Like many Dartmouth students, Sarah Callies '99 read on the Green, fashioned rings at the jewelry workshop and took strolls along Occum pond. Today, Callies lives in Hollywood and will star in two upcoming movies due out this year.
In "The Celestine Prophecy," a movie adaptation of James Redfield's spiritual novel by the same name, Callies stars as Majorie, whom the character John Woodson encounters during his adventure through Peru. In "Hellion," a supernatural thriller, Callies plays Roxanne, fiance to the character Max Harper, who kidnaps an eight-old-year boy with supernatural powers.
Before moving to the big screen, Callies experienced success on the popular Fox television series "Prison Break" as Dr. Sara Tancredi. She has also had guest roles on other hit television dramas such as "Law and Order: SVU," "Dragnet" and "NUMB3RS" as well as the starring role of Jane Porter on the short-lived WB series "Tarzan." Callies is also one of the new faces for the L'Oreal cosmetics company.
While she got her start in her preteens, first as the lead in a production of Cinderella, Callies honed her skills and furthered her performing ambitions during her time at Dartmouth. As a freshman, she was cast in the role of Juliet in the College's production of "Romeo and Juliet."
"I think that pretty much set her on a course for sure," said her father David Callies, who is a law professor in the University of Hawaii System.
Associate professor of tTheater and women's and gender studies Mara Sabinson attributed Callies' comprehensive understanding of Shakespeare to her early introduction to it by her mother, a Shakespearian scholar and English professor.
"She arrived at Dartmouth not only talented but quite skilled," Sabinson said. "She was already engaged in a fairly sophisticated conversation with the literature."
Aside from spending much of her time in the theater, Callies also double majored in women's and gender studies and film studies and completed a senior fellowship on indigenous theology.
"From my perspective I don't think [being at Dartmouth] hindered her," David Callies said. "[She has] always spoken highly of her experience there."
According to Callies, although she first wanted to follow in her parents' footsteps, both of whom work in academia, a career in acting was always in her future.
"Part of me always assumed I would be an academic... I still do love academics and university settings, and have so much respect for the lifestyle," Callies told the newspaper The Star Bulletin in her hometown Honolulu, Hawaii.
"I thought about it long and hard and realized that the time I spent onstage was when I was really more myself and at ease."
Callies went on to earn a Masters of Fine Arts at the National Theatre Conservatory in Denver, Colo.
During Callies' stint as Jane Porter of the WB series "Tarzan," WB TV president Peter Roth commended the 28-year-old actress.
"She is one of the most exciting young actresses I've seen in many years," he told the Hollywood Reporter.
