A professional performer since the age of 10, exotic beauty Emmanuelle Chriqui began hitting her stride with high-profile appearances in TV series like Entourage (HBO, 2004- ) and The O.C. (Fox, 2003- ), as well as considerable exposure in mens magazines like Stuff, which named her one of its Top 200 Sexiest Women in the World in 2002. Not bad for a relative Hollywood newcomer.
Born on Dec. 10, 1977 to Jewish parents of Moroccan descent, Chriqui (pronounced Shreeky) moved with her family from Montreal to Toronto at an early age, spending her childhood in the suburb of Unionville. The acting bug bit after she was cast in a local theater production at age seven, and by 10, she logged her first job in a Canadian commercial for McDonalds. Guest roles in several Canadian-produced and lensed television productions soon followed, including Forever Knight (USA, 1992-96) and Are You Afraid of the Dark? (Nickelodeon, 1992-96).
By the mid 1990s, she had relocated to Vancouver to take advantage of the wealth of film productions there. Her first major Hollywood film role came in 1999 with a supporting turn in the goofball comedy Detroit Rock City, which was quickly followed by the popular Nickelodeon big-screen kids flick Snow Day (2000). Chriqui next shot scenes for three major film and television productions Steven Spielbergs A.I. (2001), Todd Solondzs Storytelling (2001), and the series Manchester Prep (1999). In all three cases, Chriquis scenes were left on the cutting room floor, though her footage was used in the trailer for Cruel Intentions 2, which became the final repository for the Manchester Prep project.
Despite these setbacks, Chriqui soldiered on and began paying her dues in a string of largely forgettable theatrical releases, including the grim On the Line (2001), starring N SYNCs Lance Bass and Joey Fatone, as well as the wretched horror flick Wrong Turn (2003). In 2005, she witnessed a turn in fortune in regard to the quality of her projects an appearance as herself on HBOs short-lived improvisational series Unscripted (2005) was followed by a two-episode turn on The O.C., and roles in four motion pictures, including the little-seen comedy Waiting with Ryan Reynolds, and In the Mix, which starred R&B sensation Usher (in an amusing scene from the latter, Chriqui is seen giving him dance lessons).
When Chriqui returned to HBO the second time, it was for a much more auspicious occasion to join Mark Wahlbergs Hollywood series Entourage in a recurring role as Sloan Mackewich, daughter to Malcolm McDowells Terence Mackewich, nemesis of agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven). Initially targeted by lothario lead Vince (Adrian Grenier), Sloan took a shine to his friend and manager Eric (Kevin Connolly) and introduced a little happiness into his high-pressure life (as well as a touch of sin after she indulged him in a threesome with her best friend Tori, played by Malin Akerman).
With the success of her Entourage gig, Chriqui landed two feature films, including the Body Heat-inspired Deceit, in which she tackles the femme fatale role, and the comedy Patriotville, in which she co-stars with fellow up-and-comer, Justin Long.
Copyright © Baseline 2009.