Lisa Ray
About
Lisa Ray, a Canadian actress, model, television host shot to fame with in an advertisement for ‘Bombay Dyeing’ with the famous 90s model Karan Kapoor.
She also appeared in the famous music video ‘Afreen Afreen’ by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in 1996.
Raised in Canada by an Indian father and Polish mother, Lisa began modelling at sixteen and went on to become one of India's most successful and memorable cover models. Soon after she made her Bollywood debut in a movie called ‘Kasoor’.
In a career spanning three decades and many continents, she has starred in several prestigious acting projects, including Canada's Oscar-nominated film, ‘Water’ which premièred at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2005. She has also acted in many productions from Canada, Europe and the United States.
In 2011 she was seen as a host and Travel Guide on TLC India's 'Oh My Gold'. But, her life took a sudden turn when she got diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare cancer of the plasma cells. She didn't allow the cancer to break her spirit; instead, she evolved into a symbol of hope for millions. At the same time, Ray started an acclaimed blog, 'The Yellow Diaries', chronicling her cancer experience.
In 2010, after undergoing a stem cell transplant, she announced that she was cancer free post the treatment. She was deemed a true fighter and survivor upon getting back to her acting career and also candidly talking about her cancer journey.
Awards and accomplishments
Awards and accomplishments
In 2012, Ray was named ambassador for the ‘Pantene Beautiful Lengths’ campaign in Canada; a charity campaign that asks people to grow and donate their hair to make real-hair wigs for women battling cancer.
She has initiated a number of fundraisers and campaigns for Multiple Myeloma such as the ‘Because I’m a Girl’ campaign. After her recovery, Ray launched the ‘Make Myeloma Matter’ media campaign, which helped raise awareness about the disease worldwide.
In 2012, she initiated an effort to fund the Indian Innovation Research Center (IIRC), a non-profit cancer research body, that began with the ‘Living With Cancer’ program. She joined the ‘Beauty Gives Back’ campaign, which launched in Canada in 2015. The campaign addresses the emotional fallout from cancer and its treatment.
Lisa was also awarded the ‘Light of India Award for Excellence in Arts and Entertainment’.
Why Lisa Ray?
Lisa hosted the 2011 ‘International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Rocks’ fashion and music event, was a presenter at the IIFA Awards and the 2011 Giller Prize and hosted Top Chef Canada in 2012.
She talks about her journey through cancer and how she managed it not just by having medications but also by a change in her lifestyle, diet and exercise. She often uses forthright discussion and humor to tell her story, and helps to educate and teach others how to navigate a difficult illness.
Lisa Ray has been a part of several humanitarian endeavors, been a champion of health and wellness, and inspired thousands of people to never give up on life no matter what.
