Ex Machina's Alicia Vikander Gets Real About Her Long Road to Sudden Fame

Vikander's own journey took some time. She found her first big film role in the 2009 Swedish-language film Pure, and later, she made an English-speaking debut in 2012's Anna Karenina. Her role as the Queen of Denmark and Norway in 2012's A Royal Affair, which was nominated for the best foreign film Academy Award, was a game-changer.

Now, Vikander even considering a film makes headlines; her recent flirtation with the Tom Hanks project The Circle caused a stir, especially when she dropped out to reportedly accept parts in Assassin's Creed with Michael Fassbender and the next Bourne movie with Matt Damon.

A former ballerina, Vikander has the discipline to focus on her work despite the trappings of an increasingly successful film career. One side effect is, of course, increased attention.