Canadian actress Emmanuelle Chriqui turns 32 today. She has appeared on both television and in cinema. Her roles on HBO's 'Entourage' as Sloan McQuewick, 'You Don't Mess with the Zohan' as Dalia Hakbarah, Unscripted as herself, along with two appearances on The O.C. as Jodie, have increased her visibility and exposure in the entertainment world. (Text: Wikipedia)
Canadian actress Emmanuelle Chriqui turns 32 today. She has appeared on both television and in cinema. Her roles on HBO's 'Entourage' as Sloan McQuewick, 'You Don't Mess with the Zohan' as Dalia Hakbarah, Unscripted as herself, along with two appearances on The O.C. as Jodie, have increased her visibility and exposure in the entertainment world. (Text: Wikipedia)
In May 2006, Maxim magazine named her no. 37 in its annual Hot 100 list. (Text: Wikipedia, Picture Courtesy: GQ magazine)
Chriqui was born in Montreal, Quebec, the daughter of Moroccan Jewish immigrants. Her mother was born in Casablanca and her father in Rabat. Chriqui has relatives in Israel and her family practiced Orthodox Judaism in the Sephardic tradition. (Text: Wikipedia, Picture Courtesy: King magazine)
Chriqui has an older brother, Serge, and an older sister, Laurence. When she was almost two, her family moved to Toronto, Ontario. She grew up in Markham-Unionville, a suburb northeast of the city. (Text: Wikipedia, Picture Courtesy: GQ magazine)
As a child, she took acting classes, for which her older brother paid. Chriqui attended the drama program at Unionville High School. After high school, Emmanuelle decided to pursue a career in acting. (Text: Wikipedia)
Chriqui began acting as a 10-year-old in a McDonald's commercial. She moved to Vancouver in the mid-90s, guest-starring in series such as 'Are You Afraid of the Dark?', 'Forever Knight', 'Once a Thief', and 'Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal'. (Text: Wikipedia)
Her first Hollywood role was as a supporting character in 'Detroit Rock City' (1999). Chriqui next shot scenes for three major film and television productions – Steven Spielberg's 'A.I.' (2001), Todd Solondz's 'Storytelling' (2001), and the series 'Manchester Prep' (1999). In all three cases, Chriqui's scenes were left on the cutting room floor, though her footage was used in the trailer for 'Cruel Intentions 2,' which became the final repository for the 'Manchester Prep' project. (Text: Yahoo! Movies)
Despite these setbacks, Chriqui soldiered on and began paying her dues in a string of largely forgettable theatrical releases, including the grim 'On the Line' (2001), starring 'N SYNC's Lance Bass and Joey Fatone, as well as the wretched horror flick 'Wrong Turn' (2003). (Text: Yahoo! Movies, Picture Courtesy: GQ/King magazine )
In 2005, she witnessed a turn in fortune in regard to the quality of her projects – an appearance as herself on HBO's short-lived improvisational series 'Unscripted' (2005) was followed by a two-episode turn on 'The O.C.,' and roles in four motion pictures, including the little-seen comedy 'Waiting...' with Ryan Reynolds, and 'In the Mix,' which starred R&B sensation Usher (in an amusing scene from the latter, Chriqui is seen giving him dance lessons). (Text: Yahoo! Movies)
She starred opposite Cameron Douglas in the movie 'National Lampoon's Adam & Eve' and played the sexy virgin character of Eve. One of her more recent parts was in the film 'You Don't Mess with the Zohan', where she played a Palestinian immigrant living in New York, who is the star's (Adam Sandler) love interest. (Text: Wikipedia)
When Chriqui returned to HBO the second time, it was for a much more auspicious occasion – to join Mark Wahlberg's Hollywood series 'Entourage' in a recurring role as Sloan Mackewich, daughter to Malcolm McDowell's Terence Mackewich, nemesis of agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven). (Text: Yahoo! Movies)
Initially targeted by lothario lead Vince (Adrian Grenier), Sloan took a shine to his friend and manager Eric (Kevin Connolly) and introduced a little happiness into his high-pressure life (as well as a touch of sin after she indulged him in a threesome with her best friend Tori, played by Malin Akerman). (Text: Yahoo! Movies)
Chriqui was nominated for a Best Actress DVD Exclusive Award for her performance in '100 Girls' and was nominated, with Lance Bass, for a Choice Liplock Teen Choice Award in On the Line. Recently, she won the Standout Performance Trophy at the Young Hollywood Awards. (Text: Wikipedia)
With the success of her 'Entourage' gig, Chriqui landed two feature films, including the 'Body Heat'-inspired 'Deceit,' in which she tackles the femme fatale role, and the comedy 'Patriotville,' in which she co-stars with fellow up-and-comer, Justin Long. (Text: Yahoo! Movies)
Chriqui also starred in Hinder's 'Lips of an Angel' music video as well as in the Zac Brown Band's 'Whatever It Is' music video. She threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Los Angeles Dodgers game on June 8, 2008. Chriqui was on the cover of the Autumn 2008 issue of Naked Eye. (Text: Wikipedia)
She acted in music Biographical film 'Cadillac Records' (2008) as Revett Chess, where the film performed with the singer and actress Beyoncé Knowles. Chriqui will be seen in 2009 as one of several women whose lives interconnect in the comedy 'Women in Trouble' and will appear in its sequel, 'Elektra Luxx', its release in 2010. (Text: Wikipedia)
Chriqui has a boyfriend who works as an architect and whom she has been dating for several years. Chriqui is also applying for American citizenship, according to an interview on the The Tony Danza Show.(Text: Wikipedia)
She has been ranked #66 on AIM's 100 Hottest Brunettes list (2009), #6 on FHM Online's 100 Sexiest Women in the World list (2008), #40 on AskMen.com's Top 99 Most Desirable Women (2008), #81 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2007 list and #90 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women In The World" (2002).
Chriqui is bilingual and speaks both English and French. She is an alumna of the Arts York Drama Program at Unionville High School, a school that specializes in the creative arts. (Text: IMDb)
Chriqui speak: "I was outside of myself going: 'Whoa, that was kind of sexy."
Chriqui speak: "I play a girl named Jordie in bed with my ex-boyfriend. We both have new partners, and the conversation is just like 'What am I doing here?' and why the relationship never worked out."
Chriqui speak: "As my career progresses, I just hope that I can do roles and do things that I can really sink my teeth into and really step up to challenges that I dream of."
Chriqui speak: (on Judaism) "You know I grew up with the same holidays and such, in an Orthodox manner, in a Kosher home, and all of that. And those are strict rules to live by that I think really shape your personality and discipline. I think they definitely, whether I knew it at the time or not, subconsciously it definitely seeped in to just create a good balance."
Chriqui speak: (on what she does in her down time) "Generally, when I'm in L.A. and I'm not working, I'll read a script, wake up in the morning, do my exercises, call a friend, go to breakfast, pedicure, manicure. That's during the down time, which is amazing."
Chriqui speak: (on her celebrity inspirations) "Well, of course the great Meryl Streep. I have a handful of actresses that I absolutely look up to like Cate Blanchett and Kate Winslet. I'm a huge Christina Ricci fan. I think as a young actress she's made such great choices. There's young actresses like Kirsten Dunst and Reese Witherspoon that have made amazing choices in their career and create this longevity - like you know they're going to be around for a long, long time and make movies that matter."
Chriqui speak: (on 'Entourage') "You know, Entourage is the biggest surprise of my career. It's never really been my dream to be on a TV series. But every pilot season, my agent wants me to do something. So this time I said, Okay, look, if I do television, I want to do an HBO show."
Chriqui speak: (on love at first sight) "I think love is something you really grow into. But I believe that you can see somebody and really have the desire to get to know them."
Chriqui speak: (on if being called sexy by a magazine is strange) "Yeah, it absolutely is, because sexy is completely hair, makeup, lighting. Let me tell you, when they're seeing me first thing in the morning, they're not calling me sexy. But perceptions are different for everybody."
Chriqui speak:(on the threesome on 'Entourage') "We were a lot more nervous going into it. But then, you know, you saw it, it was really tame. It was really important to Doug (Ellin, the creator/executive producer) that it stayed classy, tasteful and innocent. I think that's what makes it so funny and why it worked so well. There was some nervous laughing beforehand, but once the cameras started rolling, we got to work."
Chriqui speak: (on her chemistry with 'Entourage' co-star Kevin Connelly) "Like I believe…you know, we met and we shared this journey together but I believe we'll be friends for a long, long, long, long, long time to come. So it was always very easy with him."
