Karen David

Last updated

Karen David
Karen David by Gage Skidmore.jpg
David in 2017
Background information
Born (1979-04-15) 15 April 1979 (age 45)
Shillong, Meghalaya, India
Genres Pop
Occupation(s)Actress, singer, songwriter
InstrumentVocals
Years active1999–present
Labels AWAL

Karen Shenaz David [1] (born 15 April 1979 [2] [3] [4] ) is a Canadian actress, singer, and songwriter, best known for portraying Princess Isabella Maria Lucia Elizabetta of Valencia in ABC's fairytale-themed musical-comedy television series Galavant , as well as the Head of Spanish, Cesca Montoya, in the BBC One school-based drama series Waterloo Road and Layla in the American action film The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior . She starred as Angela in the ITV television series Cold Feet , and played Princess Jasmine/Shirin in the sixth season of Once Upon a Time .

Contents

She had a recurring role on The CW's Legacies as Emma, a guidance counselor and witch, and played regular character Grace Mukherjee in Fear the Walking Dead .

Early life

David was born in Shillong, Meghalaya, India, [5] to a family of "Chinese, Parsi and a sliver of Jewish heritage". [6] Her mother is of Khasi-Indian and Chinese descent, while her father is Indian-Jewish. [7] She was raised in Canada and then at age 17, David moved to Britain to study at the Guildford School of Acting. She then moved back to Canada for a time in the late 1990s, studying radio and television arts at Ryerson University in Toronto. [6]

Career

Acting

Upon finishing drama school, David joined the original cast of the West End musical Mamma Mia! . She made her professional acting debut as part of the ensemble and as understudy of Ali and Lisa. A. R. Rahman, who had been invited to see the show by the director Shekhar Kapur, asked David to assist him and Don Black in the development of the material for the Bollywood-themed musical Bombay Dreams . She performed songs on the show's US and Canada tour, and continued collaborating with Rahman at his Panchathan Record Inn and AM Studios in Chennai, India. [8]

She appeared in the music clip "Higher & Higher" (2000) and in two short television videos, Dancers: The Trailer (2002), playing the role of Jenny, and The Paper Round (2002), playing the role of a policewoman. She then landed a role in the musical Bollywood Queen (2003), as a member of the R&B band at the story's center. [9] [10] Through 2004 and 2005, she played Scarlet in MTV's Top Buzzer .

David played Lyla, a main character in the London-based film Take 3 Girls (2006). Other work during this time includes Steven Seagal's Flight of Fury (2007) as Barnes' Operational Soldier Flanders, The Colour of Magic (2008) as Liessa, the Dragonlady, and The Legend of Dick and Dom (2009) as Fairy Frampton. David appeared as the female lead, Layla, in The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior (2008), filmed in Cape Town, South Africa. [11] [12] [13] [14]

In September 2010, David played the Spanish teacher, Francesca "Cesca" Montoya, in series six of BBC One's drama, Waterloo Road . While Waterloo Road was still airing, David landed the role of legend hunter Alexia Alderton in Pixelface, a CBBC children's comedy series about six video game characters and what they do when they are not inside their games. The second series aired on 3 January 2012. [15]

David appeared on American television with a guest role on the Fox series Touch in 2012, playing Kayla Graham. On the episode she performed the song "Three Little Birds", which was then released as a soundtrack single with Wendy & Lisa by 20th Century Fox TV Records on 28 February 2012. [16]

In February 2013, David appeared in the two-part episode "Target" of the ABC TV series Castle , in the USA. David played Sara El-Masri, daughter of Egyptian tycoon, Anwar El-Masri. [17] Whilst filming these episodes, David and a stuntman were injured when the door to the moving van they were in failed to close properly. David was placed in a neck brace, while the stuntman sustained serious head injuries. [18] [19]

David has reappeared on US televisions, as "Princess Isabella Maria Lucia Elizabetta of Valencia", in the ABC television series Galavant , which premiered on 4 January 2015, for a four-week extravaganza. [17]

In 2019, David joined the cast of Fear the Walking Dead as Grace Mukherjee and stayed with the series until the start of the final season.

Music

Karen David with black hair and head on the table.jpg

David released her first single, "It's Me (You're Talking To)", in 2003, when she was signed to BMG Music. This single was a top 10 airplay hit in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. [20]

She collaborated with A. R. Rahman on the main theme song for the film Provoked in 2006. After working alongside Rahman to produce the soundtrack for this movie, she found herself back with him in his Chennai studio, in 2007, to write and record the song, "Alive". [21] The following year she released her first EP, The Live Sessions EP. [22] In 2009 she released her next EP, Magic Carpet Ride. [23]

In May 2010, David released the single "Hypnotize", along with three mixes [24] and a Hypnotize Desi Mix EP. The following year she released the album The Girl in the Pink Glasses. 20th Century Fox TV Records released "Three Little Birds", as sung by Kayla Graham (David), on Touch , on 28 February 2012.

In 2013 David released her final personal recording to-date, the EP Dust to Stars, on which she collaborated with songwriter-producers, Stefan Skarbek, Carl Ryden, Boots Ottestad, Adam Argyle and Martin Brammer. [25] Since then, she has been a member of the 2015 and 2016 cast soundtracks for Galavant .

Charity work

David is active in Designers Against Aids [26] and the SOS Children's Villages Foundation. [27]

She produced a T-shirt to raise money for ActionAid's PoverTee Day, which was auctioned off on 18 June 2010. [28] In December 2010, David released a charity Christmas EP, My Christmas List, to raise money for the housing and homelessness charity Shelter. [29]

Along with others, David painted a self-portrait to help raise funds for Face Britain, a project of The Prince's Trust Foundation. [30]

Personal life

In 2013, she married Swedish songwriter and music producer Carl Ryden, [31] at La Venta Inn in Palos Verdes Peninsula, California. [32]

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRole
2003 Bollywood Queen Neeta
2005 Batman Begins Courthouse Reporter No. 1
2006Take 3 GirlsLyla
Provoked Asha
2007 Flight of Fury Barnes's Operational Soldier Flanders
2008 The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior Layla
The Colour of Magic Liessa
2009 Couples Retreat Spa Attendant
2012 Red Lights Dana
2014 Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit Penn
2015 Amar, Akbar & Tony Meera
2016 The Tiger Hunter Ruby Iqbal
2022Land of GoldAsha
When Christmas Was YoungMelody Douglass
2024Isabel's GardenMaya
Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
2003 Holby City Eve Hotton1 episode
2004 Top Buzzer Scarlet1 episode
2009 The Legend of Dick and Dom Fairy Frampton1 episode
2010–2011 Waterloo Road Cesca MontoyaMain cast; 20 episodes (series 6)
2011 Strike Back: Project Dawn Barmaid2 episodes
2011–2012 Pixelface AlexiaMain cast; 26 episodes
2012 Touch Kayla Graham1 episode
2013 Castle Sara El-Masri2 episodes
2015–2016 Galavant Princess IsabellaMain cast
2016–2017 Once Upon a Time Princess Jasmine Recurring role; 9 episodes
2016 Cold Feet Angela Zubayr
2018 Criminal Minds Special Agent Mary Meadows2 episodes
2018–2022 Barry Sharon Lucado4 episodes
2018–2021 Legacies Emma TigRecurring role (seasons 1–2)

Guest role (seasons 3–4)

2018 Timeless Young Denise ChristopherEpisode: "The Day Reagan Was Shot"
2019–2023 Fear the Walking Dead Grace MukherjeeMain cast (seasons 5–8); 29 episodes
2019–2020 The Rookie Detective Rita Calderon2 episodes
2020–2022 Mira, Royal Detective Shilpa, Ashima and Rubi (voice)Recurring roles
2023–2024 The Irrational Rose Dinshaw5 episodes
TV/Video shorts
YearTitleRoleNotes
2002Dancers: The TrailerJenny
The Paper RoundPolice Woman
Video games
YearTitleRoleNotes
2016 Dead Rising 4 Vicky "Vick" ChuVoice role
2016 Mirror's Edge Catalyst Isabel KrugerVoice role
2024 Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Sevati DumasVoice role and performance capture [33]
Other
YearTitleRoleNotes
2003The Making of Bollywood Queen (video documentary)Herself
2005Eureka (commercial)Police Woman
2008The Making of The Scorpion King 2: The Rise of a Warrior (video documentary short)Herself

Music videos

Music videos

DateSong Title
2000 Higher and Higher on YouTube
2003It's Me (You're Talking To)
Jun 2007Alive
Jun 2009 Magic Carpet Ride on YouTube
Apr 2010 Hypnotize on YouTube
Jun 2011 Superheroes on YouTube
July 2013 Daydreamer on YouTube
Aug 2013 Dust to Stars on YouTube

Remixes/radio edits

YearSong Title
Jul 2009 Magic Carpet Ride : Radio edit on YouTube
Jul 2009 Magic Carpet Ride : Flavasia Desi Mix on YouTube
Sep 2010 Hypnotize : The Definitive Radio Mix on YouTube
Sep 2010 Hypnotize : The Almighty Mix on YouTube

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunny Leone</span> Canadian-American former pornographic actress (born 1981)

Karenjit "Karen" Kaur Vohra, known by her stage name Sunny Leone, is a Canadian American actress, model, and former pornographic actress. She was named Penthouse Pet of the Year in 2003, was a contract performer for Vivid Entertainment, and was named by Maxim as one of the 12 top porn stars in 2010. She was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonali Bendre</span> Indian actress (born 1975)

Sonali Bendre is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu films. Bendre did modelling assignments prior to making her acting debut with Aag (1994), which won her the Filmfare Award for New Face of the Year.

<i>Provoked</i> (film) 2006 British film

Provoked is a 2006 British biographical drama film, directed by Jag Mundhra. It stars Aishwarya Rai, Naveen Andrews, Miranda Richardson, Robbie Coltrane, Nandita Das and Steve McFadden. The film is loosely based on the true story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, who unintentionally killed her abusive husband.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heather Peace</span> British singer/songwriter, actress (b. 1975)

Heather Mary Peace is an English actress, singer and LGBT rights activist. She is known for her role as Nikki Boston in the BBC school-based drama series Waterloo Road from 2012 to 2014. Her other credits include Sally 'Gracie' Fields in ITV's long-running series London's Burning, Fiona Murray in Kay Mellor's drama series The Chase, Sam Murray in the BBC Scotland drama series Lip Service and Eve Unwin in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katharine McPhee</span> American singer and actress (born 1984)

Katharine Hope McPhee is an American singer and actress. In May 2006, she was the runner-up on the fifth season of American Idol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chitrangada Singh</span> Indian film actress

Chitrangda Singh is an Indian actress who works primarily in Hindi films. She made her acting debut with the crime drama Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2005). Singh went on to star in the crime thriller Yeh Saali Zindagi (2011), the romantic comedies Desi Boyz (2011) and I, Me Aur Main (2013), the financial thriller Baazaar (2018), the crime thriller Bob Biswas (2021) and the mystery thriller Gaslight (2023). She has also produced the sports drama Soorma (2018) and appeared in the romantic anthology series Modern Love Mumbai (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aditi Rao Hydari</span> Indian actress

Aditi Rao Hydari is an Indian actress who works primarily in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu films. Born into the Tyabji–Hydari family, she made her film debut with the Malayalam film Prajapathi (2006). She received attention for her roles in Delhi 6 (2009) and Yeh Saali Zindagi (2011), for which she won her first Screen Award. She subsequently appeared in Rockstar (2011), the horror film Murder 3 (2013), Boss (2013), and the thriller Wazir (2016), as well as the period drama Padmaavat (2018), which was commercially successful and earned her an IIFA Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonakshi Sinha</span> Indian actress (born 1987)

Sonakshi Sinha is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films and series. The daughter of actors and politicians Poonam and Shatrughan Sinha, she has appeared in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list from 2012 to 2017, and in 2019. She is the recipient of several accolades, including one Filmfare Award and two Zee Cine Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karen Gillan</span> Scottish actress and filmmaker (born 1987)

Karen Sheila Gillan is a Scottish actress and filmmaker. She gained recognition for her work in British film and television, particularly for playing Amy Pond, a primary companion to the Eleventh Doctor in the science fiction series Doctor Who (2010–2013). Her early film roles include the thriller Outcast (2010) and romantic comedy Not Another Happy Ending (2013). She also worked on the stage while in Britain, appearing in John Osborne's play Inadmissible Evidence (2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esha Gupta</span> Indian actress (b.1985)

Esha Gupta is an Indian actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder. She works in Hindi films. She was crowned Femina Miss India International 2007 and represented India at Miss International 2007. She made her acting debut with the crime thriller Jannat 2 (2012) receiving a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neeti Mohan</span> Indian singer

Neeti Mohan Sharma is an Indian singer. She sings mainly in Hindi films, but has also sung in Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, Punjabi and English. Born in Delhi, she was one of the winners of the Channel V's reality show Popstars, subsequently being chosen for Aasma, with other winners of the show. She rose to prominence after recording "Ishq Wala Love" for Student of the Year (2012), ultimately winning the Filmfare R. D. Burman Award for New Music Talent and was nominated for the Best Female Playback Singer for "Jiya Re" from Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shalmali Kholgade</span> Indian playback singer

Shalmali Kholgade is an Indian playback singer who predominantly sings for Bollywood films. In addition to Hindi, she has also sung in other Indian languages such as Marathi, Bengali, Telugu, and Tamil. She has received several awards including a Filmfare Award and a Filmfare Award Marathi, and has been praised for her singing style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kanika Kapoor</span> Indian singer

Kanika Kapoor is an Indian singer. She was born and raised in Lucknow. In 2012, she relocated to Mumbai to become a singer. Kapoor's first song "Jugni Ji" (2012) was for a music video–which became a commercial success. In 2014, she began her Bollywood playback singing career with the song "Baby Doll" for the film Ragini MMS 2. Upon its release, the song topped the music charts and Kapoor received wide critical acclaim and several accolades for her singing style, including the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arjun (singer)</span> Sri Lankan singer

Arjun Kumaraswamy is a British Sri Lankan singer and actor. He was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka and raised in London. He sings in English, Tamil, Sinhalese, Hindi, Punjabi, and Spanish.

<i>Shuddh Desi Romance</i> 2013 Indian romantic comedy drama film

Shuddh Desi Romance, released internationally as A Pure Desi Romance, is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy drama film directed by Maneesh Sharma and produced by Aditya Chopra. It features Sushant Singh Rajput, Parineeti Chopra, and Vaani Kapoor in lead roles. This film marks the debut of Vaani Kapoor. The story, set in Jaipur, Rajasthan, explores the views of the younger generation on commitment, live-in relationships and arranged marriages as compared to love marriages in small town India. It screened in the Gala Presentation section of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. Upon release, the film received positive reviews from critics with high praise for Chopra, Rajput, and Kapoor's performances, and was declared a hit in India by Box Office India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaani Kapoor</span> Indian actress (b. 1988)

Vaani Kapoor is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. After completing a bachelor's degree in tourism studies, she made her acting debut with Yash Raj Films' romantic comedy film Shuddh Desi Romance (2013), for which she received the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonita Gandhi</span> Canadian singer

Jonita Gandhi is a Canadian singer known for her work in the Indian film and music industries. She has recorded songs predominantly in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu ,languages with few in Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali. Some of her most acclaimed songs include "The Breakup Song", "Mental Manadhil". She is also well known for her YouTube presence. Her singing debut started through Chennai Express in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shashaa Tirupati</span> Canadian singer (born 1989)

Shashaa Kiran Tirupati is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and music producer known for her work in the Indian film and music industries. Popularly known as "The Humma Girl", in 2018, she won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer, as well as the Filmfare Award for the Tamil song "Vaan Varuvaan" from Kaatru Veliyidai. Tirupati has recorded songs in over 20+ languages including: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Punjabi, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Konkani, Arabic, and English with more than 200 songs to her credit as a vocalist.

<i>Galavant</i> American television series

Galavant is an American musical fantasy comedy television series, created and written by Dan Fogelman, with music and lyrics by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater. Fogelman, Menken and Slater also serve as executive producers alongside Chris Koch, Kat Likkel and John Hoberg. Joshua Sasse stars as the titular character, and is joined by principal cast members Timothy Omundson, Vinnie Jones, Mallory Jansen, Karen David, and Luke Youngblood. Jansen described Galavant as "the bastard child of Monty Python and The Princess Bride."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mallory Jansen</span> Australian actress

Mallory Jansen is an Australian actress and model. She is best known for playing Aida / Ophelia / Madame Hydra in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

References

  1. ↑ David, Karen [@KarenDavid] (23 March 2011). "@S471M Shenaz is my middle name. :)" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2021– via Twitter.
  2. ↑ Karen David [@KarenDavid] (15 April 2010). "TEAM KD - hey it is Karen David's birthday today!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017– via Twitter.
  3. ↑ Christie, Janet (10 September 2016). "Karen David on joining established cast of Cold Feet". The Scotsman . Edinburgh, Scotland. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017. Born in Shillong, India in 1979, to a Chinese-Khasi mother and Indian father, David was brought up in Toronto.
  4. ↑ "The 7 Most Exciting Newcomers on TV This Season". Elle . United States. 7 January 2015. Archived from the original on 9 January 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2017. Karen David, 35...
  5. ↑ "Karen David Interview". Femalefirst.co.uk. 16 June 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Karen David goes from Waterloo Road to exotic pop." Wandsworth Guardian. UK. 17 September 2010. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2014. ...Karen David, 31.
  7. ↑ "Waterloo Road star Karen David on blockbusters, bullies and Bollywood". London Evening Standard . 11 April 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  8. ↑ jaymie (18 June 2007). "Multi Talented Karen David is Provoked". asiancemagazine.com. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  9. ↑ Dattani, Meera (2003). "BritishAsian Films". close-upfilm.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  10. ↑ "Bollywood Queen". Mubi. 2002. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  11. ↑ Hainsworth, Jay (19 August 2008). "Babe of the Day: Karen David". IGN . Archived from the original on 14 February 2012.
  12. ↑ Sciarretto, Amy (19 August 2008). "Karen David of 'The Scorpion King 2'". Artistdirect. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008.
  13. ↑ Hoffman, Jordan (18 August 2008). "Karen David Fights!". UGO Networks. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  14. ↑ Kirkland, Bruce (18 August 2008). "Scorpion King 2 interview". Jam! . Archived from the original on 15 January 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  15. ↑ "Pixelface | Episodes | Series 2". British Comedy Guide . Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  16. ↑ Karen David, Wendy & Lisa (28 February 2012). Touch-"Three Little Birds" (YouTube). Fox Broadcasting. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  17. 1 2 "[main page]". Karen David Official Website. Archived from the original on 14 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  18. ↑ Jeffery, Morgan (15 January 2013). "'Waterloo Road' actress Karen David lands 'Castle' role". Digital Spy . Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  19. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (25 January 2013). "Update: Seriously Injured 'Castle' Stuntman Slowly Improving". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  20. ↑ "Karen David". Tubelyrics.org. 15 April 1979. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  21. ↑ "DesiMag - Exclusive - Karen David - Magic Carpet Ride". www.desimag.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 March 2011.
  22. ↑ "Karen David releases The Live Sessions EP | channelAPA.com". www.channelapa.com. Archived from the original on 7 September 2011.
  23. ↑ "KAREN DAVID MAGIC CARPET RIDE OFFICIAL HIGH QUALITY RADIO EDIT | Video Youtube - NMETV Latest Music Videos and Clips | - NME.COM". www.nme.com. Archived from the original on 1 May 2013.
  24. ↑ "Karen David set to 'Hypnotize' fans in BBC's Waterloo Road". SimplyBhangra.com. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  25. ↑ Akeela Bhattay (6 September 2013). "Dust to Stars | In Conversation With Brit/Canadian Talent, Karen David". HuffPost. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  26. ↑ "New Friend of DAA: Karen David". Designers Against AIDS. Archived from the original on 5 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  27. ↑ "Karen David's Charity Pledge". Thamarai.com. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  28. ↑ "Karen David | Fashionista Barbie". Fashionistabarbieuk.com. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  29. ↑ "Karen David set to release her new EP My Christmas List – Desi-Box.com | News, Music Videos, Interviews, Bollywood, Bhangra, Urban". Desi-Box.com. 13 December 2010. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  30. ↑ "Karen David". Face Britain. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  31. ↑ "CARL RYDEN". pittbuhl.com. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  32. ↑ "Exclusive interview: actress Karen David chats to HELLO! Online about her wedding". Hello! . 18 July 2013.
  33. ↑ KarenDavid (10 June 2024). "Hey lovelies. To answer your questions, I can confirm that I'm in the new @CallofDuty #BLACKOPS6 game as a new main character alongside some stellar characters and the talent behind them! 🙏🏾🙌🏾 Here's the new trailer reveal. Guys… be still my beating heart. It's so f***'in epic! Cannot wait for you guys to see and play this game. It takes a huge village of talent in all departments to make this possible. This has been such a thrilling adventure. More news to come in the lead up to October 25th release. 💟🙏🏾🎮". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 11 June 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.