Why Jenny Lind From The Greatest Showman Looks So Familiar

"The Greatest Showman" proved to be one of the biggest surprise hits of 2017 when it premiered, eventually pulling in over $436 million from its theatrical release (via Box Office Mojo). A fantastical film chronicling the life of P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman), the film carried audiences away with its whimsical musical numbers and phenomenal performances. Not only did Hugh Jackman stand out, but the film's supporting cast is also worth noting, including Zac Efron, Zendaya, and many more. In particular, one character who made their mark in the film was Jenny Lind, a singer referred to in the movie as "The Swedish Nightingale."

Upon the debut of "The Greatest Showman," and in the years since the film hit the big screen, many members of the audience likely found Jenny Lind incredibly familiar. That's because the character is portrayed by Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson, who has become a prolific working actor in Hollywood over the last decade. Given the sheer scope of Ferguson's list of IMDb credits, these are some of the roles that mainstream filmgoers may recognize her from over the course of her career.

2017 was a big year for Rebecca Ferguson. Not only did she appear as Jenny Lind in the aforementioned musical, "The Greatest Showman," but she also got a chance to enter the sci-fi horror genre as well. Specifically, she teamed up with director Daniel Espinosa for "Life," an "Alien"-inspired horror romp about an astronaut crew that slowly gets picked apart by an alien creature they discovered in outer space. In addition to Ferguson, the film's cast also includes Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds, among others. Ferguson's character is eventually a casualty of the film's unwillingness to pull its punches. While the story's climax sets her up to potentially survive while Gyllenhaal's character sacrifices himself, the film ends with the gut-punch fake-out that Gyllenhaal actually makes it back to earth (with the alien in tow) while Ferguson is callously jettisoned out into space.

"Life" ultimately proved to be a moderate success at the box office upon its initial debut. Based on reporting from The Numbers, it earned over $100 million at the box office during its theatrical run. Though nowhere near the astronomical success of some of Ferguson's other films, it allowed her to enter a different genre than many audiences were used to seeing her in at the time.

Rebecca Ferguson has worked with several auteur filmmakers throughout her career. One of the most interesting collaborations came in 2019 when she partnered with Mike Flanagan for the release of "Doctor Sleep." Based on the works of Stephen King, the film is a sequel to both "The Shining" book as well as Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" film, somehow managing to thread both of those distinct narratives into something cohesive. In "Doctor Sleep," Ferguson portrays Rose the Hat, the leader of the True Knot — a wandering band of vampire-like beings who suck the life force out of individuals who "shine" in order to sustain their eternal life.

In "Doctor Sleep," Rose is brutal and uncompromising in her hunt for the people who serve as her food, killing a child to feed her group in a particularly visceral scene that Ferguson recalled as difficult to film (via The Wrap). That said, in an interview with Refinery29, she also shied away from overtly defining Rose as evil, instead referring to her as a "predator." The character ultimately meets her demise during a climactic showdown with Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) and Abra (Kyliegh Curran).