Emmy Award-winning actress continues to flourish in Hollywood.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: The upcoming disaster film, San Andreas, has added Indian-origin actress Archie Panjabi to its growing cast, which is already headlines by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Panjabi, 41, is best known for her Emmy Award-winning work on the CBS drama “The Good Wife,” in which she plays private investigator Kalinda Sharma. Panjabi has also had small roles in some high-profile films over the last decade, including Bend it Like Beckham and The Constant Gardener. Originally from Britain, Panjabi was born Archana Punjabi To Sindhi Hindu parents, Govind and Padma. She is classically trained in ballet, and has a degree in management studies from Brunel University in Uxbridge, London.
Her latest film, San Andreas, is set to be the first 3D earthquake film ever made, and is set for release in the summer of 2015. The film will follow the character played by Johnson, a firefighter with the Los Angeles Fire Department, as he races against time to save as many civilians as possible from a cataclysmic earthquake. The film’s cast also include Alexandra Daddario, of HBO’s recent hit series “True Detective.” Panjabi’s role in the film is that of a reporter, who is covering the 10.0-magnitude earthquake that threatens to level L.A.
Her addition to the film continues a professional hot streak Panjabi has been on since she joined “The Good Wife” in 2009. In addition to the accolades she’s received from that show, including the 2010 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Panjabi has received recognition from other industry organizations. Earlier this year, she was nominated for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Award.
By co-starring with Johnson, Panjabi will achieve a new level of exposure that she previously has not attained. Johnson has starred in several hit films over the last few years, including the two most recent Fast & Furious pictures the G.I. Joe franchise. Last year, Forbes Magazine ranked him as the most bankable star of the year, with his three 2013 releases grossing a total of nearly $1.2 billion.
San Andreas will hit theaters on June 5, 2015. The film is directed by Brad Peyton, and co-written by Carey and Chad Hayed (The Conjuring).