Lina Leandersson

Lina Leandersson
Leandersson in November 2009
Born	(1995-09-27) 27 September 1995 (age 21) Falun, Sweden
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2008–present

Lina Leandersson (born 27 September 1995) is a Swedish actress. She played the lead role of Eli in the 2008 Swedish romantic vampire film Let the Right One In, based on the novel by the same name. Born in Falun, Leandersson started performing at an early age. She acted in local amateur theatre performances, and had a few brief television appearances in 2006. At the age of eleven, Leandersson was cast to play one of the two leads in Tomas Alfredson's film, Let the Right One In, after applying for the role through a web-based casting service. The film was an international success, and Leandersson's performance as the vampire Eli brought her widespread critical acclaim as well as several awards and nominations. She has stated that she wants to continue acting.

Lina Leandersson was born in Falun, Sweden. She took an interest in performing from an early age, acting in amateur theatre performances, attending drama courses, and performing street- and jazz dance. One of her first roles was in amateur theatre performance, playing the mother of a spoiled girl wanting new jeans. In 2006 she appeared as a jury member in the Swedish song competition Lilla Melodifestivalen. The same year, she was selected as one out of five, from a total of five hundred applicants, to participate in Nickelodeon's programledarskola, which was televised in October 2006.

Leandersson applied for the role in Let the Right One In through a web-based casting service. After being contacted by child casting director Maggie Widstrand, she auditioned for the role three times before finally being cast. She was unaware that the role she was auditioning for was that of a vampire. "I was shocked", she later told Expressen; "I thought it was a more usual role." But as soon as she grew accustomed to the idea, "it became even more fun. I wanted to be a vampire when I was little", she said.