Rising Star: Parminder Nagra

Eight years ago, Parminder Nagra sold her viola for £200 and came down from Leicester to London to become an actor. Since then she has had a fling with Martin Shaw in A&E, played an angel in Goodness Gracious Me and been involved in a possible arranged marriage with Sanjeev of The Kumars At No 42, after having actually slept with him in Small Potatoes.

Now she's demonstrating some neat footwork on the pitch - Rivelino's banana shot and the Ronaldo Roll included - in Gurinder Bhaji On The Beach Chadha's new film, Bend It Like Beckham. 'My character, Jess, is a nice Punjabi girl from Hounslow who just wants to play football like her hero, David Beckham,' says Nagra, 26 and tiny (5ft 2in). 'But her parents would prefer her to be more traditional and study law and cook the perfect chapati, as mine probably would knowing how dodgy acting is. Now I think they're fine about it. They know I know how to make a chapati round without cheating and using a plate.

'I wasn't aware how popular women's football is here now. There are loads of Asian girls playing football all over Britain. I was quite surprised. I'm one of those people who don't actually support a football team. Let's just say if I were watching the World Cup I'd shout for England.'

Once a promising viola player with the Soar Valley youth orchestra, who could do a good turn on the cello and violin as well, she ditched the five-hour sessions of scales and arpeggios to stand in on an Asian play at the Haymarket Theatre in Leicester. That lead to an Equity Card and prompted Nagra to head south to work at the Theatre Royal Stratford East. Her first TV job was in Casualty and she's hardly stopped working since. 'The neighbours have got used to big black Mercedes coming to pick me up really early in the morning.'

She lives in Clapham with her boyfriend, Stones In His Pockets's Kieran Creggan. 'Unlike Jess's parents, mine are fine with me having an Irish boyfriend.'