This Actress Who Has Close Ties with Malaysia Talks About Her Biggest Role Yet – As a Leather-Loving Investigator of a Legal Firm
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SV2 COVER STORY VARIETY, SUNDAY 10 JANUARY 2010 Law and leather This actress who has close ties with Malaysia talks about her biggest role yet – as a leather-loving investigator of a legal firm. By ELIZABETH TAI “There’ll be a lot of celebration in Kuala [email protected] Lumpur (when The Good Wife airs in Malaysia),” she says, chuckling. HE name Archie Panjabi may not be As soon as The Good Wife, which stars very familiar to many Malaysians but Julianna Margulies as the title character, starts Twhen her show The Good Wife pre- screening on local television, Malaysian view- mieres on Hallmark Channel this week, some ers – other than her relatives! – are certain to Malaysians will be ecstatic to see their rela- take note of Archie, not least because of her tive on television. audacious, plain-spoken char- The British actress, who acter in the series. plays the prominent role of Archie plays Kalinda Sharma, a law firm employee in the »Expect the a leather-loving in-house new drama executive pro- unexpected – investigator for a law firm who duced by Ridley Scott – the doesn’t feel the need to be famed director behind it’s a very tactful most of the time. She’d blockbusters Alien (1979), much rather tell you the truth Blade Runner (1982) and unpredictable (or sometimes, insult you with Gladiator (2000) – has fami- it), whether you like it or not. ly in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, drama« “Her dialogue does make me and Port Dickson, Negri ARCHIE PANJABI laugh – she has some very fun Sembilan. lines; every time somebody In a recent telephone says something to her, she’ll interview from New York give a response which they City where she works, the can’t respond to,” says the 37-year-old star, a regular visitor to the coun- actress who hails from London. (Archie, short try, enthuses: “I love Malaysia – the food over for Archana, is a nickname she got from there is ... oh gosh, my favourite!” school as it was easier to pronounce.) “One of the reasons why I’m quite excited The Good Wife, currently running in the to do an interview with The Star is because I United States since its premiere last have close family in Malaysia and they’re call- September, is a unique hybrid: it’s both a ing me, ‘When are you coming in? We want legal and family drama that centres around to pick up the paper (when the article on her Alicia Florrick, the wife of a state attorney, comes out).’ They’re all excited, you know. No who returns to the workforce after her hus- one else in the family has ever been in this band’s fall from grace following a sex scan- profession. So they get really thrilled when dal. they see me on television. Alicia, a lawyer, has to constantly prove herself to a public who often ties her hus- band’s misdeeds to her, and battle her young- er colleagues for a place in the legal firm. The role, capably portrayed by Margulies, has earned her a best actress nod in next Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards. Kalinda Says Archie: “A woman who has to go Sharma back to work to fend for her children (Archie because her husband is in prison – I think it Panjabi) crosses all barriers in terms of age or class. I often uses think everybody will be able to watch this unorthodox and understand it. There’s also a lot of office methods to politics (in the show) and it’s something that get what she happens in all parts of the world. Expect the wants in an unexpected – I think it’s a very unpredictable investigation. drama.” – Photo Archie – a seasoned actor whose fairly from CBS large portfolio spanning 15 years includes films such as Bend It Like Beckham (2002), The Constant Gardener (2005) and A Mighty Heart (2007) – calls The Good Wife a ground-breaking show. She attributes its success partly to its well-written and compelling characters. “When you have a drama with such rich characters, audiences are immediately drawn to it,” she says. Archie admits that she was initially attracted to The Good Wife because of Scott; the Englishman serves as one of the show’s executive produc- ers. “I’ve worked with him before and I know he has very high production values. But then I read the script, and I couldn’t put it down. Kalinda Sharma seems like such a challenging role to play,” she says. Kalinda is Alicia’s partner when .