Schema Magazine

Photo: Fashion Magazine.

Far from being your typical TV celebrity, Hannah Simone's career is about as diverse as her ethnic background. Although she's been quite famous since 2007, her recent surge to popularity is probably due to her role on Fox's hot new sitcom New Girl.

Why is Hannah Simone the epitome of ethnic cool? For one thing, she's a multi-ethnic person: her father's Indian and her mother is half German-Italian and half Greek-Cypriot. For another, she's lived in so many different places: she was born in London but has also lived in Saudi Arabia, India, Cyprus and Canada.

In her interview with Anokhi Magazine in 2007, she said, "Being raised as someone who is multicultural and multi-ethnic has been the greatest gift to me".

Her own resume reflects this diversity. She has two undergraduate degrees, one at the University of British Columbia in International Relations and Political Science and another at Ryerson for Radio and Television Arts. Before becoming an actress, she modeled and it's hard to believe that her list doesn't stop there. After hosting HGTV Canada's Space for Living for its first season, she went on to become a VJ at MuchMusic. After leaving in November 2008, she turned to hosting WCG Ultimate Gamer, a reality TV program about 12 gamers living in a loft on Syfy.

Her greatest TV role by far is her current role as Cece, best friend of main character Jess (Zooey Deschanel) on New Girl. Despite still being fresh in its second season, Simone and the rest of New Girl's fun and quirky cast already have quite a following. Although Cece is a model on the show, the face behind her character is definitely more than just a pretty face. It's also interesting that Cece's cultural background is quite developed in the show. Last week's episode featured an Indian dating convention about which Simone tweeted, "To my fellow Indians, get ready to have your mind blown by all the desis on your screen tonight on @NewGirlonFOX #powerofabillion #desi".

Simone also stars on H+: The Digital Series, a new dystopian web series that airs every Wednesday on YouTube. Although H+ is more serious, Simone, in an interview with Fashion Magazine in 2012, says she's not done with comedy yet. She's a great fan of Mindy Kaling, whose show The Mindy Project follows New Girl on Tuesday nights. "It is so cool to think that there are two female, Indian actresses on prime-time American network television who are considered attractive and funny and smart," said Simone. "It excites me for the future, for actors who are an ambiguous minority, who are a very obvious comedy stereotype." I am excited, too, for the future Hannah Simone will bring to the television world.

You can follow Hannah Simone on twitter @HannahSimone and also check out New Girl on Citytv and H+ on YouTube.