Karen David facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Karen David
David in 2017
Background information
Born	(1979-04-15) 15 April 1979 (age 46) Shillong, Meghalaya, India
Genres	Pop
Occupation(s)	Actress, singer, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1999–present
Labels	AWAL

Karen Shenaz David is a talented actress, singer, and songwriter from Canada. She was born on April 15, 1979. Many people know her from her roles in popular TV shows and movies. For example, she played Princess Isabella in the musical-comedy series Galavant. She was also Cesca Montoya in the BBC drama Waterloo Road. You might also recognize her as Layla from the action film The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior.

Karen David also appeared as Angela in the ITV series Cold Feet. Later, she played Princess Jasmine and Shirin in the sixth season of Once Upon a Time. She had a recurring role as Emma, a guidance counselor and witch, in The CW's Legacies. From 2019 to 2023, she was a main character, Grace Mukherjee, in Fear the Walking Dead. Since 2023, she has been playing Rose Dinshaw, a former Mi6 agent, in NBC’s The Irrational.

About Karen David's Early Life

Karen David was born in Shillong, Meghalaya, India. Her family has a mix of backgrounds, including Chinese, Khasi, and Jewish heritage. Her mother has Khasi-Indian and Chinese roots. Her father is Indian-Jewish.

Karen grew up in Canada. When she was 17, she moved to Britain. There, she studied acting at the Guildford School of Acting. After that, she returned to Canada for a while in the late 1990s. She studied radio and television arts at Ryerson University in Toronto.

Karen David's Career

Acting Roles

After finishing drama school, Karen David joined the first cast of the West End musical Mamma Mia!. She was part of the group and also filled in for other roles. A famous music composer, A. R. Rahman, saw her in the show. He asked her to help him create songs for a Bollywood-themed musical called Bombay Dreams. She sang songs for the show's tours in the US and Canada. She also continued to work with Rahman in India.

Karen appeared in a music video called "Higher & Higher" in 2000. She was also in two short TV videos in 2002. In Dancers: The Trailer, she played Jenny. In The Paper Round, she was a policewoman. She then got a role in the musical film Bollywood Queen (2003). She played a member of an R&B band in the movie. From 2004 to 2005, she played Scarlet in MTV's Top Buzzer.

David played Lyla, a main character, in the London film Take 3 Girls (2006). She also appeared in Flight of Fury (2007) with Steven Seagal. In this movie, she was Barnes's Operational Soldier Flanders. She played Liessa, the Dragonlady, in The Colour of Magic (2008). In 2009, she was Fairy Frampton in The Legend of Dick and Dom. Karen David was the main female lead, Layla, in The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior (2008). This movie was filmed in South Africa.

In September 2010, Karen David joined the cast of Waterloo Road. This was a drama series on BBC One. She played Francesca "Cesca" Montoya, a Spanish teacher, in the sixth season. While still on Waterloo Road, David also got a role in Pixelface. This was a CBBC children's comedy series. She played Alexia Alderton, a legend hunter. The show was about six video game characters. The second season of Pixelface aired in January 2012.

In 2012, David appeared on American TV in the Fox series Touch. She was a guest star, playing Kayla Graham. In that episode, she sang the song "Three Little Birds". This song was later released as a single. In February 2013, David was in a two-part episode of the ABC TV series Castle. She played Sara El-Masri, the daughter of a rich Egyptian businessman. During filming, Karen and a stuntman were hurt when a van door didn't close right. Karen had to wear a neck brace.

Karen David returned to US television as Princess Isabella Maria Lucia Elizabetta of Valencia. This was for the ABC series Galavant. The show started in January 2015. In 2019, David joined the cast of Fear the Walking Dead. She played Grace Mukherjee and stayed with the series until its final season began in 2023.

Music Career

Karen David

Karen David released her first song, "It's Me (You're Talking To)", in 2003. She was signed with BMG Music at the time. This song became a top 10 hit on the radio in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

In 2006, she worked with A. R. Rahman on the main song for the film Provoked. After this, she went back to Rahman's studio in India in 2007. There, they wrote and recorded the song "Alive". The next year, she released her first EP, The Live Sessions EP. An EP is like a mini-album with a few songs. In 2009, she released another EP called Magic Carpet Ride.

In May 2010, David released the single "Hypnotize". It came with different versions and a Hypnotize Desi Mix EP. The next year, she released a full album called The Girl in the Pink Glasses. In February 2012, 20th Century Fox TV Records released "Three Little Birds". This was the song Karen David sang as Kayla Graham in the TV show Touch.

In 2013, Karen David released her most recent personal music, an EP called Dust to Stars. For this, she worked with other songwriters and producers. Since then, she has been part of the cast soundtracks for Galavant in 2015 and 2016.

Helping Others: Charity Work

Karen David cares about helping others. She is involved with organizations like Designers Against Aids and the SOS Children's Villages Foundation.

She designed a T-shirt to raise money for ActionAid's PoverTee Day. This T-shirt was sold at an auction in June 2010. In December 2010, David released a special Christmas EP called My Christmas List. The money raised from this EP went to Shelter, a charity that helps people with housing and homelessness. Karen also painted a self-portrait to help raise money for Face Britain. This project is part of The Prince's Trust Foundation.

Karen David's Personal Life

In 2013, Karen David married Carl Ryden. He is a Swedish songwriter and music producer. Their wedding took place at La Venta Inn in Palos Verdes Peninsula, California.

Film and Television Roles

Movies

Television Shows

Short Videos

Video Games

Other Appearances

Music Videos

Karen David's Music Videos

Remixes and Radio Edits

See also

In Spanish: Karen David para niños