✦ Celebrity stories, facts and career updates. Explore F4U now →

Home › Biography › Lisa Ray

Lisa Ray biographyFeatured Biography

Image source: StarsUnfolded

Celebrities

Lisa Ray Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 5, 2026 • 3 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth4 April 1972

Age52 (as of 2024)

BirthplaceToronto, Ontario, Canada

ProfessionActress, Model

NationalityCanadian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseJason Dehni

FamilyFather - L.K. Dutta; Mother - Jennifer Dutta; Daughters - twin daughters (born 2018)

Lisa Ray Biography

Canadian actress and former model Lisa Rani Ray built an international profile through films, fashion and advocacy. Born in Toronto to an Indian father and

Early life and background

Lisa Rani Ray was born on April 4, 1972, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Raised in Etobicoke, she grew up in a bicultural household with an Indian (Bengali Hindu) father and a Polish mother. Ray spent part of her childhood in Kolkata and maintained a connection to her maternal grandmother, speaking Polish with her. She completed high school ahead of schedule, finishing five years of coursework in four, and later pursued formal training in acting in London.

Ray attended several London institutions for performance training, including the Central School of Speech and Drama, the London Centre for Theatre Studies, the Desmond Jones School of Physical Theatre, and earned a postgraduate acting qualification from the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA) in 2004.

Career

Lisa Ray first came to public attention in the 1990s through modelling. Early commercial work included a Bombay Dyeing advertisement, and a cover appearance on Gladrags that drew wide notice. She also appeared in a popular music video for the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s Aafreen Aafreen, which increased her visibility internationally.

On television she worked as an anchor on the show Star Biz for Star Movies. Her film debut was a special appearance in Hanste Khelte (1994), and she later landed a lead role in the Hindi film Kasoor (2001). Ray went on to act in internationally recognized projects, most notably Deepa Mehta’s Oscar-nominated film Water (2005), a role that earned her critical recognition.

Throughout her career Ray has been acknowledged with several awards and honours. Early in her career she was voted a Star of the Future at the Toronto International Film Festival. For her performance in Water she received Best Actress recognition from the Vancouver Critics Circle and earned additional honours such as an Anokhi Prestige award. Other accolades mentioned include being named among Canada’s 50 Most Beautiful Stars by Hello magazine and receiving a Diamond Jubilee Medal, as well as recognition for inspirational work from Medscape.

Public profile

Ray’s physical presence and style helped establish her as a recognized model and actress. She is listed at approximately 168 cm (5'6") tall and about 57 kg (126 lbs), with hazel green eyes and dark brown hair. Her public image has included being celebrated for beauty on polls and magazine lists, and she has spoken openly about personal challenges that intersected with her public life.

In 2009 Ray disclosed a diagnosis of multiple myeloma at the Toronto International Film Festival and chronicled her experience in a blog titled The Yellow Diaries. She underwent a stem cell transplant at the end of 2009; later that year she announced that the transplant had put the disease into remission, while also noting that multiple myeloma is considered incurable and requires ongoing attention. Her willingness to share her medical journey has led to recognition as an inspirational figure for others facing cancer.

Personal life

Ray is of mixed Indian and Polish ancestry and was raised in a family that encouraged cultural exposure; she cites filmmakers such as Satyajit Ray and Federico Fellini among favourites. She follows a vegetarian diet and reportedly avoids dairy. In October 2012 she married Jason Dehni, a management consultant. The couple became parents to twin daughters born in 2018 via surrogacy.

Latest updates

Ray has continued to be publicly active through acting, writing and advocacy. Her professional training and range of experiences across modelling, television and film, plus her openness about health and recovery, remain central to her public identity.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Lisa Ray, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
◈

Recent Work

Water

Actress in Deepa Mehta’s Oscar-nominated film

2005
Kasoor

Lead role in Hindi feature film

2001
✦

Career Highlights

  1. Voted Star of the Future at the Toronto International Film Festival
  2. Best Actress from the Vancouver Critics Circle for Water
  3. Named one of Canada’s 50 Most Beautiful Stars by Hello magazine
  4. Recipient of Diamond Jubilee Medal
  5. Anokhi Prestige award for Water
  6. Medscape Most Inspirational Fighter award
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Lisa Ray born?

Lisa Ray was born on 4 April 1972.

What is Lisa Ray known for?

Lisa Ray is known for actress, Model.

What is Lisa Ray’s marital status?

Lisa Ray's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Lisa Ray married to?

Lisa Ray is publicly listed as married to Jason Dehni.