Born in Mumbai, India and raised in Nigeria, Africa until the age of seven, Nazneen quickly became well versed in world travels and a variety cultures at a very young age. She attended boarding school in London before her family moved to Toronto, Canada where she spent the majority of her young adulthood and studied classical ballet. It wasn’t until the age of 16 when she realized she actually wanted to pursue acting seriously. One year into her studies at University, Contractor went to an open call audition for the play Pericles at the prestigious Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, Canada, landing the female lead role. Contractor was immediately offered the opportunity to enroll in Stratford’s conservatory program, shortly thereafter joining the cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Hermia.
By the third season with the company, Contractor set her sights on a career in film and television, quickly booking a regular role in the Anthony Hines (Borat, Bruno) produced Fox pilot, “The Papdits.” While the show didn’t end up getting picked up to series, soon after Contractor landed the role of Layla Hourani in “The Border,” a Canadian produced drama for CBC. The series aired worldwide, garnering Nazneen a Golden Nymph Award nomination at The Montecarlo Television Festival.
Upon moving to Los Angeles, Contractor booked the role of Kayla Hassan in the eighth season of the hit Fox drama series, “24.” Other roles soon followed including a recurring role on CBS comedy “Rules of Engagement” starring David Spade. Contractor later joined the cast of the final season of hit drama “Covert Affairs,” opposite Piper Perabo, before landing the role of Farah Nazan in NBC’s revival, “Heroes Reborn.” On the film front, Contractor appeared as Rima Harewood in the record-breaking Paramount feature film, Star Trek Into Darkness, directed by another one of her industry heroes, JJ Abrams.
Nazneen most recently starred as “Zara Hallam” in the Frank Spotnitz produced drama series, “Ransom.” She also proudly voiced the role of “Synara San” in “Star Wars Resistance.”
When not working, Contractor is an avid runner and yogi. Philanthropy is a huge priority for her and she supports such organizations as Second Harvest to feed the homeless, and Look Good Feel Better, supporting women with cancer. Nazneen lives in Los Angeles with her husband, children, and border terrier.
