Born:
July 06, 1966
in
Brighton
Best Known For:
Playing Milly in This Life.
Early-life:
Amita Emmanuelle Dhiri was born Brighton on July 6, 1966. She has two younger brothers, Viney and Sanjay. Her mother is French and her father is a Ugandan Indian who was expelled from the country by Idi Amin. She speaks fluent French, took singing and dancing lessons from an early age, and is proficient in ballet and modern dance. Before studying at the London Drama Centre, she sang in a cabaret group, doing Tina Turner impressions.
Career:
Started out in theatre, most notably in Twelfth Night in Bedford. Her first TV appearance was as Milly in 1996's This Life. The drama about young lawyers became a huge hit and she, along with co-stars Daniela Nardini, Jack Davenport and Andrew Lincoln, were hailed as part of an exciting new generation of British actors. She says: "Milly has helped me win roles that aren't written with Asian actresses in mind. But it's always going to be difficult to get equal treatment." Dhiri then took guest roles in Casualty and McCallum, before going back to the stage. In 1999, she returned to TV in nuclear disaster drama The Last Train. More recently, she has starred in Silent Witness, Judge John Deed, Holby City, The Bill and Talking to the Dead.
Quote:
On This Life: "Swearing, drinking, an affair - it was a big risk for an Asian actress. Had the show bombed, it would have been hard to escape with any credibility."
Trivia:
After college, Dhiri's first job was with a man who wanted to make a Hindi version of Grease.