Goldy Notay is a British-Canadian film, television and stage actress. She played 'Roopi' as the lead role in the Gurinder Chadha film ''

It's A Wonderful Afterlife ''It's a Wonderful Afterlife'' is a 2010 British comedy film directed by Gurinder Chadha. The screenplay centres on an Indian mother whose obsession with marrying off her daughter leads her into the realm of serial murder. It was filmed primarily ...

''. She has appeared as Shireen in the Mike Bartlett drama '' The Town'' and

Amar Akbar & Tony ''Amar Akbar & Tony'' is a 2015 British comedy-drama film written and directed by Atul Malhotra and starring Rez Kempton, Sam Vincenti and Martin Delaney in the lead roles. ''Amar Akbar & Tony'' is an independent British feature film. The title ...

a comedy Brit flick on Netflix. She is currently in the 6 part ITV series Beecham House, directed by Gurinder Chadha.

Early life

Goldy was born in the

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...

. She later moved to Canada and finally settled in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

She speaks Punjabi and English.

Career

After completing drama school in Toronto, Canada, Goldy was spotted by director Mira Nair while performing on stage at the Tarragon Theatre. She was offered the role of a pre Med student opposite Naveen Andrews in the feature My Own Country. She subsequently moved to the UK and worked extensively with

Kali theatre Kali Theatre is a theatre company that specialises in presenting plays by women of South Asian descent. Founded in 1991 by Rita Wolf Rita Wolf (born Rita Ghose, ) is an American British actress born in Kolkata, India. US theatre credits inclu ...

group specialising in stories by Asian Women. She is best known for her role as Roopi in ''

.'' Roopi was written with her in mind by the writer/director

Gurinder Chadha Gurinder Chadha, (born 10 January 1960) is a British film director of Indian origin. Most of her films explore the lives of Indians living in England. The common theme among her work showcases the trials of Indian women living in the UK and ho ...

after she saw her perform in a play. ''

was a British feature film where'' she worked with the director of ''

Bend it like Beckham ''Bend It Like Beckham'' (also known as ''Kick It Like Beckham'') is a 2002 sports comedy-drama film directed by Gurinder Chadha from a screenplay by Chadha, Paul Mayeda Berges, and Guljit Bindra. The film stars Parminder Nagra, Keira Knight ...

'',

who cast a range of British and Indian actors, including

Shabana Azmi Shabana Azmi (born 18 September 1950) is an Indian actress of Hindi film, television and theatre. One of India's most acclaimed actresses, Azmi is known for her portrayals of distinctive, often unconventional female characters across several ge ...

Sally Hawkins Sally Cecilia Hawkins (born 27 April 1976) is an English actress who began her career on stage and then moved into film. She has received several awards including a Golden Globe Award and the Berlin International Film Festival's Silver Bear fo ...

, Sendhil Ramamurthy and

Zoë Wanamaker Zoë Wanamaker (born 13 May 1949) is a British-American actress who has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. A nine-time Olivier Award nominee, she won for '' Once in a Lifetime'' (1979) and ''Electra' ...

. She gained two stone (28 pounds) for the role of Roopi which she promptly lost to appear with Sarah Jessica Parker in ''

Sex and the City 2 ''Sex and the City 2'' is a 2010 American romantic comedy film written, co-produced, and directed by Michael Patrick King. It is the sequel to the 2008 film ''Sex and the City'', based on the 1998–2004 television series. Sarah Jessica Parker, ...

'' This was a challenge for the actress who is described as "quite an organic-loving, gym-going kind of girl".

Selected filmography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Notay, Goldy Living people Actresses from London British film actresses British television actresses Canadian film actresses Canadian television actresses English people of Punjabi descent Canadian people of Punjabi descent British actresses of Indian descent Canadian actresses of Indian descent Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century British actresses 21st-century Canadian actresses