Archie Panjabi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Archie Panjabi
Panjabi in 2015
Born	Archana Panjabi (1972-05-31) 31 May 1972 (age 53) Edgware, London, England
Alma mater	Brunel University
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1994–present
Spouse(s)	Rajesh Nihalani ​ (m. 1998)​

Archana Panjabi (born 31 May 1972) is an English actress. She has played many different characters in TV shows in both the UK and the US. Some of her well-known roles include Maya Roy in Life on Mars (2006–07), Nas Kamal in Blindspot (2016–17, 2020), and Kendra Malley in Departure (2019–present).

She is perhaps most famous for playing Kalinda Sharma in The Good Wife (2009–15). For this role, she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2010 and an NAACP Image Award in 2012. She was also nominated for other big awards. Archie Panjabi made history as the first Asian actor to win a Primetime Emmy for acting. She has also starred in movies like East Is East (1999), Bend It Like Beckham (2002), and A Mighty Heart (2007).

Early life

Archie Panjabi was born in Edgware, London, on May 31, 1972. Her parents, Govind and Padma Panjabi, were immigrants from India. Her family's background is from Sindh, a region now in Pakistan. Her parents moved to India after the country was divided.

Archie studied management at Brunel University and graduated in 1994. She also trained in classical ballet.

Panjabi won an Emmy in 2010 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for playing Kalinda Sharma in The Good Wife.

Career

Archie Panjabi has had a busy career in both movies and television. She first appeared in the comedy film East is East in 1999. She also appeared in the BBC TV series Life on Mars.

Her first role in a Hollywood movie was in the Oscar-winning film The Constant Gardener in 2005. One of her most famous movie roles was in the popular 2002 comedy Bend It Like Beckham. In 2006, she played Gemma in the romantic comedy A Good Year, starring alongside Russell Crowe.

In 2007, Panjabi acted with Angelina Jolie in the movie A Mighty Heart. In this film, she played Asra Nomani, a former reporter for The Wall Street Journal. In 2008, she played Chandra Dawkin in the movie Traitor.

Archie Panjabi has also lent her voice to several characters. She voiced characters in the British children's TV show Postman Pat. She also provided a voice for the video game Dead Space: Extraction. In 2009, she played an MI5 agent in the French movie Espion(s). That same year, she joined the cast of the CBS TV series The Good Wife as Kalinda Sharma. This role earned her a Primetime Emmy Award, making her the first actor of Indian descent to win an Emmy.

In 2010, she played Saamiya Nasir in the British comedy The Infidel. She also appeared in the BBC Two drama series The Fall from 2012 to 2014. After leaving The Good Wife in 2015, she made guest appearances in shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Shetland.

In 2016, she joined the cast of the NBC drama Blindspot. Archie Panjabi has spoken about how there are more opportunities for actors from different backgrounds now. She once recalled being told that an Indian woman could not have a career in Hollywood, but she proved that wrong! In 2022, she started on TNT's drama Snowpiercer.

In May 2021, Panjabi voiced Depa Billaba in the first episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch. In 2024, it was announced that she would be in the fifteenth series of Doctor Who.

Philanthropy

Panjabi in The Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection Fashion Show (2011)

Archie Panjabi is passionate about helping others. She was chosen as the first ambassador for Pratham USA, which is the biggest education movement in India. She also supports Rotary International's "This Close" campaign to help end polio around the world.

To support women's rights, she has worked with Amnesty International. She helped their "Stop Violence Against Women" campaign. In 2011, she participated in The Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection Fashion Show. This event helps raise awareness about heart disease, which is a major health concern for women. Harvard University also invited her to share her acting experiences with students.

Awards

Archie Panjabi has received several awards for her acting.

• In 2007, she won the Chopard Trophy at the Cannes Film Festival.
• She was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for The Good Wife. She won this award in 2010.
• She also won an NAACP Image Award in 2011 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for the same role.
• She was nominated for three SAG Awards along with her co-stars from The Good Wife.

Personal life

Archie Panjabi married Rajesh Nihalani, who is a tailor, when she was 26 years old.

Filmography

Film

Television

Television films

Radio

See also

In Spanish: Archie Panjabi para niños