Sexy Lisa Ray at Oscars

Born to a Polish mother and a Bengali father, Lisa Ray grew up in Toronto, Canada. Her first taste of fame, however, came thousands of miles away in her ancestral home of India. It was while visiting relatives that 16-year-old Lisa was discovered by a prominent fashion photographer.

Within months, she was appearing on magazine covers and working as a spokesmodel for various products. Her immediate success was impressive, but Lisa never felt completely at home sashaying down a runway. "I'm not very tall, I don't have the height and somehow I just never gelled with it," she confesses.

Hungering for change, she made the jump to the big screen, starring in the films Kasoor (2001) and Takkari Donga (2002). Lisa then returned to Toronto to film Bollywood/Hollywood (2002). The romantic comedy was a huge crossover success in India and North America, and The Toronto Film Festival honored Lisa with its prestigious "Star of the Future" award.

Since then, Lisa has appeared in the films Arrangement (2004) and Water (2005), and will star in the upcoming Seeking Fear and Quarter Life Crisis.

Lisa is also an avid writer and hopes to become a novelist. To date, she has contributed articles to many publications, including Cosmopolitan magazine and The Indian Express.