She first appeared in smaller parts in both Canadian and American productions, including The Utopian Society (2003) and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004).

Following a main role on the HBO mockumentary series The Comeback (2005), Akerman co-starred in the commercially successful romantic comedies The Heartbreak Kid (2007) and 27 Dresses (2008).

She gained wider recognition for her role as Silk Spectre II in the 2009 superhero film Watchmen, for which she received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Apart from acting and modelling, Akerman had a brief music career in the early 2000s as the lead vocalist for alternative rock band the Petalstones, which released its debut studio album in 2005.

Akerman was born in Stockholm on 12 May 1978,[5][6] the daughter of aerobics teacher and part-time model Pia (née Sundström) and insurance broker Magnus Åkerman.

[14] While studying for a year at York University in Toronto, she was simultaneously offered guest roles on television as a result of her exposure in commercials.

[16] Akerman made her acting debut on the Canadian science fiction series Earth: Final Conflict in 1997 in a smaller role as a robot.

[19] In 2004, she got a small role in the film Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle,[11] but considered moving back to Canada as most of her auditions failed.

[26] Akerman signed up for a role alongside Ben Stiller in the comedy film The Heartbreak Kid, directed by the Farrelly Brothers, in 2006.

[27] The film follows the couple's honeymoon in Mexico, where Stiller's character falls in love with another woman and realizes that the marriage was a mistake.

[29] Akerman's performance garnered more positive reviews; Desson Thomson of The Washington Post called her a "fabulous comic partner" to Stiller,[28] while Roger Moore of Times Herald-Record asserted that she had outperformed him.

[31] In 2007, Akerman joined the cast of 27 Dresses, a romantic comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher with Katherine Heigl in the lead role.

[37] In 2009, Akerman starred as Silk Spectre II in the superhero film Watchmen, an adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel of the same name.

[38] Directed by Zack Snyder, the feature film is set in an alternate reality in 1985 where a group of retired vigilantes investigate an apparent conspiracy against them.

[16] She wore a brunette wig, high heels and an uncomfortable latex costume, which provided little protection when performing stunts, and she often bruised herself during filming.

[40] Premiering in February 2009, the film received generally favourable reviews,[41] and was a commercial success, grossing US$185 million worldwide.

[42] Although Akerman was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the film,[43] critics were generally negative towards her acting.

"[50] Akerman appeared in the 2009 romantic comedy film The Proposal, starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in the lead roles.

[61][62][63] Later in 2010, she guest starred on the How I Met Your Mother episode "The Wedding Bride",[64] and joined the cast of the Adult Swim comedy series Childrens Hospital.

[70] The film premiered in March 2011 on limited release and received generally unfavourable reviews; critics dismissed it as a "bizarre sex comedy".

[74][75] In 2010, Akerman signed up for a part in newcomer Aaron Harvey's Catch .44, a drama-thriller film with Forest Whitaker and Bruce Willis in the male lead roles.

She hired a vocal coach as her role required her to sing; she and Cruise recorded a duet of Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is" (1984).

[94][95] From 2012 to 2013, she had a recurring role on ABC's comedy series Suburgatory as Alex, the absent mother of the main character Tessa.

[103][104][105] Akerman received critical acclaim for her performance; Gabriel Mizrahi of The Huffington Post deemed her portrayal "terrific",[106] and Matt Webb Mitovich of TVLine opined that she "no less than shines here, coming off as fun-loving but not flaky, warm and not overheated".

[114] The film received generally favourable reviews from critics, who noted its "surprising layer of genuine emotion" amidst "the meta amusement".

[125] Akerman was cast in Brad Peyton's science fiction monster film Rampage (2018), based on the video game series of the same name, as Claire Wyden, the CEO of a company responsible for the infection and mutation of several animals.

[130] Akerman played the role of Grace Richmond, the mother of Liana Liberato's character, in Martha Stephens' coming-of-age drama To the Stars (2019).

[133] The pilot, directed by Daniel Barnz, details a murder trial told through different perspectives of each key person involved, with Akerman as public defender Rachel Lewis.

[3] On 5 February 2024, it was announced that Akerman, alongside Petra Mede, would host the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden.

[162] She served food with fellow actress January Jones at the Los Angeles Mission's annual Thanksgiving event in 2021.