As the former wife of one of Hollywood’s most prolific and instantly recognisable screen icons, it is to be expected that Katie Holmes marriage to Tom Cruise will define much of her career for many years to come. What’s more, despite starring in such well-known and successful films as Batman Begins, Go and Phone Booth, she remains most well-known for her role as Joey Potter in the long-running series Dawson’s Creek.

Katie Holmes Attends Met GalaKatie Holmes is attempting to re-establish herself as an actress.

The series, which details the lives of four teenagers through their growing pangs and adolescent tribulations ran for six seasons and 128 episodes, leaving Katie’s turn as the character Joey Potter left burned onto the minds of much of the American public. So far, efforts to distance herself from the role have been largely unsuccessful but an upcoming slew of films sees Katie making her most concerted effort to redefine herself as a talented and versatile actress.

Holmes will continue to build her newfound acting prowess in a series of smaller features including the indie feature Miss Meadows, released earlier this year. Elsewhere, Days and Nights sees Katie taking the leading role alongside such highly revered Hollywood mainstays as Leon star Jean Reno and American Beauty actress Allison Janney. Inspired in part by Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull, the film looks set to give Katie the chance to prove her worth after the actress suffered a blow in the form of the early closing of a Broadway play, Dead Accounts, which received universally lacklustre reviews from critics. Holmes performance was singled out by some as being particularly uninspired and audiences failed to show interest.

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In a work that seems irrevocably more challenging than any role Holmes has taken up so far, she will star in the Paul Dalio feature Mania Days, which has just concluded production. Set against a backdrop of mental illness, the films centres upon two patients in a psychiatric hospital that begin a romance, shining a light on the various complexities of their respective conditions. It seems a brave move for Holmes, and shows that her confidence in taking parts outside of her standard oeuvre. However, it is yet to be seen whether Holmes has the capabilities for such a demanding role or whether it will come across as such a desperate attempt at divorcing herself from her standard characterisation as Cameron Diaz’s overly kooky turn in Being John Malkovich.

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Her return to the A-list seems to be confirmed with the announcement she will star as Ryan Reynolds wife in Woman In Gold, a Jewish refugee drama set in the Second World War that will also star Dame Helen Mirren. Production for the film is already underway, and it could posit the best opportunity yet for Holmes to redefine her career.