Summer Bishil
| Summer Bishil | |
|---|---|
 Bishil in 2005 |
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| Born | Summer Yasmine Bishil July 17, 1988 Pasadena, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2005–present |
Summer Yasmine Bishil (born July 17, 1988) is an American actress. She first came to prominence for her role as Jasira in the 2007 film Towelhead. She has been chosen to portray Azula in the sequel to M. Night Shyamalan's film The Last Airbender.[1]
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[edit] Early life
Bishil was born in Pasadena, California and is the youngest of three children. Her mother is a European American, and her father is a Saudi Arabian national of Indian heritage. In 1991, when Bishil was three years old, the family moved to Saudi Arabia, later relocating to Bahrain, where she and her older brother attended Bahrain School.[2]
The family returned to California in 2002,[3] where she completed an independent study program for high school. She stated that the return was not easy: "I initially had some tough times trying to assimilate. It really makes you think about who you are and where you’re at.”[4]
[edit] Career
Bishil started acting lessons at age 14. Within a year, she was signed to a contract with a manager and agency. Bishil's first role was on the short-lived Nickelodeon television show Just for Kicks, followed by appearances in several other children's shows before her break-through performance as the lead in Alan Ball's film, Towelhead in 2006, an adaptation of the novel of the same name.
Slate critic Dana Stevens said that "Her performance is the truest thing in a movie that, for all its good intentions, feels thoroughly phony and mildly embarrassing, like an extended PSA about inappropriate touching."[5] Bob Strauss, who writes for several Los Angeles newspapers, states that Bishil, "...is one of the finest natural film actresses to emerge in years."[citation needed] Gary Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times in a September 12 review of the movie Towelhead, stated that, "...newcomer Summer Bishil turns in a gutsy, quietly riveting performance as Jasira."[citation needed]
In 2007, she filmed Wayne Kramer's project, Crossing Over, starring Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta and Ashley Judd.
[edit] Awards and recognition
[edit] Won
- 2008 - Young Hollywood Awards, One to Watch: Towelhead[6]
[edit] Nominated
- 2008 - Independent Spirit Awards, Best Actress: Towelhead[7]
[edit] Other honors
- 2007 - Variety listed as one of the Best 10 Actors To Watch.[8]
- 2008 - Vanity Fair listed her in their Young Hollywood portfolio.[9]
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Days of Our Lives | Stacey | 1 episode |
| 2006 | Just for Kicks | Stacey | Episode: "Premiere Episode: Part 2" |
| 2006 | Drake & Josh | Tabitha | Episode: "Josh Runs Into Oprah" |
| 2006 | Hannah Montana | Rachel | Episode: "Good Golly, Miss Dolly" |
| 2006 | Return to Halloweentown | Aneesa | TV movie |
| 2007 | Towelhead | Jasira Maroun | |
| 2009 | Crossing Over | Taslima Jahangir | |
| 2009 | Three Rivers | Karen Rollins | Episode: "Good Intentions" |
| 2010 | Mooz-lum | Iman | |
| 2010 | Public Relations | Sara | |
| 2010 | The Last Airbender | Azula | |
| 2010 | The Whole Truth | Michelle Penner | Episode: "Young Love" |
| 2011 | Lip Service | Priscilla | |
| 2011 | 90210 | Leila Shirazi | Recurring role |
| 2011 | The Last Airbender 2: Earth | Azula |
[edit] References
- ^ Princess Azula Revealed At Last
- ^ Jones, Michael, "Summer Bishil; 'Nothing is Private' starlet living the dream", Daily Variety, October 19, 2007
- ^ "Arabian business.com". http://www.arabianbusiness.com/524069-gulf-girl-makes-it-big-in-hollywood. Retrieved 2008-07-21.
- ^ [1] "Summer Bishil" - Flaunt Magazine - By Drew Tewksbury - July 2008
- ^ Stevens, Dana (September 12, 2008). "Towelhead; It's no fun being a sexually curious, biracial teenager in Houston.". Slate. http://www.slate.com/id/2200029/. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
- ^ Hollywood Life, Volume XIX, No. 1 Spring 2008. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
- ^ "Salon.com". http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/btm/feature/2008/12/04/goth_spirits/. Retrieved 2008-12-08.
- ^ Summer Bishil: 10 Actors to Watch. Variety (magazine), Oct 19 2007. Retrieved July 17, 2008.
- ^ "Hollywood's New Wave" Vanity Fair (magazine), August 2008. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
