picked up at home, usually around 4:30 in the morning. Then you can just go out in the car in your pajamas, if you want, and continue to sleep there,” she says satisfactorily.

When she comes to work, she'll get her hair washed and clothes to wear. Then she'll start rehearsing her lines before she gets her make-up done and everything ready for filming.

“Often you have to say the same thing 30 times, and we usually take a week on something that will become a 40 minute show."

Skarsten tells about the time she got her first kiss and there were 100 people around who stood and watched her.

“It was under the shooting of ‘Little Men,’ and the kissing scene was to be shot first. My mom was on the set, and was absolutely going to take a photo of my first kiss. It was a little embarrassing,” she remembers.

Two Different Lives

“I have two different lives. An actress and a career life where I'm the film star Rachel Skarsten and a life where I'm just the Rachel who's myself. I keep those two separate,” she says.

She says that in the beginning she was a little bit worried of her friends' reaction when she started to have a recognizable face, and that she doesn’t talk about her acting life, if they don't ask her. She's relieved that her friends have taken it well, and thinks it's just nice to be recognized in the streets. On the other hand she doesn't think it's fun at all to be recognized at a party.

“When I'm at a party with my friends and someone comes up to me and asks if I'm the girl who plays Dinah on ‘Birds of Prey,’ I often say no, and that I just look like her. That’s so people won't think that I think that I'm something else and they’re totally into it,” she says.

Looking for Norwegian Boys

Right now, it's the life in Bergen that counts, and here she can be 100% herself.

“It's incredibly liberating to be here,” she says, and appreciates that she can take a walk alone outside, since that kind of stuff in too dangerous back home in Canada.

She thinks Norwegian food is marvelously good and crabmeat is one of the favorites.

“I usually go out and fish for crab with Uncle Helge when I'm in Bergen,” she says eagerly as she smiles.

Suddenly she bursts out in Norwegian:
“I morgen skal jeg lage skillingsboller med tante! (Tomorrow I'm going to make ‘skillingsboller’ [Norwegian type of cake] with my aunt!)” she says with a charming American accent.

“When I'm getting interviewed, it happens that the journalists write that I speak Norwegian Fluently. That’s not right,” she says.

Skarsten understands a lot more than she can say, and thinks it's funny when people thinks she's Norwegian.

“I could really get used to the idea of living in Norway for awhile. For example, as an exchange student from the University of Canada.

“And then I want to find myself a Norwegian husband,” she says and then starts talking enthusiastically about a big boat she saw in the Fjord full of good looking military boys.

After her trip to Bergen, she’ll return to her hometown of Toronto. There she will have a small vacation and do what she likes best: playing hockey.

“Do you want to hear what my three favorite personal items are?” she asks. “It's my ‘bunad’ (a traditional Norwegian dress), ice hockey protectors and a letter from my father,” she says.