Archie Punjabi won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role on The Good Wife.
Panjabi`s dazzling portrayal of a law firm`s in-house private investigator in the hit CBS show The Good Wife swept aside Mad Men`s Elisabeth Moss and Christina Hendricks, who were surely odds-on to win.
The role of Kalinda in The Good Wife is perfect for Panjabi: she is totally fearless in her figure-hugging clothes, stiletto boots and soft, expensive leather jackets. She wears her hair up, stands very straight and scares most of the people who come into contact with her. She is contained, emotionally remote and sexually ambiguous.
The great thing about Panjabi is that she doesn`t rely on her considerable beauty. She can do comedy – she had fun with roles in East is East and Bend It Like Beckham - but is a serious character actor. She is able to lose herself in different roles yet is always commanding on screen - even alongside Angelina Jolie in A Mighty Heart.
Off screen, Panjabi is a little shy and learning slowly to shed her British modesty whereas Kalinda is feisty as hell. But there`s a steeliness and a determination to succeed that they share.
'I knew what I wanted to do for my entire life, from nursery to university. I`ve always been geared towards wanting to act. I`ve stuck with it, dedicated time to it. So if that makes me ambitious, then the answer is yes.'
I`d love to do a romantic comedy. And perhaps, if the character was right and I had a good gut instinct, a Bollywood movie. And I`d love to direct.