Fear the Walking Dead

Karen David

Karen David is a multi-hyphenate talent – actress and singer/songwriter – who has found equal diversity in her film, television, stage, and recording career. Born in Shillong, India, in the foothills of the Himalayas; raised in Toronto; and the daughter of a half-Chinese, half-Khasi mother and an Indian father, David discovered her love of performing at a young age. At 17 she won a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she studied jazz and gospel. It was there she discovered a flair for songwriting and a love for drama, which led her to study at the Guildford School of Acting in London. Her first professional acting role came shortly after graduation in the original stage cast of the London West End musical Mamma Mia! David can currently be seen in a season-long arc on the CW series Legacies from executive producer Julie Plec. She has also had recurring roles on HBO’s Barry alongside creator Bill Hader and on CBS’ long-running drama Criminal Minds, as well as major arcs on YouTube’s Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television and ITV’s Cold Feet, and as Princess Jasmine on ABC’s Once Upon a Time. Best known to US audiences for her breakout role as Princess Isabella Maria Lucia Elizabetta of Valencia in ABC’s Galavant, David showcased both of her passions – acting and singing – in the musical fantasy series. Created by Dan Fogelman (This Is Us), the cult hit featured music by the award-winning composer Alan Menken. She got her start in television in the UK on BBC’s BAFTA nominated Waterloo Road and the BBC’s comedy series Pixelface, produced by comedian Graham Norton’s company So Television. From there she landed roles on MTV’s Top Buzzer and Cinemax’s action thriller Strike Back, and guest-starring roles on ABC’s Castle, FOX’s Touch alongside Keith Sutherland, and NBC’s Timeless. David’s film career began with a supporting role in the UK cult hit Bollywood Queen, opposite James McAvoy. This led to co-starring roles in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, the Vince Vaughan comedy Couples Retreat, and Millennium Film’s drama Red Lights, starring Sigourney Weaver and Robert De Niro. David has had starring roles in the heartwarming independent comedy The Tiger Hunter, Universal Pictures’ The Scorpion King: Rise of a Warrior, and the acclaimed British comedy romance Amar Akbar & Tony. More recently she portrayed a tough FBI agent in the blockbuster Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and will next be seen in the upcoming independent film Sand & Snow. On the musical front, David is continually refining her passion for writing and recording “feel-good indie-girl pop with a twist.” In the wake of her hit 2003 single, It’s Me (You’re Talking To), which became a Top Ten hit in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, as well as BMG’s fourth highest airplay hit for a debut artist, she released her first two EPs, The Live Sessions EP (2008) and Magic Carpet Ride (2009), followed by the 2010 single Hypnotize and three mixes. David worked with A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) to help develop the soundtrack for the Bollywood-themed musical Bombay Dreams alongside Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black. They subsequently created the theme tune for the British drama Provoked, in which David had a supporting role. In addition, David is an avid supporter of charity who devotes much of her time to campaigning for various issues, including the Alzheimer’s Association, and is also an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust. She is also an active supporter of SOS Children’s Villages Foundation and Designers Against AIDS.