Lisa Ray

04 Apr, 1972 | Toronto

Actress

Biography

Lisa Rani Ray is a Canadian actress, model, television host, philanthropist and social activist. Lisa Ray was finishing high school in Canada with aspirations of majoring in journalism at the 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 her offbeat film Kasoor (2000) 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 become 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. Lia was voted Star of the Future at the 2002 Toronto Film Festival. She is of Indian and Polish descent. She is fluent in Hindi, although it is not her first language. She was named one of the top 10 most beautiful Indian women of the millennium by the Daily Times of India. She lived in London for three years while attending drama school. She had cut off her waist length hair for her role in 'Water'. It was done while filming a scene. She trained for five months in mime in London.