Mia Kirshner Biography: Books, Partner, Movies, Height, Ethnicity, Age, Net Worth, Siblings, Parents

Mia Kirshner is a Canadian actress, writer, and social activist whose early film work in Denys Arcand’s “Love and Human Remains” and Atom Egoyan’s “Exotica” drew critical attention and set the stage for a career marked by daring choices.

She reached broader audiences with her roles as assassin Mandy on 24 and as Jenny Schecter on The L Word, and later expanded her screen presence in genre series such as Star Trek: Discovery and The Vampire Diaries.

Profile

• Full name: Mia Kirshner
• Date of birth: January 25, 1975
• Age: 50 years old
• Gender: Female
• Place of birth: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• State of origin: Ontario
• Nationality: Canadian
• Profession: Actress, writer, social activist
• Height: 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m)  
• Parents: Etti Kirshner (teacher); Sheldon Kirshner (journalist)  
• Siblings: Lauren Kirshner  
• Spouse: None
• Children: None
• Relationship status: Partnered with Sam Shepard (2014–2015)  
• Religion: Jewish
• Ethnicity: Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jewish descent  
• Net worth: US $2 million  

Early Life and Education

Mia Kirshner, now at the age of 50, was born on January 25, 1975. She grew up in Toronto, the daughter of Etti, a teacher, and Sheldon Kirshner, a journalist. She has a sister named Lauren.

Both sets of her grandparents were Holocaust survivors, shaping her understanding of storytelling and justice. She attended Forest Hill Collegiate Institute before graduating from Jarvis Collegiate Institute, then studied Russian literature and 20th-century film at McGill University in Montreal.

Personal Life

Kirshner has never married or had children. She was in a relationship with actor and playwright Sam Shepard from 2014 to 2015. She maintains a low public profile, dedicating much of her time to writing, activism and privacy.

Career

Kirshner began acting at the age of 14 with a dual role in the 1989 episode of War of the Worlds, “Loving the Alien.” At 18, she made her film debut in Love and Human Remains (1993), earning a Genie Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, followed by a praised performance in Exotica (1994).

She later appeared in The Crow: City of Angels (1996), portraying the assassin Mandy, and in 24 (2001–2005) and The L Word (2004–2009), as Jenny Schecter.

Kirshner’s other notable film roles include Not Another Teen Movie (2001), Party Monster (2003), and The Black Dahlia (2006). On television, she played Isobel Flemming in The Vampire Diaries (2010–2011), and Amanda Grayson in Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2019) and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2023).

Kirshner co-created the multimedia graphic memoir I Live Here (2008), collaborating with Paul Shoebridge, Michael Simons, and James MacKinnon. The book amplifies the voices of refugees from Chechnya, Juárez, Burma, and Malawi; Pantheon published it with proceeds benefiting Amnesty International.

She also launched the I Live Here Foundation to support creative writing programs in marginalized communities worldwide. In 2009, MIT invited her to teach a course based on the project.

Awards

• Genie Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Love and Human Remains, 1994)
• MTV Movie Award nomination for Best Kiss (Not Another Teen Movie, 2002)  

Net Worth

Mia Kirshner’s net worth is approximately $2 million, derived from her sustained work in film and television, as well as her writing and activist endeavours.

Social Media

• Instagram: @miakirshner
• X: @msmiakirshner

Filmography

• Love and Human Remains (1993)
• Cadillac Girls (1993)
• Exotica (1994)
• Murder in the First (1995)
• Anna Karenina (1997)
• Mad City (1997)
• Speed of Life (1999)
• Out of the Cold (1999)
• Not Another Teen Movie (2001)
• Party Monster (2003)
• The Black Dahlia (2006)
• Miss Conception (2008)
• 30 Days of Night: Dark Days (2010)
• 388 Arletta Avenue (2011)
• I Think I Do (2013)
• Milton’s Secret (2016)
• Crisis (2021)

Books

• I Live Here (2008)