Archie Panjabi

It was difficult to pinpoint which role Archie Panjabi was born to play, since she embodied a multitude of characters - from comical to heartbreaking - throughout her internationally recognized career. She received her show business start in her native Great Britain, where her tomboyish and lovelorn character Meenah captivated audiences in the delightful film "East Is East" (1999). Panjabi gained worldwide prominence playing an anxious but supportive bride-to-be in the sleeper hit "Bend It Like Beckham" (2002). The multifaceted actress also turned in bravura performances across the pond, in American films such "A Mighty Heart" (2007), in which she portrayed a journalist who aided in the grueling search effort for murdered journalist Daniel Pearl. Panjabi made her U.S. television debut in "The Good Wife" (CBS, 2009-16), playing a no-nonsense, bisexual criminal investigator in another scene-stealing role that made her one of Britain's hottest acting imports.