Dilshad Vadsaria is originally from Karachi, an industrial seaport that is Pakistan's largest city. Keeping with tradition, Dilshad was raised in the home of her paternal grandfather where her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all lived, together, under one roof.

"My grandmother [maternal], would lower a bucket for the delivery man to deliver meat, milk and other groceries. When I would go visit…I lived just a few buildings over… she would lower the bucket and I would jump in and she would pull me up, too. It was a fun world for a little girl to grow up in."

While still a small child, the family moved to Chicago.

"I loved the snow, which I had never seen before, and I especially loved school where they had crayons, construction paper and glue … we didn't have any of that at my school in Pakistan."

During her teenage years, the family had moved to Richmond, VA and looking back, Dilshad remembers those as tough years.

"Those years were just awkward. I think everyone goes through it and I did as well, in my own way. I don't miss those years."

College was a big change. Dilshad was confident she knew what she wanted from her education.

"My parents left everything they knew … their friends, their family … their whole world, so their children could have a better life. I was expected to have a noble and strong profession. I was supposed to become a doctor."

In addition to her studies, she had to have a job to pay for school. One of the jobs was to sell windows and siding over the phone.

"I've actually worked since I was old enough to have a job. My first job was at a McDonald's … I've been in retail and telemarketing. I think my strangest job was selling windows and siding over the phone."

Despite the long hours, college was a happy time. The only thing that didn't work out was … becoming a doctor.

"I went through the motions and graduated with a Biology degree, but that was it."

Instead, Dilshad realized she had to make a choice. Since she was little she had dreamed of becoming an actress, but she knew her family had other plans for her. Confronted with the decision to live life on her terms, or on her family's, she finally found the strength to follow her own path.

Dilshad became a waitress and interned at a production house, before auditioning to get into a program that would train her as an actress.

"When I auditioned to study at the Producer's Club, the instructor, Anthony Abeson, really took the time to work with me. He gave me direction that made my audition better. At the end of my read, he gave me this protective look and said 'I feel like I want to protect you, but I'm going to throw you in there'. That's when I knew that he would be my teacher."

Dilshad studied with Anthony at the Producers Club. When her time there was over, he encouraged her to look for work in LA. She was nervous about leaving her life in New York City, but she trusted Anthony, and that trust was well-placed. That and him repeating … "Go to LA!"

"Anthony taught us the humility in acting. It's exciting to take on another human being, to tell their story, to see where they're coming from and how they became who they are. For me, it's the best thing in the world … but the gift of it all is that maybe, for a few minutes out of the day, you can take someone out of their real world and make them laugh or cry or think about a different perspective. Just take them for a ride."

Favorite books: Picture of Dorian Gray,
Rebecca, Harry Potter!

Favorite politician: Richard C. Holbrooke

Favorite Actors: Paul Newman, Cate Blanchett,
Audrey Hepburn, Bette Davis, Anne Baxter

Favorite Movies: Amelie, All About Eve,
Hitchcock films

Best Feel Good Show: Friends