Caren Pistorius

Born and raised in South Africa with three older siblings, Caren Pistorius was 12 when her family immigrated to New Zealand.

She began acting shortly after the move to New Zealand. In an interview with Popsugar, Caren says she was forced to take a drama class because it was the only class available. She was a shy kid, so she was “mortified.” It didn’t take long for her to fall in love with acting and she soon began starring in her high school theater productions.

Caren didn’t pursue acting in university, instead studying graphic design with a major in animation and illustration at the Auckland University of Technology. After graduation she discovered she wasn’t interested in sitting in front of a computer all day, so she began studying acting. She found an agent in Sydney, and began doing television commercials. Her first acting role was in 2009 on the television series Legend of the Seeker. Three years later, she made her film debut in the indie love story The Most Fun You Can Have Dying (2012).

She has gone on to appear in several films, including The Light Between Oceans (2016)and Denial (2016), but she is best known for her role as Rose in the 2015 film Slow West. She most recently starred opposite Russell Crowe in the thriller Unhinged (2020).

Caren, who lives with her two cats, divides her time between Auckland in New Zealand and Sydney, Australia.