Lisa Ray

Born of a Bengali father and Polish mother in Toronto, Lisa Ray has had an acclaimed, expansive, and serendipitous career in the entertainment arts beginning in India in 1991 and spanning multiple countries and including film (Oscar nominated Water), television (Top Chef Canada), and modeling (video for Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s ‘Afreen Afreen’). Her entrepreneurial activities include starting her own yoga studio and a line of ethical perfume. When diagnosed with a rare blood cancer in 2009, she chose to publicly share her experiences in a blog called ‘The Yellow Diaries’ which led to her first book. A lifelong activist, she has become a high-profile advocate for Cancer Awareness and Wellness through public talks and writing. Her poetry explores themes derived from an identity-bending, nomadic experience, the culmination of a life of no fixed address. Lisa’s upcoming acting releases include A.R. Rahman’s first production, ’99 Songs’ to premiere at the Busan Film Festival in October 2019, and season two of the International Emmy-nominated original Amazon series, ‘4 Shots More Please’. Lisa recently announced the birth of her twin daughters via surrogacy as a way to normalize fertility options and choices for others. Her memoir, Close to the Bone, was published to acclaim in May 2019 in India, and she subsequently signed a three-book deal with her publisher, Harper Collins India.