Pom Klementieff is a sharp little actress. I asked her what weapon she would be if she had all the arsenal options in the world. She told me she’d be a kitchen knife. “It’s more surprising. In everyday life. It’s domestic. But at the same time its really violent.”
When Pom was 5 her father had cancer. Years later, a friend of his told her that he had wanted to be a director. She began watching a lot of movies by herself when she as a teenager. She was always drawn to acting, and drawn to strong female characters in particular. “Working as an actress can be very independent. I never wanted to be housewife,” she recalls.
She was fascinated by the characters of Erin Brockovich and the strong females in Kill Bill. She also loved the original Old Boy, a South Korean film from 2003. “It was one of the first films where I wanted to be inside the movie.” Now she gets to be inside it, as she was cast as Haeng-Bok for the new version of it directed by Spike Lee.
In order to prep to audition for the film she began boxing. She was living in Paris at the time and was doing so much boxing practice that her flight for the audition in LA was quite painful. “I was so sore. I couldn’t move. It was horrible.” When Spike came in, she was “super jet lagged but I didn’t care.” She was too excited. She tried not to show it too much when Spike came in. “You know when you have been waiting for a moment for a long time?
The shooting for the film has wrapped up and it proved to be a physically grueling one. She had to train in martial arts. She loved it though, all of it. “It was amazing to work with [Spike Lee]. He’s such a talented director and he’s such a great human being.” When it came to acting, Pom says that Spike let her do what she needed. Pom also finished shooting a film called “Hackers Game.” She played the lead role. “I was playing a computer hacker.” For the character, she had to dye her hair purple. “That’s why I have purple hair.” I asked if she liked it and she said yes, which is why she kept it.
Klementieff moved to Paris to study law to appease her aunt after her uncle's death, but did not find it appealing. She also worked as a waitress and saleswoman in France. She started acting at age 19 at the Cours Florent drama school in Paris. Her first leading role was in Loup (2009), a French film about a tribe of reindeer herders in the Siberian mountains. During filming, Klementieff stayed in a camp, hours from the nearest village, where temperatures dropped well below zero. 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 heard about the part through Roy Lee, a producer with the remake, and took boxing lessons after learning the role involved martial arts.
Klementieff received worldwide recognition when she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Mantis, appearing in the films Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. In 2023 she reprised her role as Mantis in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. Klementieff is a martial artist and holds a purple belt in Taekwondo. She is also an avid skydiver. When filming for Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One was completed, she was gifted skydiving lessons by Tom Cruise, after she expressed her desire to learn how to do so. Although Klementieff was born in Canada, she is not eligible for citizenship under Canadian nationality law due to her father being a diplomat.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2023 Marvel Studios: Assembled Herself Episode: "The Making of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol." Pom emphasizes that Mantis' arc is about discovering her own power, growing from a meek upbringing into a member of the Guardians with agency and confidence. A fan of action, she trained in martial arts for roles and enjoyed the physical challenge. “There’s something so satisfying about fighting in movies,” she says, recalling watching films like Kill Bill in her youth. “People put themselves in so much danger and do things that, if you do in real life, you would go to jail for. But if you do it in a movie you don’t. So that’s great.”
Besides her on-screen achievements, Pom has cultivated a distinctive personal style. She often blends graphic eyeliner, sculptural hairstyles, and natural makeup to highlight her features. Her hair has been platinum blonde in Chanel looks and various other colors for shoots and roles, including purple for Hackers Game and a bold, neon aesthetic for recent fashion events. Her tattoos also carry personal meaning; a delicate floral forearm design she got during a Seoul promotion connects to her late uncle and the violettes that inspired it.
In interviews, she has spoken about the challenges of being a woman of mixed heritage in the industry, noting that typecasting is common and that making intentional career choices matters. She has expressed support for the MeToo movement and Time’s Up, appreciating how women and men are united in demanding safer, fairer conditions in entertainment. She continues to balance high-intensity action work with lighter, comedic roles, and she champions taking risks in pursuing new projects. “There are so many things you can do in life,” she says. “If you think you’re too old, fuck that.”
Key moments of Pom Klementieff’s career
- Early acting training at Cours Florent in Paris; first lead in Loup (2009).
- Hollywood breakthrough in Spike Lee's Oldboy (2013) as Haeng-bok after boxing prep for martial arts scenes.
- Global recognition as Mantis in the Marvel Cinematic Universe starting with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017).
- Role in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One and Part Two projects, with stunts and skydiving training.
- Continued eclectic projects, fashion presence, and advocacy for women’s rights in the industry.
Public persona and style on and off screen
Pom’s red-carpet presence blends high-fashion with a personal, often understated approach. She has experimented with hair colors-from platinum to purple-and emphasizes natural skin with minimal contouring, favoring looks that let her features shine. Her tattoos and personal stories add depth to her public image, making her both a fashion icon and a storyteller of her own career path.
Influences and aspirations
She draws inspiration from strong female characters such as Erin Brockovich and the women of Kill Bill, while also admiring the original Old Boy for its intense immersion. Her ambition includes more opportunities to collaborate with female directors and to continue pushing boundaries in action-heavy roles, comedy, and drama alike.
Tom Hiddleston making Pom Klementieff laugh
tags: #pom #klementieff #black #hair