In bed with… { Emily Shah } Actor, 27 “I can control my dreams and get out of my nightmares”
Half-indian and half-english (Scottish/welsh), Emily Shah grew up in Edison, New Jersey, which she says is “basically Little India.” Emily and her two brothers and two sisters grew up mostly with their Ba and Dadu, who taught them Gujarati and Hindi, and helped her embrace her Indian roots.
Performing comes naturally to Emily. She’s been dancing since she was two years old, and became a dance teacher when she was 18! She also started acting lessons when she was five. Her father is a film producer so, for young Emily, “Sets were like my playground.” During the pandemic, she took writing courses, developed a series and began writing a screenplay! She and her partner Mena Massoud also started their own Ayurvedic gin line.
If not an actor, what would you be?
Besides being a literal ‘gin-wali’, I would probably work for the FBI.
What was your biggest fan-girl moment?
Meeting Aishwarya Rai when I was six. Such a vision and a kind human.
List three things that no one knows about you.
1. I drink 1 and a half gallons of water every day and carry a massive water bottle around with me.
2. Mena and I rescued our dog from a kill shelter. She is a German Shepherd, Australian Cattle Dog, Rottweiler and Husky mix.
3. My favourite scent is anything that smells like rose or jasmine.
An adventurous thing you’ve done?
Hiked into a volcano in Hawaii; kayaked in the pitch-black night in Utah amongst the clay mountains. Kind of terrifying, NGL.
The one embarrassing memory that haunts you at 3am?
When I won Miss New Jersey USA, I messed up my question on stage and it could have been a Youtube viral moment. I won regardless, but I still think about it…
In Bed With is a weekly column that puts personal questions to your favourite stars, and serves you a reminder: after Brunch on Sundays, it’s time to go back to bed!