Indian Origin Actors in Hollywood
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- Actress
Lisa Ray was finishing high school in Canada with aspirations of majoring in Journalism at University when a celebrated fashion magazine approached her to model for them, and she ended up on the cover. This catapulted her into a state of instant celebrity. Her high-profile career got her noticed by Indian filmmakers, but she refused many offers until the offbeat _Kasoor (2000)_, which received a considerable amount of attention. Indian-Canadian director Deepa Mehta then cast her as the lead in the lighthearted romantic comedy Bollywood/Hollywood (2002), which went on to be a huge success in Canada. She subsequently moved to London to study acting and concentrate on a serious career in the performing arts. After graduating from drama school she was reunited with Deepa Mehta in the critically lauded Water (2005). She has since carved out a challenging variety of characterizations- everything from a farm girl to a femme fatale- which is a testament to her adaptability and desire for challenge.- Actress
Navi Rawat was born on 5 June 1977 in Malibu, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Feast (2005), The O.C. (2003) and Numb3rs (2005). She has been married to Brawley Nolte since 2012. They have one child.The buxom Indian mathematician in Numb3rs.
Also, played the punk hottie in 24's 1st season, who was a arrested along with hero's daughter (Elisha Cuthbert).- Actor
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Ashaa Siewkumar was born on 21 May 1964 in Trinidad. He is an actor and director, known for Tropical Heat (1993).- Actress
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Persis Khambatta was born on October 2, 1948 in Bombay, India. When aged 16, as Femina Miss India, she entered Miss Universe 1965, dressed in off-the-rack clothes she bought at the last minute. Khambatta became a model for companies such as Revlon. Her biggest acting break was getting the role of Lieutenant Ilia, the bald Deltan alien in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). This led to roles in Nighthawks (1981), Megaforce (1982) and Warrior of the Lost World (1983). She was considered for the title role in the James Bond film Octopussy (1983), but was passed over in favor of Maud Adams. Khambatta became the first citizen of India to present an Academy Award in 1980. She was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Actress for her Star Trek role. Khambatta also made guest appearances in many popular American television series. In the early 1980s, she was seriously injured in a car crash in Germany and had to have heart bypass surgery.
A year before her death, she wrote and published a coffee table book titled "Pride of India" which featured former Miss Indias; it was dedicated to Mother Teresa, and part of the royalties went to the Missionaries of Charity. On August 17, 1998, Persis Khambatta was taken to the Marine Hospital in South Mumbai, complaining of chest pains. She died of a heart attack on August 18, 1998 at the age of 49; her funeral was held in Mumbai.The original star trek hottie.- Young Katy, an aspiring graphic designer in 1972-73, was working as a receptionist at the London Hilton hotel when a Playboy Club employee saw her and asked her to audition. After meeting Hugh Hefner, Katy become a Playboy "Bunny" in 1973. Katy, the daughter of an income tax officer, was born in Aden as Katiya. In the 1960s, her family moved to the UK. Fame and stardom brought Katy to Mumbai. She featured in Ramesh Bhal's Kasme Vaade, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rakhee. Katy played Ruby, a politician's personal secretary, in the controversial film Kissa Kursi Ka (1978). Katy never made it big in Bollywood but there were many rumours about her perceived closeness with the likes of Hussein bin Talal, the then king of Jordan.For the most part of the 70s, Katy adorned magazine covers and centrespreads. It was rumoured that she had her breast size surgically reduced by ten inches. Columnist and novelist Shobhaa De had described it as "Operation Bust"De had written in the "Eyecatchers" section of India Today magazine in 1978 about Katy's "well-publicised operation to reduce her bustline by ten fulsome inches". Calling it "Operation Bust", she had said Katy had emerged "slimmer, lighter and with a big load off her chest".Katy had been mentioned in Sudeep Chakravarti's novel Tin Fish, which was published in 2005. Her photographs were a part of the photo essay book India: Then and Now, put together by Rudrangshu Mukherjee and Vir Sanghv.Lore has it that the size of her breasts were surgically reduced by 10 inches. She didn't retaliate. Anyway what the hell, practically every magazine - the glossies as well as their country cousins - were tripping over themselves to feature her on the cover. Sold-out issues were guaranteed. And the lady didn't ever segue into the coy mode or coin catchphrases to boost her sex appeal, no instaquotes on the lines of "jo dikhtahai woh bikta hai." The story of Katy Mirza, indeed, is the stuff that biopics are made of today. Snag: the pieces in the puzzle would have to be imagined or researched extensively. All that's known categorically is that the daughter of an income-tax commissioner once studied graphic design in London. A U-turn next: a job at the city's Hilton Hotel where she was spotted by the roving scouts of Playboy magazine, whose centrespreads were the prime source for X-rated entertainment in print.The magazine's Bossman Hugh Hefner, yesteryear's closest version of Donald Trump, auditioned the Hilton employee. And a Playboy Bunny was born, posing for the centrespreads frequently reserved for winners of beauty pageants and top-of-theline models. It's a swifter-than-a-blush stay in Bunnydom. Perhaps that impelled her to think Bollywood, or perhaps some filmmaker made her an offer she couldn't refuse, only to realise that there are no free offers in any show town. Her contemporary, Persis Khambatta, couldn't quite make whoopee at Bombay's studios, and sought to 'star trek' to Hollywood. Still Katy wasn't Persis, she followed her dream only to be ghettoised as a starlet. Employed purely for the titillation quotient in A and B-grade movies - take the Amitabh Bachchan-Raakhee breezer Kasme Vaade, the politically controversial Kissa Kussi Ka, the Vinod Khanna-Reena Roy crime drama Jail Yatra and Chadhi Jawani Budhe Nu in Punjabi - here was a stairway to no-exit. Chalo London again. Appearances in episodes of the TV series The Garland and The Magician of Samarkhand are cited.The grapevine of those Bunny days suggest a "closeness" to Hussein bin Talal, the King of Jordan. Subsequently, she fell in love with a man of Pakistani origin, who runs The Lahore Kabab House in East London. They chose not to marry. The Katy Mirza story wound to a quiet, undramatic end. Whether it was a happy one or a somewhere-in-her heart a disappointing one, I'll never know.By the way, unbeknownst to many she would model frequently and once late at night, travelled all alone in a bus from Bombay to Pune to shoot for a scooter ad.She is survived by her son Feroz Mirza who is based in th UK.
- Mitra was born in Paddington, London, England, the daughter of Nora Downey and Anthony Mitra, a cosmetic surgeon. She has an older and a younger brother. Her father is of Bengali Indian and English descent, and her mother is Irish. In 1984, when Mitra was eight, her parents divorced, and she was sent to boarding school. She spent several years at two different schools, including Roedean, but Mitra claims she was eventually expelled from both of them.
Mitra's first main role came as Scott Wolf's illicit love interest on Party of Five (1994). In 2000, Mitra had a small, key role in the film Hollow Man (2000), as the rape victim of Kevin Bacon, an incident that drives his character insane. She had a main role in the medical drama Gideon's Crossing (2000), as "Dr. Alejandra Ollie Klein". Mitra then had roles in Ali G Indahouse (2002); Sweet Home Alabama (2002); Stuck on You (2003), and leading roles in Highwaymen (2004) and Spartacus (2004). Mitra appeared in the final season of The Practice (1997) as "Tara Wilson", and continued that role into its spin-off Boston Legal (2004), but left not long into the second season. In 2005, Mitra played the role of "Kit McGraw" during Season 3 of Nip/Tuck (2003). Mitra then went on to appear in Skinwalkers (2006), The Number 23 (2007) and Shooter (2007). In 2008, Mitra starred in the lead role of the science fiction/action film Doomsday (2008) as "Major Eden Sinclair", and, in 2009, went on to star in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009) as "Sonja", the daughter of the powerful vampire elder, "Viktor" (played by Bill Nighy).
Mitra appeared as the live action model for "Lara Croft", the lead character in Eidos Interactive's Tomb Raider video game series. She was ranked #46 on the Maxim Hot 100 Women of 2001. - Actress
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Nandana Sen was born on 19 August 1967 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India. She is an actress and producer, known for Black (2005), Prince (2010) and Sharpe (1993). She has been married to John Makinson since 22 June 2013.- British actress Aruna Shields performed in UK theatre and film before she was headhunted by Tips Industries (one of the largest studios in India) to play the female Bond in action thriller Prince (2010). When the film released worldwide she became the fastest rising star on Google and the first female action hero in Indian cinema. A trained Kung-Fu martial artist and former gymnast she performed all her own stunts including motorbike bungee jumps. Her hit song for the movie "Tere Liye" has over 200 million views.
Aruna then broke boundaries and crossed over into French cinema. After worldwide auditions UK Casting Director Des Hamilton chose Aruna for the gritty lead in the epic adventure Ao, le dernier Néandertal (2010). The film was produced by French studio and cinema chain UGC after their Oscar-nominated A Prophet (2009). Aruna learned a prehistoric language and body movement for the role. Other critically acclaimed lead roles include 'Nera', an artist's muse, in the avant-garde feature Mr. Singh/Mrs. Mehta (2010).
A descendant of Sage Mandavya, Aruna then took a sabbatical to follow her family lineage and became a meditation expert and modern spiritual teacher. She is returning to the film industry in 2023 and now based in Los Angeles. Aruna is the first female Sidha (highly advanced meditator) who is a film star. Other Sidha's include director David Lynch and Bill Duke.
Aruna has a Distinction from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, a degree from Central Saint Martins University of the Arts London and has studied psychotherapy at masters level.
Earlier Aruna was ahead of her time. She was one of the first Anglo/Indian models to cross over into mainstream fashion, was asked to shoot for Vogue, won Miss India Talent for dancing, appeared on the cover of The Times of India and several magazines. She was also one of the first actresses of Indian origin to perform a sex scene in a feature film. - Actress
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Sheetal Sheth is an acclaimed actress, author, and producer, known for her provocative performances in a wide range of memorable roles on film and television. Sheetal burst onto the scene with raves in the groundbreaking films, 'ABCD' and Slamdance winner, 'American Chai.' She broke out and won hearts in 'Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World' opposite Albert Brooks, as the female lead, Maya, winning the role after an extensive international casting search.
Raised in a small New Jersey city, she discovered her passion for acting in high school and subsequently enrolled in the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. After supplementing her education with a summer in Amsterdam as part of the intensive, International Theatre Workshop studying under renowned acting teachers like Kristin Linklater, she graduated with honors.
Sheetal has become a favorite in the independent film world. She won 3 Best Actress nods on the festival circuit for 'The World Unseen,' 1 for her role in 'Wings of Hope,' and most recently for 'Grin,' which she also produced. In 2012, fans voted her 'Favorite Movie Actress' in AfterEllen's Visibility Awards. To date, she has starred in over 20 feature films and has earned a loyal, international following.
Sheth began her career at a time when few South Asians were making their living as actors. Despite being told she'd have to change her name to work, her successful career has trail-blazed paths for other women of color across media. Sheth supports marginalized communities not only through her own pioneering work as an actor, but by also appearing at workshops and panels and speaking directly to issues facing those communities. Sheetal has represented brands such as Reebok and CHI hair care and has appeared on the cover of magazines including Anokhi, Audrey, Woman International, and Seema. She is known as an outspoken advocate and has delivered talks and keynotes at festivals and charity galas. She's had op-eds published on CNN and Thrive Global. She served in President Clinton's AmeriCorps and is currently on the advisory board of Equality Now and an ambassador for CA First Partner, Jennifer Newsom's The Representation Project. Her extensive background in working with kids led her into the world of children's literature and her first children's book, Always Anjali was published in 2018 to wide acclaim. It won the 2019 Purple Dragonfly Storybook Grand Prize (voted on by teachers and librarians) and is set to be a series.- Actress
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Parminder Nagra was born in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Bend It Like Beckham (2002), ER (1994) and The Blacklist (2013). She was previously married to James Stenson.- Actress
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After her debut film Mississippi Masala (1991) became an art house hit, Sarita Choudhury was determined not to "go Hollywood," focusing her acting energies on independent film instead.
Raised in Jamaica, Mexico, and Italy, the half-Indian, half-English Choudhury studied economics at Queens University in Ontario before switching to acting. She casually auditioned for Mississippi Masala (1991) and wound up cast as the lead opposite Denzel Washington in the singular interracial romance between a Southern African American man and a transplanted Indian woman. Despite the film's surprise success, Choudhury stuck to her non-Hollywood roots, putting her exotic looks and talent to versatile use as a Pakistani country-western singer in Wild West (1992), a Chilean maid who is raped in Bille August's adaptation of The House of the Spirits (1993), and a lesbian mother in Fresh Kill (1994).
Choudhury worked with Mississippi Masala (1991) director Mira Nair again in The Perez Family (1995) and played the cuckolded queen Tara in Nair's frankly-sensual feminist parable Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1996).
By the late 1990s, Choudhury added a touch of Hollywood to her repertoire with supporting roles in the glossy Alfred Hitchcock remake, A Perfect Murder (1998) and the John Cassavetes retread Gloria (1999).- Actress
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Zuleikha Robinson was born in London, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for Hidalgo (2004), The Merchant of Venice (2004) and Homeland (2011). She was previously married to Sean Doyle.- Actress
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Indira Anne Varma (born 27 September 1973) is a British actress. Her film debut and first major role was in Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love. She has gone on to appear in the television series The Canterbury Tales, Rome, Luther, Human Target, and Game of Thrones (as Ellaria Sand). In September 2016, she began starring in the ITV/Netflix series Paranoid, as DS Nina Suresh.
Varma was born in Bath, Somerset, the only child of an Indian father and a Swiss mother who was of part Genoese Italian descent; her parents were relatively elderly and were often mistaken for her grandparents. She was a member of Musical Youth Theatre Company and graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, in 1995.
Varma has had a number of television and film roles, including Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love in 1997 and Bride and Prejudice in 2004, and the young Roman wife Niobe during the first season of BBC/HBO's historical drama series Rome. Her character appeared briefly in the second season of the award-winning series when it aired on 14 January 2007.
In 2006, she played Suzie Costello in the first and eighth episodes, "Everything Changes" and "They Keep Killing Suzie", of BBC Three's science-fiction drama series Torchwood. She appeared as Dr Adrienne Holland in the CBS medical drama 3 lbs which premiered on 14 November 2006 and was cancelled on 30 November 2006 due to poor ratings. Varma guest starred in the fourth-season premiere of hit US detective drama Bones as Scotland Yard Inspector Cate Pritchard. She also played the role of Zoe Luther in the first series of the BBC drama Luther.
Varma played the role of Ilsa Pucci in the second season of the Fox series Human Target until the show was cancelled on 10 May 2011.
Varma played the role of Ellaria Sand, the paramour of Oberyn Martell in season 4 of the HBO show Game of Thrones, and reprised the role in seasons 5, 6 and 7.
She lent her voice to the Circle mage Vivienne, in the 2014 role-playing video game Dragon Age: Inquisition.
In 2016, she played the lead role of DC Nina Suresh in the eight-episode British television drama Paranoid, streamed worldwide on Netflix.
In 1997, Varma played Bianca in Shakespeare's Othello at the National Theatre, London. In 2000 to 2001, she appeared in Harold Pinter and Di Trevis's NT stage adaptation of Pinter's The Proust Screenplay, Remembrance of Things Past, based on À la recherche du temps perdu, by Marcel Proust. In the summer of 2001, she played Gila in One for the Road, by Harold Pinter, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City.
In 2002, she played Sasha Lebedieff in Ivanov by Anton Chekhov at the National Theatre and Bunty Mainwaring in The Vortex by Noël Coward at the Donmar Theatre, London. In 2004, she played Sabina in The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder at the Young Vic Theatre Theatre, London. In 2008, she played Nadia Baliye in The Vertical Hour by David Hare at the Royal Court Theatre London. In 2009, she played Olivia in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night with Donmar West End at Wyndham's Theatre, London. In 2012, she played Jessica in Terry Johnson's Hysteria at the Theatre Royal, Bath. In 2013 she played Miss Cutts in The Hothouse by Harold Pinter in the Trafalgar Transformed season at Trafalgar Studios.
In 2014, Varma played Tamora, Queen of the Goths, in Lucy Bailey's "gore-fest" production of Titus Andronicus at Shakespeare's Globe. In 2015, she appeared alongside Ralph Fiennes in George Bernard Shaw's Man and Superman at the National Theatre.- Actress
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Janina Zione Gavankar (born November 29, 1980) is an American actress and musician. Gavankar is also trained as a pianist, vocalist, and orchestral percussionist. She majored in Theatre Performance at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Gavankar's roles include Papi, a lesbian lothario in The L Word; Leigh Turner, a police officer on The Gates; Ms. Dewey, the personification of a Microsoft branded search engine who commented on the user's searches; Shiva, the namesake of the sought-after trophy on The League; shapeshifter Luna Garza on HBO's True Blood; McKenna Hall on The CW's Arrow; and Meredith Bose on NBC's The Mysteries of Laura. She also played Diana Thomas on FOX's supernatural drama Sleepy Hollow.
Gavankar was born in Joliet, Illinois, to Peter Ganesh Gavankar, an engineer from Mumbai, who first traveled to the U.S. to pursue a master's degree, and Mohra Gavankar, from Pune, Maharashtra, who also emigrated to the U.S. from India. Her mother is half-Indian and half-Dutch.
Gavankar has acted in theatre, film, television, and online. Her most notable roles include Iden Versio, canon Star Wars character, and protagonist of Star Wars: Battlefront II, shapeshifter Luna Garza in True Blood, lesbian lothario Papi in The L Word; Ms. Dewey, the personification of a Microsoft live search engine; and Shiva, the namesake of the sought after trophy on The League. She regularly appears in Funny or Die shorts.
In 2006 she joined the cast of The L Word as a series regular, and shot all of the clips used for Ms. Dewey. In 2007, she landed a lead in CW pilot Dash 4 Cash. In 2008, Gavankar appeared in TV series Stargate Atlantis, Grey's Anatomy and NCIS, My Boys, and Factory. In 2009, she appeared in the TV shows The Cleaner, Dollhouse, Three Rivers, and The League, as well as indie movies Men, Interrupted, Indian Gangster, and Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey. Gavankar played the voice of Nikki in Quantum Quest. She landed a lead role in The Gates, since cancelled, on ABC. She appears on CW's Arrow as a vice squad police officer and brief girlfriend to Oliver Queen.
Gavankar is an admitted gamer and has appeared on, as well as co-hosted, G4 TV's Attack of the Show!, Epileptic Gaming's Up All Night, where she helped review Rock Band, Burnout Paradise, and Army of Two.
In 2011 Gavankar became a series regular in HBO's True Blood as a public school teacher and shapeshifter, Luna Garza, who gets romantically involved with one of the main characters of the series.
Her indie movie, Satellite of Love, premiered at the Dallas International Film Festival in 2012, and her 2012 indie I'm Afraid of Virginia Wolf is in post-production. On December 20, 2012, Gavankar was the last person interviewed for the now cancelled Attack of the Show! which aired on G4 TV.
On August 3, 2013, Gavankar landed a role as a witch named Qetsiyah in the fifth season of The Vampire Diaries. She guest starred in the third season of Husbands.
In 2014, she starred as Amita in the video game, Far Cry 4. She also played Detective Meredith Bose on The Mysteries of Laura from 2014 to 2016.
She starred as Iden Versio, the main character in the campaign mode of the 2017 Electronic Arts video game Star Wars Battlefront II.
In 2018, she has two films releasing. Blindspotting is premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, and The Vanishing of Sidney Hall is being distributed by A24.
Gavankar returned to music with a cover of Kanye West's "Love Lockdown". Gavankar's former all female singing group, Endera, was signed to Cash Money Records Universal Records.
She collaborated on a project for a song called "Tell Me What" in India with Pratichee Mohapatra of Viva, Deep, and Navraaz. She has had songs licensed to movies and television, and has sung and played marimba on film scores. Gavankar was featured in Russian artist Ella Leya's music video for "Wish I Could", in the music video by San Francisco-based band Recliner for their single "Float Away", as well as the music video for Manu Narayan's band Darunam.
In August 2012, she released the single for her upcoming EP, entitled Waiting for Godot, and in November, Billboard premiered the official music video. It went on to win numerous film festival awards.
While in high school, Gavankar auditioned for the front ensemble of the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps of Rockford, Illinois. Before hearing whether she had made the corps, she was accepted for the Yale School of Drama's summer camp, and went there. "I fell in love with drum corps when I was 13 years old", Gavankar has stated, and remains a strong fan of the activity. When she heard the Martin Garrix/Usher collaboration, "Don't Look Down", she had the idea of performing it as marching music. With assistance from Drum Corps International, she contacted the Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps and arranger Colin Bell. She went into the studios in New York with fifty members of Jersey Surf and recorded the music video "Don't Look Down- #JustAddDrumCorps Edition" that was released in April 2015.
On May 20, 2015, Gavankar performed a percussion duet at Carnegie Hall with Questlove for the Best Buddies charity benefit.- Actress
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Freida Selena Pinto was born in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, India, to Sylvia, a school principal, and Frederick Pinto, a senior bank branch manager. She is from a Mangalorean family.
Pinto traversed the modeling circuit in Mumbai (represented by Elite Model Management India) for two years before gaining her big break when director Danny Boyle picked her out in the audition process to play the female lead, Latika, for his project Slumdog Millionaire (2008). In a promo interview, Boyle likened spotting her to his discovery of Kelly Macdonald for Trainspotting.
Surprisingly, Freida, who studied at Mumbai's St. Xaviers College, began taking acting classes (she has done amateur theater before) only after completing her debut film -- when she attended a three-month workshop by Barry John, the veteran theater guru.
Between 2006 and 2007, she anchored Full Circle, a travel show that was telecast on Zee International Asia Pacific. She went on assignments to Afghanistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Fiji, among other countries.- Actress
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Born in Mumbai, India and raised in Nigeria until the age of seven, Contractor was well-versed in world travels and a variety of cultures at a very young age. She attended boarding school in London from seven to nine years old, then her family moved to Toronto, Canada, where she spent the majority of her childhood and young adulthood. In Toronto, Contractor excelled in academics and trained as a classical ballerina. She attended the Etobicoke School of the Arts, a specialized public arts high school where she not only danced but studied theater as well. At the age of 16, after nearly 10 years of dance Contractor realized she wanted to pursue acting seriously. Upon graduating from high school she accepted a full scholarship to the University of Toronto, where she pursued a masters in theatre and a double major in psychology and sociology. After one year at University, Contractor went to an open call audition for the play Pericles at the prestigious, world-renowned Stratford Shakespeare Festival [Ontario, Canada], and landed the lead role. She received rave reviews for her work in the 92 shows performed, the play was voted the #1 production of the year by Canadian critics, in 2002. Contractor was offered the opportunity to enroll in Stratford's conservatory program, where a select eight men and four women are accepted for a 20-week crash course on classical theater, which she eagerly took. Contractor was guaranteed a spot in the next season of plays, and landed the role of Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream. By the third season with the company, Contractor wanted to pursue film and television. In 2005 she booked a role in a FOX pilot by Anthony Hines [Borat, Bruno, The Dictator]. The role was intense, leaving the actors in character for eight to nine hours a day in front of an audience, and was a precursor to the style of film that Borat would be, just one year later. When the pilot did not get picked up, Contractor decided to go back to school and finish her education. While securing her degrees, she booked "The Border," a Canadian drama for CBC. She starred as Layla Hourani for 26 episodes, and the series aired worldwide. The role also garnered her a Golden Nymph Award at The Montecarlo Television Festival, in 2008. Once the show wrapped, Contractor made the move to Los Angeles.
In 2009, Contractor booked the role of Kayla Hassan, in 21 episodes of the hit FOX series "24." As President Omar Hassan [Anil Kapoor] and Dalia Hassan's [Necar Zadegan] daughter, she was a scene stealer, portraying a seemingly sheltered young woman, whose secret life ends up putting her in horrible conditions. While in production on "24" Contractor also booked a recurring role on CBS' "Rules of Engagement" opposite David Spade and Adhir Kalyan. Other television credits for Contractor include "Lone Star" [FOX] and "Last Resort" [ABC]. On the film front, Contractor has been seen in Seance: The Summoning [Lionsgate] in which she won Best Supporting Actress at WorldFest Houston, in 2012.
In May 2013, Contractor appeared as a devoted wife and mother facing extreme challenges in her family in the highly anticipated, Paramount feature film Star Trek Into Darkness (2013).
When not working, Contractor is an avid runner and yogi. She loves to travel the world, and her preferred method of transportation while in other countries is by motorcycle. She was also born into the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism, and is one of the 150,000 Parsis in the world. Philanthropy is a huge priority for Contractor, she is a strong supporter of the organization Second Harvest to feed the homeless, and Look Good Feel Better, supporting women with cancer. She lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband, son, and border terrier.Played Timmy's Indian fiancee in "Rules of Engagement".- Laila Rouass was born in London to Moroccan/Indian parents. Laila studied in Britain but decided to drop her studies and travel in India for a few months. A few months turned into six years. Whilst living in Bombay, she worked for MTV, BBC, and TNT. Her step into movies came when she was spotted by Italian director Aditya Bhattacharya and whisked off to Messina to shoot Senso unico (1999).
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Anjali Jay is an actor and writer. She was also a dancer and choreographer, having trained in Indian classical dance and modern, contemporary styles. She is Indian, British and Canadian.
Anjali has had an extensive theatre career, having performed amongst others, with The Royal Shakespeare Company, where she was cast as Jamila in Salman Rushdie's "Midnight's Children", and with The Birmingham Rep, where she played Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet".
She started her film career playing opposite Chris Pine in "Blind Dating", after which she played "Djaq" in BBC's "Robin Hood" series. She then went on to play a series of roles in TV and film. She lives in the Vancouver area where she continues to act and write.- Actress
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Winning the title of Miss India USA was the start to a global acting career for American actress Pooja Kumar. Today Pooja has acted in major Hollywood films, including Man on a Ledge (2012), and the IFC film, Bollywood Hero (2009) where she starred opposite SNL star, Chris Kattan. She had in a starring role in iconic Indian actor and filmmaker Kamal Haasan's blockbuster film Vishwaroopam (2013). The most famous actor in India, Amitabh Bachchan selected Pooja as the most budding new star in a contest where he looked at over 60,000 contestants who were fighting for that recognition. Amitabh Bachchan knew that Pooja would eventually get the major Bollywood role that she has now received in Kamal Haasan's film. Pooja's popularity has grown over time. She has been invited to hundreds of highly prominent events as a celebrity guest, and was featured on many magazine covers. She served as a host for India's famous music channel, Channel V, but decided to leave to continue honing her acting skills.
As a student of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Pooja learned to be a highly profound actress who has received appreciation for her diverse talents and love for acting. For her role in the indie film, Flavors (2003), Pooja received the Screen Actor Guild Award for Best Emerging Artist. Kumar has been in several American films and has also worked in Bollywood giving her insight and expertise on the different film industries. Her repertoire of work whether it be theater, film or ad campaigns all continue to grow.- Actress
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Meera Simhan was born in London, England and raised in India and Southern California. Her family immigrated to the United States in the early 1970's and settled in San Diego, California where her parents ran a business importing jewelry and handicrafts from India. Growing up she studied Indian Classical Dancing with the Shakti School of Bharatanatyam and at age eight Meera went to Kodai Kanal International Boarding School in India. She returned to California to attend High School and College in Orange County.
She then moved to London where she attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). After graduating from LAMDA Meera began her professional career in England playing Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and she then went on to play numerous roles in British theater and television.
After moving back to Los Angeles, Meera continued her work as an actress playing various roles guest starring and recurring roles in television and film. As a writer she wrote and performed her solo theater piece Miss India America in various theaters across the United States. Along with her actor/writer/director husband Ravi Kapoor, she co-wrote the feature film, Miss India America (2015).
Meera lives in Los Angeles with husband, two children and her dog, Elvis. Meera also has a Masters degree in Psychology.- Actress
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The former Principal Dancer of Cirque du Soleil in over 750 shows, Amrapali is an American actress with recurring roles on 18 episodes in ABC's Scandal seasons 4,5, 6 and 7 and she previously recurred in 19 episodes of ABC's Grey's Anatomy with Guest starring roles on NBC's Heroes and roles on The Mindy Project, Shameless, Mistresses, The Exes, Hart of Dixie, Key & Peele, Chasing Life, Desperate Housewives, Alias, Boston Legal, ER in TV.
Amrapali's film credits include a Lifetime film as well as films Gone Hollywood, Naach by Ram Gopal Varma, Extra Ordinary Barry and American Blend (as an actor, choreographer, dancer, vocalist), Amrapali has definitely expanded herself as an artist as she continues to achieve her dreams.
Amrapali left her position as Principal Dancer in Cirque Du Soleil for over 2 years so that she could pursue her 'secret' childhood dream of acting with the purpose of expanding her artistic career from the stage to the additional medium of Film and TV.
Amrapali is an International Master of Kathak (North Indian Classical Dance known for its rich acting training as well as its fast pure dance technique) and is
"by far one of the best Kathak dancers around." Victoria Looseleaf - Los Angeles Times
"a joyous monument to multiculturalism." - Lewis Segal - Los Angeles Times
"The strongest technical skills and performance personalities ...with the always remarkable Kathak performer, Amrapali Ambegaokar"
"Amrapali's acting is subtle and nuanced"- Los Angeles Times.
Amrapali performed as a guest on season 5 of Fox's So You Think You Can Dance and also won the coveted Solo Silver Medal in the International hit show NBC's Superstars of Dance produced by Mastermind Producer and Director Nigel Lithgoe (American Idol, and So You Think You Can Dance) with a solo appearance on NBC's Today Show.
Having won numerous awards and accolades since childhood, Amrapali was famously the Principal Dancer of Cirque Du Soleil's Dralion in over 730 shows in 14 US cities. With performances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and several major television appearances, Amrapali has been the Principal dancer of Anjani Dance Theater with highlights including The Hollywood Bowl, Ravinia Festival Chicago, World Music Institute NY, United Nations D.C., National Geographic Society and hundreds more since age 13 and is the disciple of Master and NEA Lifetime Achievement awardee Anjani Ambegaokar since age 3.
With a BA Honors from UCLA's World Arts and Cultures/Dance department, Amrapali's special honors also include The Music Center Spotlight Award, Celebrity Queen Azalea of the 62nd Azalea Festival as well as the U.S. National judge for Sony TV's Boogie Woogie Dance competition, Celebrity judge for the Miss Asian America Pageant and more. Amrapali is a pageant title holder as Miss Asian America Talent, Miss Asian California, Miss India North America Princess, Miss India North America Talent, and Miss India USA Talent. Since her early teens, Amrapali has graced the covers of The Los Angeles Times, Dance Magazine, Show Magazine, Parade Magazine, 002 Magazine, Celebrity Magazine, India Currents Magazine and so many others.
Amrapali was also invited to perform as a soloist for Dance Moves II held by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (The Emmys) Annual concert celebrating dance and choreography in film and TV. Amrapali also performed as a duet with Grammy award winning composer and Master Trumpeter Mark Isham in a Kathak/Jazz collaborative duet for the Celebrity Centre International's 40th Anniversary Gala ending off in a finale' with Legendaries Chakka Khan, Chick Corea, and Stanley Clarke.
Amrapali's choreography credits include live stage, pageants, film and television, music videos and commercials. Amrapali is recognized for her traditional work as well breaking boundaries by infusing Kathak with Flamenco, Hip Hop, Bollywood, Folk and modern styles. Amrapali feels blessed to be one of the leading artists today of Indo-American heritage flourishing in numerous artistic mediums Internationally and continues to serve as a true torchbearer of the arts.- Music Artist
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Norah Jones (born Geetali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is a daughter of sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar and Sue Jones. She is Anoushka Shankar's half-sister.
In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away with Me, a fusion of country music and pop with elements of jazz which was certified diamond album, selling over 26 million copies. The record earned Jones five Grammy Awards, including the Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist. Her subsequent studio albums Feels Like Home, released in 2004; Not Too Late, released in 2007, the same year she made her film debut in My Blueberry Nights; and 2009's The Fall all gained Platinum status, selling over a million copies each and were generally well received by critics. Jones' fifth studio album, Little Broken Hearts, was released on April 27, 2012.
Jones has won nine Grammy Awards and was 60th on Billboard magazine's artists of the 2000-2009 decade chart. Throughout her career, Jones has won numerous awards and has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide. Billboard named her the top jazz artist of the 2000-2009 decade.
After her parents' separation in 1986, Jones spent her childhood with her mother in Grapevine, Texas. She attended Colleyville Middle School and Grapevine High School before transferring to Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas. While in high school, Jones sang in the school choir, participated in band and played the alto saxophone. At the age of sixteen, with her parents' consent, she officially changed her name to Norah Jones.
Jones began singing in church and also took piano and voice lessons as a child. She still attends church. She considers herself spiritual and appreciates the rituals of her church but does not consider herself deeply religious.
She attended Interlochen Center for the Arts during the summers. While at high school, she won the DownBeat Student Music Awards for Best Jazz Vocalist (twice, in 1996 and 1997) and Best Original Composition (1996).
Jones attended the University of North Texas (UNT), where she majored in jazz piano and sang with the UNT Jazz Singers. During this time, she had a chance meeting with future collaborator Jesse Harris. She gave a ride to a band playing at the university whose members happened to be friends of Harris. He was on a cross-country road-trip with friend and future Little Willies member, Richard Julian, and stopped to see the band play. After meeting Jones, Harris started sending her lead sheets of his songs. In 1999, she left for New York City. Less than a year later, she founded a band with Harris which would prove to be the starting gun to her career.
With a successful solo career in full swing, Jones formed The Little Willies in 2003 alongside Richard Julian on vocals, Jim Campilongo on guitar, Lee Alexander on bass, and Dan Rieser on drums. The alternative country band released its eponymous first album in 2006 and For the Good Times in 2012.
In 2008 Jones formed another alternative country band with fellow friends and Brooklynites, Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper. Their debut full-length album, No Fools, No Fun, was released on July 15, 2014, by Blue Note Records.
Jones' solo albums include Come Away with Me (2002), Stay With Me (2003), Feels Like Home (2004), NotToo Late (2007), The Fall (2009), Little Broken Hearts (2012), and Foreverly with Billie Joe Armstrong (2013).
As of 2015, Norah Jones remains well-grounded in spite of her extraordinary success, and her humble, down-to-earth nature, combined with her brilliant musicianship continue to endear her to millions of fans around the world.- Actress
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Pooja Shah was born on 8th August 1979 in North London in a Kenyan-Asian family. Grandparents migrated to Kenya from Gujarat in Western India and so the ancestral roots are there.
After studying at local Nursery, Infants and Junior school, she did GCSE at a Girls Grammar School. Took a year out from studies and worked part-time at the Finchley Youth Theatre. She had been a regular member of the Theatre from the age of 12. Did A levels in Performing Arts and Film Studies at a North London College. Straight after the college Pooja Shah went to The University Of Brighton for three years. She graduated in 2001 with a BA Hons Degree in Theatre With Visual Practice.
Pooja Shah trained as an Indian Classical Dancer from very young age and continued till she went to the University. During the second year at secondary school, with two friends decided to learn a Chekhov play, The Proposal, for fun, and were asked to perform at the University of London's Arts Festival. After six nights of performing made up her mind that this was what she wanted to do for a living.- Actress
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Fagun is a critically acclaimed British Film and Theater Actress who has appeared in a number of Hollywood and international films and has starred alongside Academy Award winners. Her films have been released in cinemas internationally, have been selected in festivals and have won awards. As an artist, Fagun is particularly drawn to cinematic roles with strong intellectual content that communicate a broader social message. As a writer-director Fagun similarly engages in projects which educate people's perspectives on the world. At an early age, Fagun began acting in her local theatres and then she entered and won 'Bolly Idol', the BBC's nationwide search for new acting talent, beating thousands of other British hopefuls. A straight 'A' student, Fagun also studied several particularly challenging disciplines at the same time - so much so that Fagun's exceptional educational experience was featured in an ITV News segment in the UK and she was spotted by a director for the film 'Brick Lane'. After these preliminary successes, Fagun then put her acting career on hold to study at the prestigious Medical School in London. Fagun has acted on the West End stage in London, performing in several Shakespearean plays including "Antony and Cleopatra," and "Romeo and Juliet," as well as roles in "After Miss Julie" by Patrick Marber and "The Seagull," by Anton Chekhov. Fagun has also appeared in numerous commercials across the world including in Europe, America, Canada and India for well-known international brands. Fagun has studied a range of disciplines to Master's level. Fagun's education includes studying at the University of Cambridge, University of London Medical School (UCL), London College of Fashion. She went on and trained in Classical and Contemporary Acting at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London and studied Film Directing in the US. Fagun has been featured in high-profile publications, and has been listed by Forbes. Fagun lives and works between the UK and the US. With her precious talent, Fagun has firmly established herself as one of the breakout stars to watch out for and is lighting up the big screen internationally to increasing critical acclaim- Producer
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Padma Lakshmi was born on 1 September 1970 in Madras, Tamil Nadu, India. She is a producer and actress, known for Glitter (2001), Star Trek: Enterprise (2001) and Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (2020). She was previously married to Salman Rushdie.Well... she is on top of this list and she is not really an actress! What can I say ? :-D- Born in India, brought up in Canada, and moving to Australia in her early teens, Bridget is best known to Australian and UK audiences for her role of "Lana Crawford" in Neighbours, where she had the controversial task of playing the show's first openly gay character.
It marked a huge change from her earlier work in children's television, most notably playing "Elizabeth Hawke" in Series I & II of the award-winning Wicked Science and "Reine Davidson" in Guinevere Jones. Bridget's other screen roles include "Jess" in Mercury, "Amber" in Kath and Kim and "Anne Windele" in Ken's Bad Day.
On stage, she has played "Madeline Fleming" in The 24 Hour Window, "Abigail" in The Crucible and "Peppermint Patty" in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown and "Amelia" in Chasing Pegasus - A Play In Ten Chords.
Bridget has just completed filming the role of "The Banshee" in the Australian independent feature film of the same name - The BansheeNot sure how Indian she really is in terms of origin. - Actress, Host, Model and Beauty Queen, Pratima Anae grew up in a small Amish town in the heart of the Midwest.
In this unlikely setting, her parents, Indian immigrants, began their families' quest for the American dream. Pratima, the middle of three children, rose above convention and expectation when she was crowned Miss Indiana USA. She went on to make Miss Universe history as the first woman of East Indian descent to place in the top six at Miss USA. Her accomplishments were featured in newspapers and publications such as India Today which recognized her as a forthcoming East Indian presence in the entertainment industry.
Pratima signed with internationally renowned Ford Models after moving to New York City. Her work has been featured in prestigious publications including Vogue Italia, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Town and Country and Glamour. She has had the honor of working with photographers such as Victor Skrebneski and modeled for Calvin Klein, Betsey Johnson, Giuseppe Zanotti, Hanes, Stefan Hafner, Arbonne and Artistry Cosmetics among others. Her formal theatrical education began in NY where she studied the Meisner technique. Pratima's work eventually took her to Los Angeles where she currently resides. Her Film, TV, and Theatre credits include: performing as Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare's classic and appearances in "How To Seduce Difficult Women", "Outsourced", "All My Children" and "Beautiful". Additionally, Pratima hosts a series of lifestyle events. She has conducted interviews with Salman Rushdie, Kal Penn, and Mira Nair in connection with this endeavor.
Growing up in a family that strongly believes in philanthropy, Pratima is part of a charitable project created to construct a hospital for the poor. Menno-Clinic India, built in the donated remains of her mother's childhood home, is a free hospital that was opened in 2002. It currently serves a population of 20,000 that previously had no access to healthcare. Additionally, Pratima was the founder and creator of WIN, Working to Instill New Attitudes, a summer day camp for at-risk children.
Pratima graduated magna cum laude from St. Mary's-Notre Dame where she was a Harry S. Truman nominee. She had the honor of becoming a CLEO Scholar and holds a Juris Doctorate Degree from the Brandeis School of Law where she also received the Book Award for Conflicts of Law. - Actress
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Natasha is an Indian-Canadian-American actress, writer, producer, comedian, voice over artist, and popular dating podcaster.
Staffed on the Peacock animated series, "PRESS START!", she has also written on Netflix's "Mr. Iglesias" starring Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias and Sherri Shepherd. She voices characters in video games like "Call of Duty: Vanguard" to multiple Netflix animated series.
As a comedian, Natasha graduated from UCB, and has performed at NYCF, Comedy Store, Laugh Factory, and more. The versatile actress has been in Comedy Central's "Man Up," CBS' "SEAL TEAM," Hulu's "The Mindy Project," HBO's "How to Make it in America", CBC's "11 Cameras" and "MVP," to name a few. She starred in the film festival darling "PRIA" which screened at over 15 film festivals worldwide, aired on the Sundance Channel and in-flight on Air Canada. It won the Platinum Remy at Houston Worldfest, Audience Choice winner at TIFFg's Sprockets and NBC's Short Cuts Film Festival. She also starred in the viral video "Women Try Balls, " viewed 41 million times.
Natasha has studied under reputed teachers like the late Wynn Handman, Margie Haber, and Anthony Meindl's studios, to UCB's Will Hines and Shannon O'Neill.
Among her many lives, Natasha was a former Bollywood and hip hop dancer, is considered a dating expert. She hosts her dating/sex podcast, "Kinda Dating" (hit Top 25 in Apple's Relationships chart), where she and influential guests break down one dating topic per episode and try to figure out why the fuck we all have commitment issues!
Born in Dubai, Natasha has lived in Mumbai, Toronto, New York, and now resides in LA.- Reshma Shetty was born on November 2, 1977 in Manchester, England, UK to Hindu parents. She was raised in England and Richmond, Virginia in the United States. She is a graduate of the famed Opera department at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. On stage, Reshma received rave reviews in 2006 for her performance as Priya in A.R. Rahman's and Andrew Lloyd Webber's First National tour of "Bombay Dreams", as well as critical praise in 2008 for her Off-Broadway debut in Ayub Khan-Din's "Rafta Rafta" at the New Group in New York.
Her work on stage immediately parlayed into her next success as she burst on to the small screen in USA's flagship series Royal Pains (2009) as one of television's first female South Asian series leads. Additional television credits include Showtime's Happyish (2015), Bravo's Odd Mom Out (2015), 30 Rock (2006), and CSI: Miami (2002). Her feature film credits include Steam (2007), Delivering the Goods (2012), Allegiance (2012), and Hated (2012). Since "Royal Pains" ended its eight and final season, she has been starring in CBS's Pure Genius (2016) as Dr. Talaikha Channarayapatra.
She is one of the beautiful faces of Cindy Crawford's "Meaningful Beauty" line and and is a dedicated member of the USA Network's "Characters Unite" program: an award winning public service campaign meant to raise awareness and combat prejudice and discrimination. - Actress Noureen DeWulf was born in New York and raised in Georgia. Her parents are from Pune, India. She was educated at Boston University's School of the Arts. One of DeWulf's first roles was in the Oscar winning short West Bank Story (2005). Acting success continued with roles in TV hits such as CSI: NY (2004), Numb3rs (2005), Outsourced (2010) and Hawthorne (2009). Feature film projects include Ocean's Thirteen (2007) and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009). In 2012, DeWulf was cast alongside Charlie Sheen in the TV series Anger Management (2012).
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Purva Bedi was born in India. Purva is an actor and producer, known for One Of Us Is Lying (2021), Sully (2016) and Gossip Girl (2007). Purva has been married to David Andrew Stoler since 3 October 2010.- Sunita Param was born on 14 November 1970 in Buffalo, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Blades of Glory (2007), Leo (2023) and American Desi (2001). She has been married to Jason Manuel Olazábal since 6 February 2004.
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Rebecca is best known for her appearance on NBC's flagship comedy 'The Good Place' as Kamilah Al-Jamil, the enigmatic sister and nemesis of Tahani Al-Jamil. Previous work includes roles on iconic shows 'Lost', 'ER' and Grey's Anatomy'. But her first major recognition in the US was for the role of 'Asha', one of the lead ensemble cast for NBC's primetime cult comedy 'Outsourced', for which Variety listed her as a "breakout performer", describing her presence on the show as "superb". Rebecca got her first TV break after being scouted to model on the BBC's iconic fashion show, 'The Clothes Show', whilst truanting from school. She studied Theatre and English at the exclusive King Edwards VI College in Stourbridge, whose alumni include Robert Plant and J.R.R. Tolkien. She graduated with a high class honours degree in English Literature from Bretton Hall, where she formed a theatre company and took a play to The Edinburgh Festival. Rebecca's film career began when she was cast as Mina in the Film4 feature 'Dog Eat Dog' alongside David Oyelowo and Ricky Gervais. She gained recognition and a cult following in the UK for her role as Arun Parmar in psycho drama 'Bad Girls', one of the first transsexual characters to ever feature on a primetime UK television series. Other early roles include appearances in crime series 'Second Sight' and 'Liverpool One', alongside Clive Owen and Stephen Graham. She worked with legendary cinematographer Christopher Doyle on 'Meeting Helen.' Rebecca trained for 6 years with Scott Williams, under direct lineage from Sanford Meisner, combining TV and film work with weekend theatre classes. On moving to LA she trained with Philip Seymour Hoffman's coach Tony Greco. Recent credits include feature 'Lost Transmissions' alongside Simon Pegg and HBO's 'Room 104'.- Actress
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Dilshad Vadsaria was born in Karachi, Pakistan, of Portuguese and Indian descent. She moved with her family to the US at the age of six and spent her childhood in various parts of the country, including Chicago, Richmond (Virginia) and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She eventually moved to New York to study acting. Although she has appeared in a few films, much of her work has been in television, with a regular role on the series Greek (2007) and guest appearances on such series as NCIS (2003) and Bones (2005).Indian subcontinent (pak).- Amara was born to Sri Lankan parents who had moved to England from Zambia to further her father's work opportunities. She went to the Wimbledon High School and, although she enjoyed drama, she regarded acting as a risky profession and studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University, graduating with a 2:1 degree. She then spent two years working in the City of London dealing in mergers and acquisitions. Whilst at Oxford she had directed and appeared in plays and finally decided to go to drama school. Within a month of graduation she was auditioning for Wes Anderson's film 'The Darjeeling Limited'.Indian subcontinent (Srilanka)
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Archie is an Emmy Award winning British actress best known for her role as Kalinda Sharma in The Good Wife, for which she was nominated for an Emmy three times in a row and went on to to be honored with a Golden Globe Nomination. She made her film debut in the critically acclaimed East Is East which won a Bafta for Best Film. She then went onto star in the Bafta and Golden Globe nominated international hit Bend It Like Beckham. She appeared in John Le Carre's The Constant Gardener, which was nominated for 10 Bafta's and won an Oscar and went on to work alongside Angelina Jolie in the gut wrenching A Mighty Heart. Archie then went on to star in 2 Bafta winning Netflix/BBC series; The Fall, opposite Gillian Anderson as well as Shetland. She recently starred on the American TV hit Blindspot and in the International blockbuster earthquake movie San Andreas opposite Dwayne Johnson. The New Year will see Archie lead the highly anticipated 6 part drama Next Of Kin on ITV.- Actress
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Mahaley Patel was born on 30 September 1987 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Easy A (2010), The DUFF (2015) and Carrie Pilby (2016). She has been married to Ravi Patel since 8 November 2015. They have one child.Indian subcontinent (afghan)- Born in Sri Lanka. Grew up in Calgary, Alberta. Started her studies in Piano, Speech & Drama and Singing at the age of 6. Invited to study Opera at McGill University, she left Calgary and moved to Montreal and finished her degree in Music and Voice Performance there. However, Imali opted to continue pursuing her love for theatre and moved to Toronto where she resides now and has many accolades for her theatrical roles.Sri Lanka
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Tannishtha Chatterjee is an Indian actress, best known for her performance in Sarah Gavron's Brick Lane (2007), the film adaptation of Monica Ali's best selling novel of the same name. She was nominated for the British Independent Film Awards as the best actress for Brick Lane along with actresses like Judi Dench and Anne Hathaway. Her notable roles include Masha in Academy Award-winning German director Florian Gallenberger's film, Shadows of Time which is also known as Schatten der Zeit in German, the film Bibar for which she won the best actress in 2006 Osian Film Festival and the 2007 BFJA awards. Tannishtha is also a successful recording artist, trained in Indian classical vocals. She is working both with Indian and international directors and lives between her homes in London and Mumbai.- Director
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Namrata Singh Gujral is a film producer, director and motivational speaker.
Gujral also serves as President of Uniglobe Entertainment, a Hollywood based studio which focuses on socially relevant, international projects for the North American market.
Gujral is a breast cancer survivor and blood cancer survivor. She attributes her medical journey to the dramatic shift in her life - a shift that has led her to choose entertainment projects that carry strong humanitarian angles.
Gujral is currently shooting 'Finding Match', a docu-drama on blood cancer, that traces the journey of humans from pre-historic times and the genetic changes that occurred, which make various ethnic groups more likely to find stem cell matches within their own communities.
Gujral's recent venture '5 Weddings', a Hollywood-Bollywood rom-com, starring Bollywood stars Nargis Fakhri (Bollywood Blockbuster 'Rockstar'), Rajkummar Rao (Bollywood Blockbuster 'Stree'), Oscar nominee Candy Clark ('American Graffiti') and Golden Globe nominee Bo Derek ('10') opened theatrically in 54 countries this past October. Film delves into the lives of Hijras, a group of transgender dancers at Indian weddings, who are socially ostracized.
Lifetime TV honored Gujral as one of their "Remarkable Women" making her the first Indian-American to join the ranks of other notables such as Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton. The honor was awarded for Warner Bros "1 a Minute" starring Olivia Newton-John, Melissa Etheridge, Deepak Chopra, Lisa Ray, Mumtaz, Jaclyn Smith, Barbara Mori and Billy Baldwin.
Gujral's first production 'Americanizing Shelley' starring Beau Bridges and Wil Wheaton was released theatrically in 24 countries with partners like WB in the USA. Film posted higher box office averages than Angelina Jolie's 'Changeling' and Brad Pitt's 'The Curious Life of Benjamin Button' in various territories including Dubai and South Africa.
Gujral also recently directed 'American Dream', a film starring Satya Bhabha (Deepa Mehta's 'Midnight's Children'), Alex Veadov ('Act Of Valor') and Omi Vaidya (Bollywood Blockbuster '3 Idiots'). The film covered the challenges faced by new immigrants from the third world who migrate to developed countries.
Gujral's upcoming projects include 'STILL' (a sci-fi feature), currently in casting and 'Tie That Binds' (a war based drama), currently in scripting which focuses on an international NATO mission in the Middle East.
Gujral has been recognized widely for her creative and commercial expertise on co-productions between Hollywood and Bollywood. She often lends her opinions at major networks like CNN, Fox and Times of India. Gujral has spoken on Hollywood-Bollywood co-productions at Stanford University, Nashville Film Fest, Melbourne Film Festival, Connecticut Film Fest and more.
Gujral was the first Indian-American invited by the late Bollywood stalwart Yash Chopra (Founder, Yash Raj Films) to speak on the dynamics of global co-productions at FICCI, India's highly prestigious entertainment conference, held annually in Mumbai. Gujral has also served as Juror at film festivals and several Miss India-America pageants.
As part of a give back to the world cancer community, Gujral launched The Thrive Channel in June 2017. TTC is a media brand devoted to cancer survivors. Gujral developed the shows Destination Survival, Ultimate Survivor and Thrive with Namrata as a guidebook for cancer survivors to promote a good quality life after cancer treatments. Shows feature experts Dr. Dennis Slamon (Inventor, Herceptin), Dr. Debu Tripathy (MD Anderson) and Dr. Deanna Attai (President, American Society of Surgeons).
Gujral started in the industry as an actress - a career choice she gave up in 2008 after her first cancer diagnosis. As an actress, Gujral's highlights include 'Dancin' In The Clouds, a first time "Country Rock" meets "Bollywood" duet with country music star Steve Azar ("Waitin' on Joe" w/ Morgan Freeman), recurring role of "Fari Bin Ghori" on CBS's "The Agency" produced by Wolfgang Peterson ("The Perfect Storm") and a five-year stint, on NBC's "Passions" (2001-2005). Gujral also essayed the role of Pakistani-American "Saira Ahmed" in CBS's Family Law (for which Gujral, along with co-stars Tony Danza and Kathleen Quinlan, were Columbia Tristar's official nomination for Emmy Awards 2002).- Actress
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Rayna Tharani is an actress, writer and director known for films such as For Colored Girls. She has appeared in many television shows including Rosewood (FOX) NCIS (CBS) Criminal Minds (CBS) Days of Our Lives (NBC) among others. She moved to Los Angeles as a dancer upon graduating from San Diego State with a bachelors in Fine Arts, Journalism and English Lit. She became a member of the LA Poets Society after releasing her first book: Pages of Me, a lovesick journey in 2015. Rayna will make her directorial debut in 2016 with her documentary Aphrodite Rising. She is of East Indian, and Indonesian heritage.- Actress
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Rekha Sharma is known for The Core (2003), Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) and Love Happens (2009).- Actress
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AGAM DARSHI is an award winning actress, writer and director working internationally in TV, Film and Theater.
She worked with Ava DuVernay's series DMZ for HBOMAX, as Mia Franklin working opposite Rosario Dawson. She also starred in Oscar nominated director Deepa Mehta's newest film FUNNY BOY based on Shyam Selvadurai's best selling novel, for which Agam was nominated for a CANADIAN SCREEN AWARD IN 2021, and won a Leo Award for her performance.
Agam wrote, produced and directed DONKEYHEAD. The film, starring Agam as Mona Ghuman, also stars Kim Coates (Son's of Anarchy), Sandy Sidhu (Nurses), Stephen Lobo (Nancy Drew, Snow Piercer) and Husein Mandhavji (Shitt's Creek), was Executive Produced by Deepa Mehta. DONKEYHEAD was acquired by Array Distribution and premiered on Netflix USA/UK/AUS/NZ on January 21 2022. It was the opening film for the Mosaic Film Festival where it screened at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, and won Best Feature Film Award, Best Support Actor and Best editing. Agam won best direction in a feature film at the Vancouver Women's International Film Festival and was the opening film at 75th Yorkton International Film Festival in May. Donkeyhead won 3 Leo Awards in 2022 for best screenplay, best lead actress and best lead actor. Agam was also awarded best director at the 43rd Durban International Film Festival in 2022. Agam was been nominated for outstanding achievement in directing for the 2022 Director's Guild of Canada Awards and wonBest Lead Performance by a Female at the 2022 ACTRA/UBCP awards.
Agam recently co created and directed the pilot episode of the TV Series Our Big Punjabi Family, set to premiere in 2023.
Agam is a recipient of the illustrious Film Independent Project Involve 2020 Fellowship as a writer, and is the co-founded the VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL SOUTH ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL (VISAFF). Currently in its tenth year, the festival focuses on 'bridging the gap' between South Asian talent and mainstream audiences, by breaking stereotypes and expanding North American views on South Asian culture.- Actress
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Farrah was born overseas in Hyderabad, India. She grew up in Northern California. Her passions were to follow in her grandpa's footsteps as a doctor of medicine, pursuing Pre-med studies at N.C. State University. Her soul yearning for the Arts and Theater lead her back to California to fill her life-long dream of becoming an actress and a writer. She was also offered a singing contract that fell through due to company finances. She did some modeling to make ends meet. Her love of the film industry took her to other ventures in writing and production. She is writing a film partly based on her experiences in her worldly travels. (2018) Upon finishing Medical School from a prestigious Caribbean Medical School, she's in her final steps to becoming a successful physician.- Director
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Neelesha Barthel was born on 2 March 1977 in Potsdam, German Democratic Republic [now Brandenburg, Germany]. She is a director and actress, known for Pandorum (2009), Cologne P.D. (2003) and Marry Me - Aber bitte auf Indisch (2015).- Actress
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Tiya Sircar starred as "Roonie Schuman" in the ABC comedy series "Alex, Inc." which premiered in 2018. Based on the podcast StartUp, Sircar played the wife to Zach Braff's character, "Alex Schuman". Sircar is also on the NBC hit comedy "The Good Place," for which Entertainment Weekly dubbed her the series 'Scene Stealer." She appeared on the comedy opposite Kristen Bell and Ted Danson in multiple shifting roles, from an altruistic human rights lawyer to a power-hungry demon. She also starred opposite Kate Beckinsale in the Paramount+ series, Guilty Party. In the wake of recent guest starring roles on such series as Netflix's "Master of None" and Fox's "The Mindy Project," Sircar has also exercised her comedic and dramatic acting chops on "The Witches of East End," "The Vampire Diaries," "The Crazy Ones," "Hannah Montana" and "The Suite Life on Deck."
Having also established herself as a capable voiceover actress, Sircar lends her pipes as Sabine Wren, a graffiti artist and explosives expert, on the Disney/Lucas Film animated series "Star Wars Rebels" on the Disney Channel and the short-form interstitial series "Star Wars: Forces of Destiny," opposite Daisy Ridley, Felicity Jones and Lupita Nyong'o. Among other voiceover credits is The Simpsons, American Dad, Robot Chicken, and the Netflix/Dreamworks series "Spirit Riding Free."
Film audiences have come to know Sircar equally well, most recently in Netflix's Good Sam and in the independent feature comedy, Miss India America. Along with voiceover work on the animated studio film Walking with Dinosaurs 3D, she starred in the 20th Century Fox comedy feature The Internship opposite Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, in a starring role in the foreign drama The Domino Effect, with Zac Efron in New Line's 17 Again, and in the Paramount family comedy Hotel for Dogs.
A native of Arlington, Texas, Sircar was raised in a family of academics. Her parents, originally from Calcutta (Kolkata), India, are both college professors who instilled a love of the arts in her at a very early age. Sircar began dancing at age three, first Indian classical and folk dance, then ballet, jazz, lyrical and modern. After taking her first acting class at age seven, she realized her true calling. Sircar attended the University of Texas at Austin, receiving two bachelor's degrees: the first in Business/Marketing, and another in Theater & Dance. Following graduation, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her professional career.- Actress
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Her father is Tariq Anwar and her mother is Shireen Anwar. Anwar attended Laleham Church of England Primary and Middle School from 1975 to 1982. Trinian's sketch in the school concert of 1982 gave an early indication of her theatrical leanings. She studied at the London drama and dance school, "Italia Conti". She appeared in many British television productions before making her film debut in Manifesto (1988).
Her first American movie was If Looks Could Kill (1991), in which she played the daughter of a murdered British Agent (played by Roger Daltrey). In 1992, she made a guest appearance on Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990) as "Tricia Kinney". She followed that with the films, Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken (1991) (inspired by "A Girl and Five Brave Horses"), Scent of a Woman (1992), Body Snatchers (1993), For Love or Money (1993) and The Three Musketeers (1993). In 1994, People magazine named her one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. One of her most memorable moments on screen came in 1992's Scent of a Woman (1992), when she danced a tango with Al Pacino, whose character was blind.- Actress
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Naomi Scott is a multi-talented actor, singer, and songwriter. She stars as "Jasmine" in Disney's blockbuster live-action remake Aladdin (2019), alongside Mena Massoud and Will Smith, directed by Guy Ritchie. Disney released the film in May 2019, and it became one of the biggest films of the year.
Naomi was born in London, England to Usha (Joshi) and Christopher Scott, who are pastors of the Bridge Church, Woodford in Redbridge. Her father is British and her mother, who is from Uganda, is from a Gujarati Indian family.
Naomi appeared in "The 33," directed by Patricia Riggen. Starring Juliette Binoche, Gabriel Byrne, and Antonio Banderas, the film is based on the 2010 rescue of 33 Chilean miners after being trapped for 69 days in a gold and copper mine. Naomi plays "Escarlette", the daughter of Banderas' character who is the leader of the miners. Additional credits include a series regular role in Steven Spielberg's television series "Terra Nova" for DreamWorks and FOX, a lead role in the hit Disney Channel movie "Lemonade Mouth", and a lead role in Lee Toland Krieger's short film "Modern/Love" produced by Roman Coppola.
In 2017, Scott was seen in Lionsgate's Power Rangers (2017), directed by Dean Israelite, which tells the story of a group of teenagers who transform into a uniformed team of superheroes ready to protect the world from evil. Naomi plays "Kimberly" aka 'The Pink Ranger', a girl unconventionally cool in a way all the popular girls wish they were.
Naomi is in production on "Charlie's Angels," which Elizabeth Banks is helming for Sony; she won the highly-coveted leading role of "Elena" opposite Kristen Stewart. Sony is set to release the film in November 2019.
Naomi resides in London.- Actress
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Naureen Zaim was born on 19 February 1978 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She is an actress, known for Wedding Crashers (2005), Fast & Furious (2009) and The Line (2009).Irish and Pakistani origin.- Actress
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Hannah Simone stars on FOX's hit series, New Girl (2011), opposite Zooey Deschanel. Simone hosted HGTV Canada's popular design show, "Space for Living", before moving onto Canada's largest music channel, "MuchMusic". After MuchMusic, Simone moved to Los Angeles, where she hosted two seasons of WCG Ultimate Gamer (2009), for the SyFy channel. Simone recently completed production on H+ (2011), the second Warner Premiere Digital Web series, made in conjunction with Dolphin Entertainment and produced by Bryan Singer. Born in London, Simone grew up living abroad and participating in local theater productions in Saudi Arabia, India, Greece and Canada. A graduate of the University of British Columbia, she majored in International Relations and Political Science, before going on to work as a human rights and refugee officer with the United Nations in London.My father is Indian, my mother is half German-Italian and half Greek-Cypriot- Actress
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Richa Shukla Moorjani, actor, producer and activist, was born and raised in the Bay Area, California. She made her series lead debut in the internationally beloved Netflix dramedy, "Never Have I Ever" (created by Mindy Kaling). After its premiere in 2020, the show immediately hit #1 around the world in the Netflix Top 10 and has been nominated for numerous awards including a TCA Award, People's Choice Awards, Hollywood Critics Associate Award and NAACP Image Award. Being cast out of a pool of somewhere between 15,000 actors from a global casting call for the 3 South Asian female leads of the series, Richa won the hearts of a global and cross-generational audience with her portrayal of the brilliant, bold, and stereotype-subverting 'Kamala'.
Raised in a family of academics and artists, Richa broke away from the expected career trajectory of an Indian-American girl growing up in the Silicon Valley and developed a passion for storytelling as a child (performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in high school) before studying Dramatic Arts at university. Richa is a professionally trained dancer (Indian Classical, Kathak, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Bollywood) who focuses on meaningful projects in film and television that platform underrepresented voices and push culture forward. Shining a light on the South Asian diaspora and fighting for inclusion, authentic representation and sustainable storytelling are Richa's mission as an artist. Named by Goldhouse as one of the top 100 Asian Americans who have had the most impact on culture and society, Richa has also been recognized for her fierce advocacy for human rights, animal welfare, environmental protection and mental health.Technically she is not in Hollywood yet.. but looks like she is on the way.- Actress
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Aarti Mann was born in Connecticut, USA. She is an actress and director, known for The Recruit (2022), Never Have I Ever (2020) and The Big Bang Theory (2007). She is married to Purvesh Mankad. They have one child.- Anita Majumdar is known for Murder Unveiled (2005), Midnight's Children (2012) and Republic of Doyle (2010).
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Veena Sood is an award-winning actress - of Indian descent, recognized for her versatility in both comedy and drama. During her time at University Veena co-founded Canada's Loose Moose Theatre Company with Improv master Keith Johnstone. Over the years Veena has appeared in numerous plays, films, television series, and continues to perform her improvisation shows. Veena grew up in the Canadian Rockies where she developed a passion for outdoor pursuits & nature expeditions. She was even a competitive rodeo participant when she was younger. She continues to live in the mountains in western Canada - and continues her passion for nature by traveling the world on adventurous expeditions.- Actress
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Nagarajan's parents are immigrants from India. Her mother, Geetha Nagarajan, is a former developmental specialist at Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic. Her father, Nandu Nagarajan, is a professor and academic at the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh. She has one brother, Arjun.
Anisha Nagarajan was raised in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before moving with her family to the suburb of Fox Chapel.She spent a year at a boarding school in India when she was 15 years old before graduating from Fox Chapel Area High School in 2002. She enrolled at New York University (NYU) after high school. She was cast in the Broadway musical Bombay Dreams as Priya during her sophomore year at NYU. She married her husband, actor Aalok Mehta, who co-starred in the musical.
Nagarajan appeared in a number of regional theater productions following Bombay Dreams, including the Hangar Theater production of Rent in Ithaca, New York and the The Wiz at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California. She is currently finishing her bachelor's degree at New York University.
In 2010, Nagarajan was cast as Madhuri, a shy call center employee in the NBC series, Outsourced. The role is her largest television credit to date. She had previously appeared in a guest role on the ABC television series, Ugly Betty.Cute girl from "Outsourced"- Actress
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Vera Mindy Chokalingam is an Indian-American actress, comedienne, producer, writer and director from Cambridge, Massachusetts known for playing Kelly Kapoor in The Office, Disgust in Inside Out, and creating The Mindy Project. She also appeared in Wreck-It Ralph, Despicable Me, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Ocean's 8, and Monsters at Work. She has two children.The chick from office.- Actress
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Preeya Kalidas is an Actor and Singer.
Preeya originated the leading role of Priya in AR Rahman's/Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Bombay Dreams in London's West End. She has played leading roles in a number of musicals in London's West End including The Narrator in the revival of Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at The Adelphi Theatre, The Original London production of School of Rock, Everybody's Talking about Jamie, originated the role of Pinky in Bend it like Beckham the Musical of which she was nominated for a prestigious Olivier Award.
Also leading roles in plays, Margo in Jeremy Sam's ,The Good Life based on the iconic TV series, Chiaroscuro at Bush Theatre, Levi Addai 's Oxford Street, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti's Khandan at London's prestigious Birmingham Rep/Royal Court Theatre and most recently opposite Juliette Stevenson in Robert Icke's The Doctor at Duke of York Theatre London & New York.
Preeya has starred in Award winning feature films including Four Lions alongside Riz Ahmed , International hit film Bend it like Beckham , Milady in The Three Musketeers and short films C4 Jump Boy, Tanika Gupta's The Fiancee, Sari and Trainers , Paso Doble alongside Aiden Turner and most recently One Punch written and directed by Emmy nominated director Huse Monfaradi.
Television credits include BBC's Eastenders as a series regular, Carmen in BAFTA nominated BBC Three Bollywood Carmen, Peter Kosminsky's BAFTA award winning C4 drama Britz , series regular in BBC's Mistresses and Jed Mercurio's BBC Series - Bodies. Preeya has also starred in single BBC drama Banglatown Banquet alongside Shabana Azmi and England Expects with Steven Mackintosh, BBC Pilot Hounslow Diaries and BBC Bedtime, BBC New Blood , And ITV Mr Eleven- Veerta Motiani was born on 8 August 1984 in Mumbai, India. She is an actress, known for Easy A (2010), You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008) and Being Bin Laden (2011).
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Karen David is a multi-hyphenate talent - actress and singer/songwriter - who has found equal diversity in her film, television, stage, and recording career. Born in Shillong, India, in the foothills of the Himalayas; raised in Toronto; and the daughter of a half-Chinese, half- Khasi mother and an Indian father, David discovered her love of performing at a young age. At 17 she won a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she studied jazz and gospel. It was there she discovered a flair for songwriting and the desire to pursue her love for drama, which led her to study at the Guildford School of Acting in London. Her first professional acting role came shortly after graduation in the original stage cast of the London West End musical Mamma Mia! David can currently be seen as a series regular in the AMC Network show, "Fear The Walking Dead" as Grace, where her recent, poignant, storylines have garnered critical appraise and a beloved international fandom. She is also recurring on HBO's "Barry" alongside creator, Bill Hader, and in the CW series "Legacies" from executive producers, Julie Plec and Brett Matthews. She has also had recurring roles on on the ABC series, "The Rookie" CBS' long-running drama"Criminal Minds", as well as major arcs on YouTube's "Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television" and ITV's "Cold Feet", and as Princess Jasmine on ABC's "Once Upon a Time." Best known to US audiences for her breakout role as Princess Isabella Maria Lucia Elizabetta of Valencia in ABC's "Galavant", David showcased both of her passions - acting and singing - in the musical fantasy series. Created by Dan Fogelman (This Is Us), the cult hit featured music by the award-winning composer, Alan Menken. She got her start in television in the UK on BBC's BAFTA nominated, "Waterloo Road" and the BBC's comedy series "Pixelface", produced by comedian, Graham Norton's company, So Television. From there she landed roles on MTV's "Top Buzzer" playing opposite the likes of Stephen Graham and Daniel Mays, and on Cinemax's action thriller, "Strike Back", and guest-starring roles on ABC's "Castle", FOX's "Touch" alongside Kiefer Sutherland, and NBC's "Timeless." Karen has also been very busy in the animation world, lending her vocal and musical talents in heavily recurring roles on Disney's hit series, "Mira: Royal Detective". She can also be seen guest starring on the new, HBO Max animation, "The Prince", created by Gary Janetti, Netflix's "Captain Fall" and AMC's upcoming animated series, "Pantheon." David's film career began with a supporting role in the UK cult hit, "Bollywood Queen", opposite James McAvoy. This led to co-starring roles in Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins", the Vince Vaughan comedy, "Couples Retreat", and Millennium Film's drama, "Red Lights", starring Sigourney Weaver and Robert De Niro. David has had starring roles in the heartwarming independent comedy, "The Tiger Hunter" opposite Danny Pudi, Universal Pictures' "The Scorpion King: Rise of a Warrior", and the acclaimed Netflix British comedy romance, "Amar Akbar & Tony." More recently she portrayed a tough FBI agent in the blockbuster, "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit". On the musical front, David is continually refining her passion for writing and recording "feel- good indie-girl pop with a twist" in between filming. In the wake of her hit 2003 single, It's Me (You're Talking To), which became a Top Ten hit in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, as well as BMG's fourth highest airplay hit for a debut artist, she released her first two EPs, The Live Sessions EP (2008) and Magic Carpet Ride (2009), followed by the 2010 single Hypnotize and three mixes. David worked with A.R. Rahman, (Slumdog Millionaire), to help develop the soundtrack for the Bollywood-themed musical, "Bombay Dreams" alongside Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black. They subsequently created the theme tune for the British drama, "Provoked", in which David had a supporting role. In addition, David is an avid supporter of charity who devotes much of her time to campaigning for various issues, including the Alzheimer's Association, and is also an ambassador for the Prince's Trust. She is also
an active supporter of SOS Children's Villages Foundation and Designers Against AIDS.- Actress
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Shelley Conn is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Dean Indira Shetty in Amazon's No.1 show, Gen V (2023), as Beelzebub in Good Omens 2 (2023), and as Lady Mary Sharma in the hugely successful Netflix series, Bridgerton (2022). Other notable appearances include Isabella in the film Love Sarah (2020), and as Dr Elizabeth Shannon in the Steven Spielberg series Terra Nova (2011). Shelley Conn was born in Barnet in north London to Anglo-Indian parents. As the daughter of a British Army Officer, she moved home and countries many times as a child, living in Germany and Gibraltar before settling in Hampshire. She is of mixed heritage, which includes Indian, Portuguese, Burmese and English. After being a student at Queen Mary's College in Basingstoke, she trained at Bretton Hall College of Performing Arts and Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. She began her career on London stages and in small roles on British television. After appearing in independent films and two seasons at the RSC including All's Well That Ends Well (2003/2004) with Judi Dench she landed a breakthrough role as Ashika Chandirimani in the BBC political drama Party Animals (2007) which has led to a long and varied career in theatre film and television, both in the UK and the US. She lives in London.Sri lankan Descent.- Suleka Mathew was born in India, raised in Vancouver and currently resides in Los Angeles working as a professional actress in film, television, radio and theatre.
Having been a lifelong dream of hers, Suleka started to pursue acting early in her college years. She was signed by an agent shortly after enrolling in classes and 6 months later she was hired for her first paid acting job as a lead in an episode of a Canadian anthology series. She has been working extensively in her field ever since.
Suleka's most recent work is on the film That's Amor (2021), the television show, Another Life (2020), and her portrayal of Detective Arlene Branch on TNT's hit show, Claws, for 3 seasons. Other notable roles include working as a series regular on the ABC drama, Red Widow, with Radha Mitchell, TNT's Hawthorne starring Jada Pinkett Smith, and ABC's, Men in Trees, opposite Anne Heche. Other credits include Midnight Sun, Ten Days in the Valley, How to Get Away with Murder, Castle, and The West Wing.
One of Suleka's first major roles was that of Dr. Sunny Raman on the acclaimed and award-winning Canadian dramatic series, Da Vinci's Inquest. An international hit, the series eventually made its syndicated debut in the United States.
Other feature film credits include a starring role in the Sundance Festival hit, Touch of Pink, directed by Ian Iqbal Rashid. She appeared in the independent film, The Score, which was screened at the 2005 Vancouver International Film Festival. - Actress
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Summer Bishil was born in Pasadena, California. She and her family moved overseas when she was three. Summer attended British and American schools while her family lived overseas, She returned to her home town of Pasadena just shy of her 14th birthday. In love with the idea of becoming an actress since the age of five, Summer took her first acting class at 14. Nine months later she signed with an agent and manager and began to pursue her career full time. She attends college on her spare time, working towards her degree.- Actress
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The Canadian-born Arizonan actress Tinsel Korey is best known for her role as "Emily" in The Twilight Saga.
Korey's career started after her passion for performing skits as a young child led her to pursue her dream to become a professional actress. As a teen she appeared in many commercials, and landed her first television role on the FOX series "Tru Calling" starring Eliza Dushku. While shooting Spielberg's TNT mini-series "Into the West", she composed a song of the same title that became an underground hit. Tinsel's films range from "The Lookout" starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "Bullet" an action/thriller feature starring Danny Trejo, to a multitude of SYFY hits such as "Hybrid" "Wyvern" & "Black Forest". Her television credits include shows such as "Longmire", "Z Nation", "The Detour", "Young and the Restless" and Paramounts hit show "Yellowstone"
In between acting roles, Tinsel is an accomplished singer-songwriter who plays piano and guitar mainly creating melodic folk music but also has been featured in rap and EDM tracks. Recently she has been focusing blending the genres of country, blues and Americana.
Korey also enjoys watching hockey, baseball, UFC and has a love affair with all things outdoors.
Tinsel now spends her time in Los Angeles, Vancouver and Arizona with her Border Collie "Lucky".Apparently her real name is Harsha Patel- Actress
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Sarayu Blue is a stage, film, and television actress. While perhaps more well-known for her sharp comedic timing, she has also shown her great range in dramas, as seen in the Amazon limited series, "Expats," starring opposite Nicole Kidman, and directed by Lulu Wang. Blue began her career stealing scenes in David E. Kelley's medical drama, "Monday Mornings." She continued to work as a series regular, playing Kareema on The CW's, "No Tomorrow," and co-starred in the "Children's Hospital" spin-off, "Medical Police." Her breakout moment came when she starred as Emet in the female-driven NBC comedy, "I Feel Bad," produced by Amy Poehler. Since then, she has been seen in Hulu's Happiest Season, the second and third installments of the hit Netflix franchise, "To All the Boys I've Loved Before," the Apple+ TV series, "The Shrink Next Door," the Universal feature, "Blockers," and the Amazon feature, "A Million Miles Away."
Blue has also accumulated numerous guest roles on shows such as, "Grey's Anatomy (ABC)," "The Real O'Neals" (ABC), "Station 19" (ABC), "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS), "The Unicorn" (CBS), and "Veep" (HBO).
A classically trained theater actor, some of Blue's stage credits include Varya in, "The Cherry Orchard" (Yale Repertory Theatre), Belle in, "A Christmas Carol" (American Conservatory Theater), and Livia in, "The Tamer Tamed" (Shakespeare Santa Cruz).
Blue received her B.A. in Theater Arts from The University of Iowa, and her M.F.A. from The American Conservatory Theater, in San Francisco.- Actress
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Nishi Munshi has been an Actress, Singer, Musician and Choreographer/Dancer in the entertainment industry for 15 years. Her family traveled and performed in a music band throughout her childhood around the USA and in other countries. Growing up on stage, she has performed in over 1,000 live-stage shows singing, drumming, and dancing. She practiced Mixed Martial Arts and Tae Kwon Do which helped her land her first gig on an Indian feature film 'My Name is Khan'. Over the years, her credits in acting and music include working with: NBC, CBS, USA Network, FOX, Warner Bros., and Lifetime. Some of her fan favorite roles have been on 'Jane the Virgin', Gia on 'The Originals', 'Pretty Little Liars', and Erica Malick on FOX's 'Lethal Weapon'. She's enjoying working on her fourth video game with previous fan favorites as Devi in 'The Order 1886' and Rikki Patil in 'Days Gone' under Sony Playstation. In her independent film experience, her production team was able to sell their first feature film at AFI and obtain private funding and successful filming for which she served as an Executive Producer and took her first stab at directing scenes for the film.
Being a skilled Classical (Kathak, Bharatnatiyam) and 'Bollywood' dancer, she had the opportunity to choreograph and dance with prominent artists: Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber, Jason Derulo and the acclaimed Michael Jackson's Cirque ONE show.
As an advocate for human rights, she served as a board member for Valley Family Center (victims of domestic violence) for one year and her volunteer work has ranged from tutoring/mentoring at-risk youth all over Los Angeles to India at Shanti Bhavan Non-Profit School. Her Webisodes, Youtube videos, book of poetry and novel that she is working on are aimed to raise funds for human rights activism and educating at-risk youth.- Actress
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Kosha Patel was born on 9 September 1989 in Pueblo, Colorado, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Grey's Anatomy (2005), Shit White Girls Say ... To Brown Girls (2012) and House of Lies (2012).- Actress
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Shivani Thakkar, Associate Artistic Director of Manu Kala Mandir Dance Productions and Founder and Choreographer of the "MKM BollyStars" has garnered international recognition for her performances and choreography.
Shivani, Winner of the 2008 Verizon Wireless and Saavn Bollypop US National Dance Competition, has notable credits as a performer. She has performed with Shahid Kapoor and Akshay Kumar; worked with choreographers Marty Kudelka, Jamal Sims, Mary Ann Kellogg, and Ganesh Acharya; and been in numerous television and film productions. She has appeared on The CW's Valentine and CBS's BBQ Bill. She is also a featured soloist and opening shot of the Disney Feature Film Step Up 3-D scheduled to be released in August 2010.
She has performed bollywood dance at International Fashion Designer Christian Audigier's (Ed Hardy line) International Distributors' Event and 50th Birthday Party live with the Gypsy Kings and performed with Bellytwins International, Karmagraphy, Dakshina Dance Company, and Bollywood Step Dance.
As a Bollywood choreographer, her recent credits include: the Bollywood themed National Intel Print Ad "Our Superstars" currently running in India, and instructional Bollywood DVD entitled Let's Dance Bollywood. Shivani has choreographed bollywood numbers for several dance companies including Karmagraphy, Dakshina Dance Company, and Alberta Dance Alliance.
Besides Bollywood, Shivani is an established Bharata Natyam (Indian Classical) dancer and well-trained western dancer. She has performed and toured internationally including shows at the Smithsonian Museum, New York's Downtown Dance Days, and Alberta Dance Alliance Feats Festival of Dance. Shivani was the lead in the Canadian National tour of Dvaya: A Confluence of Male Female Spirits and is scheduled to reprise her role during the India tour in 2010.
She is the recipient of an Arts Study Fellowship from Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, and grants from Alberta Foundation for the Arts and Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, USA.- Shivaani Ghai was born in 1975 in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Batwoman (2019), The Catch (2016) and Dominion (2014). She has been married to Tyrone Keogh since November 2016. She was previously married to Parv Bancil.
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Roopashree (Roopa) Jeevaji is an actress and writer who has recently appeared in NCIS (2003) and 9-1-1 (2018). Jeevaji's screenplay "In the Face of Courage" was a Semi- finalist at "The Writers Lab - 2019" which is supported by Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman. She is also a Quarter- finalist at the Academy Nicholl Fellowship 2021.
Born in India, Jeevaji became involved with acting early on. At a young age, she started her training in Bharatanatyam (classical south Indian dance), giving her first performance on stage at the age of six and finished her 'Arangetram' (graduation concert / performance ) soon after. Her acting career took off after her debut in a national commercial for Bru Coffee (India's largest instant coffee brand) which led to other national TV spots.
Growing up in Bangalore, South India in a family that revered education, Jeevaji excelled in school and is also fluent in six Indian languages. She was the youngest participant in the country to be selected to compete in the international quiz competition "Exploration to Mars" held by renowned astrophysicist Carl Sagan.
After moving to the US, Jeevaji enrolled in Theatre Arts at Temple University, PA and continued her studies at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, Los Angeles where she was awarded a scholarship. In 2012, she performed at the CBS Diversity Showcase after being selected as one of the top twenty two actors from the thousands that auditioned. She has also been a part of the Producers Mentoring Program at 'Women in Film'.
In 2015, Jeevaji won the "Best Actress Award" at the 'California Women's Film Festival' and received "Best Actress/ Honorable Mention Award" at 'Asians on Film Festival' for her lead role in the film In Search of America, Inshallah (2014) which she also produced.
Philanthropically, Ms. Jeevaji is on the Board of Advisors for "Women's Voices Now" (WVN) and "Girls' Voices Now". WVN is a non profit organization which advocates women's rights by using the power of films to influence and impact society. "Girls' Voices Now" is the youth development program of WVN and it features films that amplify voices of young women from underrepresented communities.
Girls' Voices Now (2019) won Daytime Emmy Award 2021 in "Outstanding Short Form Children's Program" category.- Actress
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Sharmila Devar is known for Scandal (2012) and Star Wars: Rebels (2014).- Actress
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Anisha Adusumilli is a first-generation Indian-American born and raised in the Midwest. An artist from a young age, Anisha began studying Classical Piano at the age of 5 - having graduated from the Trinity College of London Program. Continuing her creative expression through Dancing and Singing, Anisha inevitably discovered her love of Acting at UCLA where she studied both Business Economics and Theater. Recent credits include Fox's New Girl, CBS' How I Met Your Mother and NCIS: Los Angeles among others. Anisha continues to tell stories with passion, conviction, and a mission to be an example that people can overcome the greatest of obstacles through action and self-belief.- Actress
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Hayden Shinger is known for Outsourced (2010), Lapsed (2017) and Forgotten Kingdom: The Divide (2020).- Anitha Gandhi is known for The Bourne Legacy (2012), Outsourced (2010) and Starting Out in the Evening (2007).
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Melanie is an actress and producer passionate about bringing more empathy to this world through her work. In line with that mission, she uses her platforms both on-screen and behind the camera to share powerful and diverse stories about women and minorities. She is best known for her work as Malaya Pineda on CBS's Code Black.
Born in Illinois, Melanie graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering while studying improvisational comedy on the side.
Post-graduation, she landed a high-profile corporate job, which she eventually quit to pursue her childhood dream of acting. She quickly landed a series of television roles including guest appearances on Rules of Engagement, Parenthood, and Nashville and large recurring roles on Netflix's Brown Nation and HBO's The Brink.
From 2015 to 2017, she played the series regular role of Dr. Malaya Pineda on the CBS medical drama Code Black.
In 2018, Melanie also became a producer for several different projects and shows. One of her projects, with South Asian women in the forefront, is in development with HBO.
Melanie is the co-founder of the not-for-profit Hospital for Hope India, which provides health care services to under-served villagers in rural India. She also holds a 2nd-degree black belt in Karate and is a trained pianist.Timmy's sister in "Rules of Engagement".- Actress
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"You don't know who you are until you know where you came from" is a quote Rima carried out through most of her life. Today, at 33 years old Rima Fakih Slaiby resides in California with her husband Wassim 'Sal' Slaiby and two children. Holding her current mission to break barriers for Arab women Rima holds today the title of National Director and Executive Producer of Miss Lebanon/ Miss Universe.
In less than two years Rima competed in and won four consecutive pageants prior to winning the title of Miss USA in 2010. Her win was a monumental breakthrough for all Arab women in the western world and beyond as Rima became the first and only ever Immigrant, Arab woman to win the title of Miss USA. As Miss Michigan USA 2010, Fakih served as one of the first official pageant ambassadors for women's self-defense awareness, educating women on the importance of taking the necessary precautionary measures to best protect and prepare themselves from unwanted situations. As Miss USA, Fakih is a spokeswoman for breast and ovarian cancer education, research and legislation - a platform that is close to her heart. She will travel nationwide as an advocate for organizations such as Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Gilda's Club, among others. Rima received the Key to the City of Waterbury and a Proclamation from the State of Connecticut declaring September 18th "Rima Fakih Day." Mayor, John B. O'Reilly Jr. awarded Dearborn, Michigan native Rima Fakih the Key to the City and proclaimed Saturday, July 10 as "Rima Fakih Day" along a "Welcome to Dearborn, Home of Rima Fakih sign to the city.
Holding many notable appearances, Rima F Slaiby, has appeared at Ronald Reagan's Centennial Celebration, riding in a float at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Regis&Kelly Show, Good Morning America, The Wendy William Show, Jimmy Fallon, David Letterman, and attending an American Chamber of Commerce conference in Cairo alongside former President Bill Clinton. Rima continued to make many appearances with the World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE), including a special segment titled "Tribute to the Troops" and a role in the reality show "Tough Enough", "Dancing With the Stars", and Fox "The Choice."
On September 30, 2018, through her role as President and Executive Producer of the Miss Lebanon 2018 pageant, Rima not only sparked country wide interest but she also delivered a record-breaking show. By combining her pageant and business knowledge, Rima and her team of professionals lead the vision for the new and improved pageant for future participants and winners of Miss Lebanon. Rima's outing and humorous personality continues to lead her to new adventures in life.Miss USA 2010; Pakistan heritage.- Actress
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Jessica Clark was born in 1985 in London, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for Pocket Listing (2015), True Blood (2008) and Chemistry (2011). She was previously married to Lacey Stone.Lillith in True Blood. Indian/Nigerian heritage.- Actress
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Meaghan Rath was born on 18 June 1986 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She is an actress and producer, known for Hawaii Five-0 (2010), New Girl (2011) and Schitt's Creek (2015). She has been married to Jack Cutmore-Scott since 16 May 2020. They have two children.- Actress
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Counted amongst the sexiest women in the glamour world, English model Lucy Pinder has graced the covers of some of the hottest British publications such as 'FHM,' 'Nuts,' 'Loaded,' and the 'Daily Star.' She had already been modeling for a few years when she first decided to go for topless photo-shoots and this decision of hers proved to be a turning point in her career. Blessed with a curvaceous figure, she sent ripples across the fashion world with her sizzling hot topless pictures which catapulted her to the status of a supermodel in no time. Her successful modeling career paved the way for a television career as well and she was bombarded with numerous offers to appear on television shows. After making her first appearance on Living TV's series 'I'm Famous and Frightened!,' she went on to appear on Sky Sports as a celebrity soccerette on 'Soccer AM' and as a contestant on a special edition of the 'Weakest Link.' Soon enough, she became a presenter on the 'Nuts TV live show' which further enhanced her popularity.
Back in the early 2000s, Lucy Katherine Pinder was just another young college gal who did not have any specific ideas about what her future was supposed to look like. She was led into the world of modeling purely by a stroke of destiny. Lucy, like other girls, loved to sunbath on the beaches in summer and it was during some such instance in 2003 that she caught the eye of freelance photographer Lee Earle. Impressed by the busty figure of the young girl, he asked her if she would pose for him. She did, and the resultant photographs led to a professional modeling contract with 'Daily Star.' Comfortable with her body, and confident in her demeanor, she soon became a very popular swimsuit model, often posing in risqué and skimpy bikinis. While getting admired for her beautiful big breasts was nothing new to Lucy, initially she refrained from posing topless. She finally shed this inhibition in 2007 and first appeared topless in 'Nuts' that year. Her topless pics sent her fans into frenzy and her popularity peaked at newer heights! The Australian magazine 'Ralph' even declared that she had the "Best Breasts in the World!" By this time she had ventured into television as well and had built a name for herself as a TV personality too. As a successful model and TV personality, she confidently seized the opportunity to appear in films too and has appeared in movies, such as Strippers vs Werewolves (2012), The Seventeenth Kind (2014) and Age of Kill (2015).
Lucy founded her humanitarian foundation Busty Brains. Lucy is active in charity programs as well. Lucy is an eager supporter of charities like Cat protection, MCAC (Male Cancer Awareness Campaign), Tiger Time, Help for Heroes which supports the troops and much more. Lucy was an ambassador for Kick for life, a charity that fought poverty and disease in Third World countries taking football as a medium. Many people may know Lucy Pinder as a model and an actress but she is a philosopher as well. At the age of 21, Lucy graduated from Cambridge taking along with her a Philosophy degree. Lucy published her groundbreaking study on how men tend to objectify and personify a woman's body parts. Llucy also discovered that men do not listen to women while they talk, instead, they focus on one or several of her desirable body parts.
Lucy Pinder is not only recognized as a model but also as an actor. Lucy has been seen in a few films and has made many TV appearances in Dream Team, Book at Bedtime with Lucy Pinder, Celebrity Big Brother and many more.- Actress
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Lara Shah is an actor and producer in Los Angeles. She started her acting career in Austin, TX and has since been in over 100 films, television shows, music videos, and commercials since her venture into the creative side of the entertainment industry. Lara has won Best Actress awards for her lead roles in "Trippin' to the Altar" and "Kendall County Hunters." Lara has a passion for storytelling and entertainment: she was a television anchor in high school, a radio host at Boston University, and an intern at MTV Networks in NYC. She also worked for five years in Domestic TV Distribution Sales at Warner Bros. in NYC. In 2011, she traveled to Wilmington, NC to play a Detective on "One Tree Hill." The experience convinced her to finally pursue her passion. Lara studies with Lesly Kahn & Company in Los Angeles.- Actress
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Mouzam Makkar was born in Kerala, India. She is an actress and producer, known for The Fix (2019), The Exorcist (2016) and The Vampire Diaries (2009).Can someone confirm her heritage ?- Actress
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Trisha Beharie received her M.F.A. in Acting from UCLA and B.A. in Theater Arts from Rollins College. She has appeared in television shows, national commercials and her work in independent films have toured the festival circuit nationally. Trisha also performed with the Geffen Playhouse in 365 Days, 365 Plays by Suzan Lori Parks and has worked with McCarter Theater in Princeton, NJ. She is a member of Theta Alpha Phi (Theater Honors Society) and a recipient of the Streisand/ Sony Fellowship, Steve Lawrence and Edyie Gorme Scholarship, Zora Neal Hurston Award and the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.Can someone please confirm her heritage ?- Actress
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Julie Brar was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Julie went to theatre school in Los Angeles. She has split her time between L.A, Toronto and Vancouver. Julie is a Toronto based actor, writer and producer who works in film, television and theatre. Some of Julie's television credits include a recurring role on Lost Girl, as well as roles on Beauty and the Beast, and Fringe. She made her feature film debut in Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief. In addition to acting Julie writes and produces her own independent projects. Some of her writing/producing/acting credits include SHIVA (short film featured in VISAFF and Filmi), Om Sweet Om (web series) and The Very Very Girl (Toronto Fringe 2013). The Very Very Girl was a solo theatre piece in which Julie played six different characters, both male and female with multiple accents. Julie is co-founder of Jet Girls Productions along with Marianne Sawchuk. Their first production as a team was an all female Glengarry Glen Ross in Toronto April 2015. The show sold out every single night of the run garnering great reviews along the way. Julie's other passions include travel, great vegan food, ashtanga yoga and riding her motorcycle.- Minnie Gupta was born on 21 November 1984 in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA. She is an actress, known for The Legend of Awesomest Maximus (2011) and Nederlandse Hollywood Vrouwen (2011).
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Sonita Henry was born in Dover, Kent, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Black Cake (2023), The Chelsea Detective (2022) and Silo (2023).- Mehr Hassan is known for The Gold Bracelet (2006), Hotel Hollywood (2010) and Channa Sachi Muchi (2010).
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Ms. Kadem is the Four-Time Winner of Best Lead Actress in the feature film "Nawal the Jewel" at The Amsterdam International Filmmaker Festival, The Milan International Film Festival of World Cinema, The Multilcultural Film Festival in California and Boston International Film Festival. She was twice nominated for this role in England as Best Lead Actress, at both The London International Film Festival and The North Europe International Film Festival, and nominated at The South Europe International Film Festival in Valencia, Spain.
She marked her debut in Indian cinema, portraying this tour de force lead role in "Nawal the Jewel" - inspired by the true story of Reyhaneh Jabbari, who was covered all across international news, from BBC, to America, to the Middle East. She defended her life against an officer who tried to rape her, and was sentenced to death in Iran. Amnesty International, The UN and others tried to save her life, with thousands of signatures, but sadly, were unable to succeed.
Ms. Kadem shot the film bilingually in both Malayalam (the language of Kerala, India) and English versions, working opposite acclaimed Indian actors such as Adil Hussain (Life of Pi), Shweta Menon (Salt n' Pepper) and Anjali Upasana (Ben). Nawal was the first synced sound film in cinema history, to be simultaneously shot in two languages. She learned Malayalam for the role, spending several months of preparation on the script before her arrival to India. She makes history as the first American actor in a lead role to use her own voice as a non-fluent speaker in Mollywood Cinema.
"Nawal the Jewel" made its festival debut in 2018 and has received numerous nominations and wins.
She is also one of the main stars of the film, "Revenge Ride", which won Best Ohio Feature Film. She was handpicked by director, Melanie Atikenhead (Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?) and actor/producer, James Franco (Spider-Man) to portray Nona, one of the lead motorcycle gang members, in the gritty, terrorizing story of a female gang, and their revenge against the men that did them wrong. Franco both acts in the film and executive produced the picture.
She began her training ground in theater at the age of 14, and has studied with greats like: BAFTA & Emmy Nominated Actor Alfred Molina (Chocolat, Raiders of The Lost Ark), Julliard Alumnus & SAG Nominated Actor Jack Stehlin (Weeds, General Hospital), Oscar Winner Bobby Moresco (Crash, Million Dollar Baby), and long-time method acting teacher & successor to Stella Adler and former classmate of actors such as Sean Penn, Meg Ryan, Mark Ruffalo and Salma Hayek, Carey Scott (God's Not Dead 2, Big Love).
Along with her career as an actress, she is also an award winning screenwriter, having received her BFA in the field. She has been a work-for-hire, had optioned material, and has consulted on various projects.
As a producer and screenwriter, she has various projects in active development with top tier industry professionals, along with Academy Award Winning and Golden Globe Nominated Talents, and has been endorsed as a script consultant by some of Hollywood's most creme de la creme, including Academy Award and Emmy Nominated industry.- Growing up in the small town of Greenwood, Indiana, Melissa knew from a young age that she wanted to try her hand at acting. However, that was not a suitable option to her mother or the Indian community, who frowned upon children pursuing artistic endeavors rather than the age-old path of medicine and engineering. Consequently, Melissa was forced to suppress her inner artist and buckle down in the sciences, all the while longing to get on that stage and perform in her school plays. When it came time to select a college, Melissa chose one that was conveniently located in Southern California, so it would allow her to break free and get her feet wet in Hollywood, while still getting her degree. Although she majored in psychology, she took acting classes in college and did a lot of traveling so she could study different people, places, and cultures. These experiences were invaluable to her as an actress because she was observing human behavior in its natural form. In 2008 she graduated from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, and then went away to Europe for five months to backpack and explore. Armed with a fresh new perspective on life, Melissa came back from Europe and joined the Screen Actors Guild because she knew, though there were much easier paths to choose from, there was no better way to reveal her true self than through artistic expression.
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Surina Jindal is known for Bibhu Mohapatra: Spring/Summer 2021 NYFW (2020), Outsourced (2010) and Surina & Mel (2019).- Actress
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The intriguing thing about Tehmina Sunny is that she seamlessly fits into a plethora of ethnicities from around the world. Her ethnically ambiguous looks and super sharp skills with accents gives her an international appeal. Born in London, Sunny has played characters from the Middle East, South America, North America, Native American, Spain, Italy, North Africa and the Indian sub continent.- Actress
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Tara Erica Moore is of East Indian and English descent. She had a multi-continental upbringing - born in South Africa and raised bouncing between a transitional post-apartheid South Africa and a small college town in Connecticut. In addition, she has lived in Korea, Singapore, and France. She comes from a family of academics, her parents are Professors of Economics and Political Science. She graduated from Wesleyan University with a BA in Psychology and holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson.- Trishna is an emerging actress, singer-songwriter, and model. She was born in India and adopted to an Ohio based family when she was just a year old. Church, school, and local competitions were the foundation of Trishna's vocal training throughout her youth. She later graduated as a vocalist from one of the top rated contemporary music colleges in the world, Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. Since her graduation, she has worked with several different producers, managers, and artists. Past performances include major events such as performing at the Recording Academy, Major Red Carpet appearances, TV/Brand print/commercials, and signing the National Anthem to a sold out crowd of over 90,000 people for Monday Night NFL.
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Most recently played in THE FATHER opposite Alfred Molina at Pasadena Playhouse (nominee for Best Season, Ovation Awards). Born in Chatham, New Jersey, USA. Moved to Mumbai, India for 5 years as a kid.
Attended The Johns Hopkins University, BA International Relations.
Was accepted to law schools for Human Rights / Public Interest, instead decided to follow her heart and train as an actor at USC where she received her MFA in Theater. Also worked at Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) in SF where she selected and nurtured independent films by/for underrepresented voices for public television shows such as POV and Independent Lens.
Other training: William Esper Studio in Manhattan and American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.
Resides in Los Angeles and New York City.