Parminder Kaur Nagra (born 5 October 1975) is a British film and television actress, known for playing Jess in the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham, Dr. Neela Rasgotra in the NBC medical drama ER from 2003 to 2009 and Dr. Lucy Banerjee in the short-lived Fox science fiction drama Alcatraz in 2012. In 2013, she had a recurring role as Rachel in the USA Network police comedy-drama Psych, and from 2013 to 2014, she starred as Meera Malik in the NBC crime drama The Blacklist.
British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer, Teen Choice Award for Choice TV: Breakout Star Female, European Film Audience Award for Best Actress
Movies
Bend It Like Beckham, Twelfth Night, or What You Will, Second Generation, Ella Enchanted, Batman: Gotham Knight, Compulsion, In Your Dreams, Horrid Henry: The Movie, Twenty8k, Football Shootball Hai Rabba!
TV Shows
Alcatraz, The Whole Truth, ER, Always and Everyone, The Blacklist
Star Sign
Libra
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Quote
1
On arranged marriage: When I was 18 my mother gave me a photo of a man and said I'd marry him. I told her then I was never going to have an arranged marriage. No one has ever forced me to do anything against my will. (2009)
2
On her first sex scene in Compulsion (2008): I always said I'd never do a nude scene but now I have. I know there will be a huge fuss when "Compulsion" comes out. It's partly because of the fact I'm Asian. People don't expect me to do that. I never expected myself to do that. I always said 'No' and then, finally, I reached a point where I thought, 'It's now or never'. My mum will probably disapprove but I'll deal with that. I'm old enough now to make decisions like this (2009).
3
About her biggest fashion disaster: When I was 13, I was really into Madonna. I'd wear leggings, short skirts, big blouses, big belts, a pearl choker, big earrings, bracelets - I was a mess. I thought I was a mini- Madonna (2007).
4
When asked who was the better kisser on ER (1994): "All my cast-mates want to know that! They were both special in their own way [laughs]. John and his stubble gave me a rash. With Shane, it was more gentle and smooth. The funniest moment was directly after kissing Shane, we were eating Chinese food and drinking coffee. Then we shot more kissing scenes; we had mints on hand!" (2007).
5
"I love cooking. I couldn't do any of these L.A. diets because I love my Indian food too much. If there was a Zone diet that included Indian food, maybe I'd do it...I should invent it!" (2007)
6
About David Beckham and Victoria Beckham moving to L.A.: "It's so funny that people think that we would naturally be hanging out. No, not happening! I met them once, and they were lovely. I think it's kind of inevitable that they would end up here. I was like, "Wow, he's getting paid quite a lot of money!" (2007).
7
When asked if people still ask her about her film Bend It Like Beckham (2002): Yeah, I met somebody at a party and they were like, "Which one of the two girls were you?" I said, "I was the brown one! (2007).
8
About wanting children: "Yes. I don't want to be an old mother. I think five years is about right." (2007)
9
When asked about her marriage plans for the future: "Not yet. My theory right now is that if it ain't broke...! I'm not going to leave it too long, but not just yet. There are a few things that I still want to do. And it's so much hassle trying to plan a wedding [laughts]. I just want it to be perfect." (2007)
10
The top question I always get is, "What was it like to kiss Jonathan Rhys Meyers, you lucky cow?" What can I say? He was great to kiss. Good lips. It was embarrassing, actually. The first time we had that kissing scene, I actually forgot my lines, I got so lost in it. "There was silence all around me and I thought 'Why is everything so quiet?' I looked around and then said, 'Oh, it's me, isn't it?'" (on kissing Rhys-Meyers in Bend It Like Beckham (2002))
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Fact
1
Filed for divorce from her husband of 3 years James Stenson [February 1, 2012].
2
Gave birth to her first child at age 33, a son Kai David Singh Stenson on May 19, 2009. Child's father is her ex-husband, James Stenson.
3
On 11 July 2007 she was awarded an Honorary DLitt (Doctor of Letters) from Leicester University. Leicester is her home town.
4
A portrait of Nagra, painted by Stuart Pearson Wright, hangs in London's National Portrait Gallery.
5
In Bend It Like Beckham (2002), her character Jess' scar was actually not part of the original script. It was added in based on a real scar Nagra has on her leg. Her pants caught fire when she was young, she was placed in a tub of water so the fabric stuck to the skin. When the fabric was removed it pulled a great deal of skin with it, causing the scarring.
6
Her breakthrough crossover role in America and the United Kingdom was Bend It Like Beckham (2002), which was a big box-office hit.
7
She has three younger siblings.
8
Her father is a bookkeeper and her mother works in a factory.
9
Her parents emigrated from India to the UK in the '60s.
$1.5 Million
