Emmanuelle_Chriqui

Emmanuelle Chriqui

Emmanuelle Sophie Anne Chriqui (born December 10, 1977) is a Canadian actress who has appeared on both television and the big screen. Her roles on HBO's Entourage as Sloan and as Dalia Hakbarah, the Palestinian hair stylist and love interest to the title character in You Don't Mess With The Zohan and Unscripted as herself, along with two appearances on The O.C. as Jodie, have increased her visibility and exposure in the entertainment world. In May of 2006, Maxim magazine named her no. 37 in its annual Hot 100 list.

Biography

Early life

Chriqui (pronounced similar to shreeky) 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 was raised in Sephardi Orthodox Judaism.

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 Unionville, Markham, a suburb northeast of the city. 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.

Career

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. Her first Hollywood role was as a supporting character in Detroit Rock City (1999). Chriqui later appeared in several movies such as 100 Girls, On the Line, and In the Mix. She starred opposite Cameron Douglas in the movie Adam And 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.

While her film career was taking off, she still had time to do television. She appeared in the hit show Entourage playing Sloan McQuewick and played a sexy extra in the show Unscripted. Chriqui has also guest starred in several other television shows.

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. She threw the first pitch at a Los Angeles Dodger game on June 8, 2008.

Chriqui will be seen in 2009 as one of several women whose lives interconnect in the comedy Women In Trouble.

Personal life

Chriqui has a boyfriend who works as an architect and whom she has been dating for five years. Chriqui is, according to an interview on the The Tony Danza Show, also applying for American citizenship.