Kruger was born in Hildesheim, Germany, and she started her career as a dancer in London when she was still young, but after an injury she changed her mind and went to Paris to become a model. She won Elite's 1992 "Look of the Year" at the age of 15. Kruger soon became interested in acting and landed some small appearances. She then changed her last name for use with English-speaking audiences, to ease her move to a Hollywood career. Kruger made her onscreen debut in 2002 opposite Dennis Hopper and Christopher Lambert in The Piano Player. She played Françoise in 2003's Michel Vaillant and Lisa in Wicker Park (2004), alongside Josh Hartnett. Her most notable role to date is her portrayal of Helen in Wolfgang Petersen's epic Troy. In 2004, she starred with Nicholas Cage in the popular film National Treasure, going on to appear in movies such as Joyeux Noël (2005) and Copying Beethoven (2006). Kruger married French actor Guillaume Canet on September 1, 2001. They have since filed for divorce. She is going to return for National Treasure 2, playing the role of Abigail Chase. The movie will be released in 2007 or 2008.