‘You Just Gotta Outlast ‘Em’

Back in the summer of 1995, among the blockbusters like Batman Forever, Apollo 13, Pocahontas, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Crimson Tide and Braveheart filling the cineplexes, there was this little sleeper hit called Species.

The film, which is about a group of scientists trying to track down and trap a killer alien seductress before she successfully mates with a human. The seductress was played by then-19-year-old newcomer Natasha Henstridge, who had never acted on screen before.

Species made Henstridge a sensation. Overnight, the Canadian model-turned-actress was a star.

The entertainment industry is littered with the careers of others who have had immediate success and failed to capitalize on it. However, here we are, 30 years later, and not only is Henstridge still here, but she’s working more than ever, with more than a dozen films and TV appearances in just the last three years.

The genre film queen’s latest is the indie psychological horror movie House of Abraham, in which she plays a woman seeking an end to her suffering who visits a mysterious cult that promises a way out. She soon discovers all is not what it seems and must plan an escape before it’s too late. Henstridge stars alongside fellow horror queen Lin Shaye and The Blacklist‘s Lukas Hblockel, who also wrote the film’s screenplay. She chatted with us about her career and the new movie from Los Angeles.

Insights From Natasha Henstridge:

• Stay grounded and maintain strong personal support systems to help navigate the pressures of sudden fame and the public eye.
• Seek out roles that challenge you and prevent typecasting, allowing you to showcase a range of abilities and remain relevant as your career evolves.
• Persevere through industry ups and downs, understanding that longevity often comes from resilience and a willingness to embrace new opportunities at any stage.

I’ve long been fascinated by people who exploded onto the scene at a young age, and their lives changed just like that. You’re on that list, and I’m curious about how your life changed overnight and how you handled it.

It’s funny; I was just talking about this because it’s been 30 years since the film came out. It was just so life-changing.

I remember getting the film. I lived in New York at the time, and I decided to move to LA. Like, “Here we go. I’m on a new journey, riding this as long as I can; let’s just go with this.”

I’d always wanted to be an actress, so in the back of my head, I was hoping this would lead to something else. It didn’t even occur to me how big the film was. That was lost on me. Going from unknown to known overnight meant that there was an element of people looking at me differently and recognizing me, which happened quickly.

Within a couple of weeks, people began to approach me and want to talk to me. I’m not a shy person by any means, but that aspect of celebrity was never my jam, and it freaked me out a little bit. I was in a fish bowl.

Did people suddenly expect that they knew you and wanted a piece of you?

It was different than being on a TV show, like Friends or something. Because I played such a mean and cold character, there was probably an element of a little bit more space in that way, but I did retreat a little bit.

I did become a little more isolated after I did it, and I have had my little share of mental health things over the years. Some of that is inherited, some of that is through being in the public eye and some of that is leaving home young. There are a million different reasons for all of it, but I do feel very, very lucky that I came from a good, grounded, normal family in many regards. I think that had an impact.

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Let’s talk about House of Abraham. You never know what you’re going to get with low-budget horror, but this one works.

I know! I’ve done a few doozies. (Laughs)

If you’re going to do a smaller budget kind of thing, at least make it smart. When I read it, I told Lukas, “Don’t tell me anything,” and 30 or 40 pages in, I was like, “What is happening here? Why are all these people coming to this house?” There was a lot of tension.

Usually, a character like yours is walking around with a secret, but in this one, she’s got a few of them.

That’s what was so cool about it, because playing the secret, playing these two elements, playing the type of role where you have to go back and go, “Wait, did that make sense? Oh, that did make sense. Wait, how did she react to that?”

Going back and having to think about those things in advance, how to play every scene, was so subtle but interesting. She’s the only one questioning many things that are happening. Also, I just thought it was such an interesting subject matter.

There aren’t many actresses who achieve instant success like yours and stick around. I’m curious about being able to build that career in a way that so few others have been able to do.

I looked at that myself, and without naming names, coming up alongside or competing with certain women for specific roles, and seeing them fade off, I think things get magnified.

If you’re struggling, or you have a problem with drugs or the non-stability of this job, living in different countries or cities and the feast or famine lifestyle, that is hard on a lot of people. I think it can bring to the surface many issues. I’ve seen a lot of people fall away.

I was hired as the new “it girl,” the pretty young thing and all that and then I got to play all these intelligent characters. I got to veer off into other areas where I could have been completely pigeonholed. I’m so grateful for that because your looks don’t last forever, you know?

Natasha, come on. You’re like a fine wine.

(Laughs) I was excited that somebody recognized me at Trader Joe’s a couple of days ago from Species, and I said, “That’s a good sign.” (Laughs)

I’ve been through my ups and downs and weight gains and looking worse and better. Whatever it is, we all go through that. I’m feeling stronger, better and happier, like I’m even having a little renaissance in my desire to act.

I’m having a moment right now. I’m not sure if it’s because I turned 50 last year. I thought it was all going to go to block, and I was kind of over it for a while, to be honest with you. However, I now feel excited about it, and it’s showing in the better roles I’m getting.

I’ve got something that’s going to come up on Netflix soon that I’m super excited about. I just did a cool little thing on Fallout. There’s just fun, cool little things happening that are making me more excited about it again. You just gotta outlast ’em, man! (Laughs)

Final Takeaways

Natasha Henstridge skyrocketed to fame overnight with her debut in the 1995 sci-fi hit Species, and while many “it girls” faded, she’s still going strong nearly 30 years later. She looked back on her whirlwind start, the challenges of being in the spotlight, and her latest work in indie horror. Here are a few highlights from her journey and ongoing career renaissance:

• Henstridge became an instant star at 19 but found the sudden attention overwhelming and isolating at times.
• Coming from a grounded family helped her weather the mental health challenges and instability of Hollywood.
• She continues to seek out interesting, layered roles, like her latest in House of Abraham, to avoid being pigeonholed.
• Henstridge credits her longevity to resilience, adaptability, and embracing new opportunities—even after career ups and downs.
• Now in her 50s, she feels more excited than ever about acting, with new projects and a renewed pblockion for her craft.

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