Pom Klementieff Bio
Pom Alexandra Klementieff (born 3 May 1986) is a French actress known internationally for her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Mission: Impossible series. She first gained widespread recognition for playing Mantis, a quiet and empathetic member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and later for portraying the assassin Paris in the final two Mission: Impossible films. Over the course of her career, she has built a reputation for performing her own stunts, training in martial arts, and taking on physically demanding roles in both independent and large-scale studio productions.
Born in Quebec City, Canada, Klementieff was raised in France after spending part of her early childhood abroad. She began her professional acting career in 2007 with French independent films before moving to Los Angeles to pursue opportunities in Hollywood. Her range as a performer, combined with her background in martial arts and her willingness to commit fully to action-oriented roles, has made her a distinctive presence in contemporary international cinema.
Early Life and Background
Pom Alexandra Klementieff was born on 3 May 1986 in Quebec City, Canada, to a Korean mother, Yu Ri Park, and a Russian-French father, Alexis Klementieff. Her father worked as a diplomat, serving as a consul for the Government of France, and the family moved frequently during her early years. Klementieff spent time in Kyoto, Japan, and in the Ivory Coast before returning to France and settling about an hour outside Paris.
Her father died of cancer when she was five years old, and her mother, who had schizophrenia, was unable to care for her children. Klementieff was raised by her paternal uncle and aunt, with her grandfather being the Russian painter Eugene Klementieff. Her uncle died on her 18th birthday, and her older brother, Namou, died by suicide seven years later, on her 25th birthday. Her parents chose the name “Pom” because it resembles the Korean words for both “spring” and “tiger.”
Although born in Canada, Klementieff is not eligible for Canadian citizenship under Canadian nationality law because her father was a diplomat at the time of her birth. She has tried unsuccessfully to obtain dual French-Canadian citizenship. She holds French nationality and grew up primarily in France, where she later began her training as an actress.
Path to Acting
After her uncle’s death, Klementieff moved to Paris at the urging of her aunt and briefly studied law, though she did not find the subject appealing. She also worked as a waitress and a saleswoman in France while searching for a more fulfilling direction. At the age of 19, she enrolled at the Cours Florent drama school in Paris, where she began formal training in acting.
A few months into her studies, Klementieff won a theatre competition that earned her two years of free classes with the school’s top teachers. This early success gave her the confidence to pursue acting professionally. Her time at Cours Florent also introduced her to the discipline and craft that would later support her transition into more physically demanding screen roles.
Pom Klementieff Career
Early Career (2007–2012)
Klementieff’s first professional acting job was the French independent film Après lui (2007), in which she played the stepdaughter of the protagonist portrayed by Catherine Deneuve. Filming her scenes took only three days, but the role marked her official entry into the film industry. During one scene, Klementieff was supposed to push a character down a flight of stairs but accidentally fell herself, and the director, Gaël Morel, kept the unplanned moment in the final cut.
Her first leading role came with the French film Loup (2009), a story about a tribe of reindeer herders in the Siberian mountains. During production, Klementieff lived in a remote camp far from the nearest village, where temperatures dropped well below zero. She worked with real wolves, rode reindeer, swam with a horse in a lake, and built close relationships with the nomadic people living in the area. The experience helped shape her comfort with physically intense and unfamiliar environments.
Breakthrough (2013–Present)
Klementieff made her Hollywood debut in Spike Lee’s Oldboy (2013), a remake of the South Korean film of the same name. She portrayed Haeng-bok, the bodyguard of the antagonist played by Sharlto Copley. A fan of the original film, Klementieff learned about the role through producer Roy Lee and took boxing lessons after discovering the part involved martial arts. After demonstrating her boxing skills at her audition, she was asked to return wearing a more feminine outfit and make-up to match the character. She trained three hours a day for two months to perform an on-screen fight with Josh Brolin and even contributed clothing from her own wardrobe to the role.
Following the production of Oldboy, Klementieff relocated to Los Angeles to pursue more auditions in the American film industry. She continued her martial arts training after the film and earned a purple belt in taekwondo. Her next major role was in the film Hacker’s Game (2015), where she played a hacker character she compared to Lisbeth Salander. Due to the film’s limited budget, she handled her own make-up and wardrobe and suggested dyeing her hair purple for the role, a choice the directors eventually approved. In 2017, she appeared in the romance drama Newness and the black comedy-drama Ingrid Goes West, further expanding her presence in English-language cinema.
Notable Works and Milestones
Klementieff received worldwide recognition when she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Mantis, appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). She reprised the role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). In 2023, she also joined the Mission: Impossible series as the assassin Paris in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, and returned for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning in 2025. Her other notable screen appearances include the HBO science fiction series Westworld (2020), the thriller Uncut Gems (2019), the animated film The Addams Family (2019), an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror (2019), and the 2024 thriller The Killer’s Game.
Pom Klementieff Award Nominations
Verified information on formal award nominations for Pom Klementieff is limited in the available sources. Industry recognition for her work has largely come through audience response and her inclusion in major studio franchises, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Mission: Impossible series.
Pom Klementieff Awards Won
Verified records of major awards won by Pom Klementieff are limited in the available sources. Her contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Mission: Impossible series have earned her international recognition and a dedicated global fan base.
Pom Klementieff Family
Pom Klementieff was born to a Korean mother, Yu Ri Park, and a Russian-French father, Alexis Klementieff, who worked as a diplomat for the Government of France. Her paternal grandfather was the Russian painter Eugene Klementieff. After her father’s death from cancer and her mother’s inability to care for her, Klementieff was raised by her paternal uncle and aunt in France. Her older brother, Namou, also predeceased her.
Personal Life
Klementieff is a dedicated martial artist and holds a purple belt in taekwondo. She is also an enthusiastic skydiver; after completing her work on Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, she was given skydiving lessons by Tom Cruise, and during a May 2025 appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, she shared that she had completed 233 jumps. Klementieff has mentioned in interviews that she learned much of her English by watching the American sitcom 30 Rock, starring Tina Fey.
