As she was unable to find work in Denmark, she moved to Canada where she appeared in the TV series Daughter of the Country (1986).
In 2004, the couple moved to Greenland where Kleist became the leader of the amateur drama group Silamiut.
Adopted by her parents, her cousin Kuupik Kleist has served as prime minister of Greenland.
[2] Recognizing that opportunities for her to act in Denmark or Greenland were limited, Kleist decided to move to Toronto, Canada, where she gained success in performing an indigenous role in the television series Daughters of the Country (1986) and in the stage play Aria (1987).
In order to make a living, she became a schoolteacher but participated in the newly established Silamiut drama group.