# Caren Pistorius

Caren Pistorius (born 30 September 1990) is a New Zealand actress. She is known for her performance in the 2015 film Slow West.

## Early life

Pistorius was born in Rustenburg, South Africa. Her family moved to Auckland, New Zealand, when she was 12. She took drama classes at school. She studied at the Auckland University of Technology.

## Acting career

Pistorius began her professional acting career at the age of 19, when she made her television debut in the American television series Legend of the Seeker in the episode "Confession”, playing Luna. Pistorius played the role of Chloe in the romantic drama film The Most Fun You Can Have Dying, directed by Kirstin Marcon, which was released on 26 April 2012. The same year, Pistorius appeared as Amy in the comedy series Hounds.
In 2013, Pistorius appeared as Rose Harper in the crime drama series The Blue Rose. The same year, she was cast in the miniseries Paper Giants: Magazine Wars, playing Beth Ridgeway, as well as the comedy-drama series Offspring, where she played the supporting role of Eloise Ward.
In 2015, Pistorius co-starred with Kodi Smit-McPhee, Michael Fassbender and Ben Mendelsohn in the Revisionist Western film Slow West, where she played the role of Rose Ross. It premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on 24 January 2015 and was first released on 15 May 2015 in the United States, with a simultaneous release on video on demand.
In 2016, Pistorius was cast in the romantic drama film The Light Between Oceans, in which she played the character Lucy Grace Rutherford / Adult Lucy Grace. The same year, Pistorius played the role of Laura Tyler in the biographical film Denial.
Pistorius then played Lorraine Cassidy in the 2017 Australian post-apocalyptic horror drama film Cargo. The same year, she was cast in the miniseries Wake in Fright, as Janette Hynes.
In 2018, Pistorius was cast to play the role of Anne in the comedy-drama film Gloria Bell, also starring Julianne Moore. The same year, she appeared in the post-apocalyptic steampunk film Mortal Engines.
In early 2020, Pistorius was cast to play the role of Claire in the film High Ground, which premiered at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival on 23 February 2020, with the Australian premiere at the Brisbane International Film Festival later that year, and theatrical release in Australia on 28 January 2021. Also that year, Pistorius starred with Russell Crowe, Gabriel Bateman, Jimmi Simpson and Austin P. McKenzie in the action thriller film Unhinged, where she played the role of Rachel Flynn.
Pistorius was cast in the psychological thriller film The Marsh King's Daughter, where she played the role of Beth, the mother of Helena Pelletier, which was released in the United States on November 3, 2023, by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2012 | The Most Fun You Can Have Dying | Chloe | Drama |
| 2015 | Slow West | Rose Ross | Action/Adventure/Drama |
| 2016 | The Light Between Oceans | Adult Lucy-Grace | Drama/Romance |
| 2016 | Denial | Laura Tyler | Biography/Drama |
| 2017 | Cargo | Lorraine | Drama/Horror/Sci-Fi |
| 2018 | Gloria Bell | Anne | Comedy/Drama/Music |
| 2018 | Mortal Engines | Pandora Shaw | Action/Adventure/Fantasy |
| 2020 | High Ground | Claire | Action/Drama/Thriller |
| 2020 | Unhinged | Rachel Flynn | Action/Thriller |
| 2023 | The Marsh King's Daughter | Beth | Crime/Drama/Mystery |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2009 | Legend of the Seeker | Luna | Episode: "Confession” |
| 2012 | Hounds | Amy | 6 episodes |
| 2013 | The Blue Rose | Rose Harper | 8 episodes |
| 2013 | Paper Giants: Magazine Wars | Beth Ridgeway | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Offspring | Eloise Ward | 13 episodes |
| 2013 | Redfern Now | Janine Myles | Episode: “Babe in Arms" |
| 2017 | Wake in Fright | Janette Hynes | 2 episodes |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 2014 | Equity Ensemble Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Mini-series or Telemovie | Paper Giants: Magazine Wars | Nominated |
| 2014 | Equity Ensemble Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Series in a Drama Series | Offspring | Nominated |
| 2014 | Equity Ensemble Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Series in a Drama Series | Redfern Now | Won |
| 2014 | Logie Awards | Most Popular New Talent | Offspring | Nominated |
| 2014 | Logie Awards | Most Outstanding New Talent | Paper Giants: Magazine Wars | Nominated |
| 2017 | Best Actress | Best Actress | Slow West | Nominated |