Nazneen Contractor (born August 26, 1982) is an Indian-born Canadian actress best known for her roles in The Border and 24.
Early Life[]
Nazneen Contractor was born in Mumbai, India, and raised in Nigeria until the age of seven. She attended boarding school in London before her family relocated to Toronto, Canada, where she spent most of her childhood and young adulthood. In Toronto, Contractor excelled in academics and trained as a classical ballerina. She attended the Etobicoke School of the Arts, a specialized public arts high school, where she danced and studied theater.
Career[]
At age 16, Contractor decided to pursue a professional acting career. Upon graduating from high school, she accepted a full scholarship to the University of Toronto, where she pursued a Master's Degree in Theatre and a double major in Psychology and Sociology. After one year at University, Contractor went to an open call audition for the play Pericles at the prestigious, world-renowned Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario and landed the lead role. She received critical acclaim for her work in the 92 shows performed, and the play was voted the #1 production of the year by Canadian critics in 2002.
Contractor was offered the opportunity to enroll in Stratford's conservatory program, where a select eight men and four women are accepted for a 20-week crash course on classical theater, which she eagerly accepted. She was guaranteed a spot in the next season of plays and landed the role of Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
In 2005, she landed a role in a FOX pilot by Anthony Hines. When the pilot was not picked up, Contractor returned to school and finished her education. While securing her degrees, she booked a role in The Border, a Canadian drama for CBC. She starred as Layla Hourani for 26 episodes, and the series aired worldwide. The role also garnered her a Golden Nymph Award at The Montecarlo Television Festival in 2008.
In 2009, Contractor landed the role of Kayla Hassan in 21 episodes of the FOX series 24. Meanwhile, Contractor's feature film credits include Lionsgate's horror thriller Seance: The Summoning, which earned her an award for Best Supporting Actress at WorldFest Houston in 2012.
Personal Life[]
After The Border finished production in 2009, Contractor relocated to Los Angeles and married British-born actor Carlo Rota on April 1, 2010. They have a son and a daughter.
Filmography[]
Films[]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | We R Friends | |
| 2008 | Thursday Market | Mariyah |
| 2011 | Seance: The Summoning | Eva |
| 2013 | Star Trek: Into Darkness | Rima Harewood |
| Reel Life | Maddy | |
| 2014 | Parts Per Billion | Justine Prest |
| 2017 | Roman J. Israel, Esq. | Melina Nassour |
| 2021 | Trigger Point | Janice Carmichael |
| Spiral | Chada |
Television Series[]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Starhunter | Ire |
| 2001 | Relic Hunters | Princess Alia |
| 2002-2003 | Street Time | Jasmine / Goldstein's Female Friend |
| 2008 | The Border | Sergeant Layla Hourani |
| 2010 | Rules of Engagement | Suneetha |
| 24 | Kayla Hassan | |
| Lone Star | Sarah | |
| 2011 | The Paul Reiser Show | Kuma D'Bu |
| 2012 | XIII: The Series | Elsy |
| Last Resort | Reena Kapur | |
| 2013-2014 | Revenge | Jessica Roche |
| 2014 | Bones | Sari Nazeri |
| Person of Interest | Maria Martinez | |
| Covert Affairs | Sydney | |
| 2015 | Scorpion | Sima |
| Castle | Layla Nasif | |
| Stalker | Adele Marshall | |
| Satisfaction | ||
| 2015-2016 | Heroes Reborn | Farah Nazan |
| 2016 | The Carmichael Show | Fahmida |
| Chicago P.D. | Dawn Harper | |
| 2017 | Major Crimes | Nancy Ryan |
| 2017-2018 | Stretch Armstrong & the Flex Fighters | Rita Dashti / Blindstrike / Little Girl / Nurse / Dr. Isha Dashti / Stuffy Judge / Riya Dashti / Guest / Museum PA Announcer / Female Tech / Mrs. Bayers / Cheerleader #2 |
| 2018 | Hawaii Five-0 | Emma Warren |
| 2019 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Nahla Nasar |
| Mickey and the Roadster Racers | Daavan Dutt / Additional Voices | |
| 2017-2019 | Ransom | Zara Hallam |
| 2018-2020 | Star Wars: Resistance | Synara San |
| 2019-2020 | The Loud House | Ruby |
| 2020 | The Expanse | Ashanti |
| 2021 | Stillwater | Queen Tortoise / Hedgehog Guest #1 |
| 2022 | FreakAngels | Sirrka |
| Letterkenny | Professor Tricia | |
| Charmed | Inara | |
| 2022-2023 | Children Ruin Everything | Dawn |
Television Films[]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Matthew Shepard Story | Shima |
| 2006 | The Papdits | Sita Papdit |
| 2008 | Othello: The Tragedy of the Moor | Bianca |
| 2010 | Love Letters | Melissa |
| 2012 | Pegasus vs. Chimera | Princess Philony |
| 2015 | The 46 Percenters | Kiri |
| 2017 | Tiny House of Terror | Jackie |
| 2020 | The Christmas Ring | Kendra Adams |
| 2021 | A Winter Getaway | Courtney |
| 2022 | The Perfect Pairing | Cristina |
| Scentsational Christmas | Ellie |
Video Games[]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Dying Light | Jade / Additional Voices |
| 2023 | MythForce | Maggie |
Trivia[]
- Nazneen Contractor's husband, Carlo Rota, played Charles Salomon in Saw V.
Gallery[]
External Links[]
Nazneen Contractor at the Internet Movie Database
Nazneen Contractor on Twitter
Nazneen Contractor on Instagram