RAINE MAGAZINE Volume 16 | Innovate

N azneen Contractor surpasses every goal she sets out to achieve,
whether it be starring in a major blockbuster (this summer’s Star
Trek: Into Darkness), landing a role on a hit show (24), or bringing
goodness to those around her. With an incredibly diverse and welltraveled
upbringing, Nazneen learned to open her heart to a passion
for performing from a young age. She brings this passion to life while
working alongside stars like Zoe Saldana under the direction of the one
and only JJ Abrams. Her belief in good thoughts, good words, and good
deeds makes her a true role model. Follow along as this Persian beauty
takes us by storm.
RAINE: Tell us what interested you about being an actor? What made you
make that leap?
CONTRACTOR: I was actually a dancer for many years. I trained in
classical ballet and was dancing 10 times a week when I was 15 and loved
it! I realized that I was utilizing every part of my body in terms of performing
except my voice and so I decided to explore acting and never looked back.
I was about to go to a really wonderful performing high school in Toronto
and I switched my major to drama. I went on to attend the University of
Toronto on a scholarship where I majored in Theater and Psychology,
but after one year I was recruited by Stratford, a classical Shakespeare
repertory company that had me doing 8 shows a week. Leaving school
wasn’t an easy decision to reconcile with my parents, they were very clear
I should have a university education. I did go back to school after 3 years
of working with Stratford. I ended up booking a series in Canada and was
doing homework on set on the weekends. It was very difficult, but I loved
learning. That’s the biggest gift you can get as an actress.
RAINE: How does your international background influence you as an
actor?
CONTRACTOR: I was very fortunate that I had a father who worked all
over the world and was insistent that his family went with him. Whenever
we would take a holiday, we would go together as a family. I was very
well traveled as a child: I traveled to Kenya, and lived for 6 months on
every single continent before the age of 10 - except Australia and North
America. Everywhere we went, we attended school and I feel like that
was a blessing. When I was 10, my mother said okay, this enough - we’ll
stay in Toronto. It was a double-edged sword. I was able to fit into any
environment that I was put in and I was very comfortable around whomever
I was with; however, I always felt that I was an outsider looking in. I think
that has helped me as an actor. It has given me a different perspective
from many actors.
I lost my father two years ago and the 3 things he always did were: love us
unconditionally, educate us, and show us the world.
RAINE: From your perspective, how are performing on television or in
theatre different?
CONTRACTOR: They’re completely different mediums. You have some
parallels when it comes to comedies filmed in front of a live audience.
My theatrical training was mostly classical, predominantly Shakespeare.
Everything is so much more pronounced in theater: theater is the
magnifying glass of acting. I really feel like doing both has benefited me
as an actress. I have so many tools in my belt. I can take my performance
to that height and level: a mark of a true actor is to do everything and do
it well.
RAINE: Where are you in your goals as an actor?
CONTRACTOR: Your measure of success depends on where you are.
When I moved to LA I made a list of all of what I wanted to do. I wanted
to land a big American show: I got a role on 24. I wanted to book a pilot:
I booked 4. I feel like I’m just beginning because I want to do this until
the day I die. What do I do next? That’s the exciting thing about being
a freelancer. There is the unknown. You have to have the personality to
just go with it. I struggle with that because I come from two professional
parents that get up and get their paychecks every day of their lives. It’s
very exciting and very terrifying at the same time.
RAINE: Where you always like this, a thrill seeker?
CONTRACTOR: I was always a performer. My parents got me a boom
box when I was 3 and I would make up routines and perform for them. I
always had that sense of play when I was a kid. I would play hours and
hours on end making up ridiculous scenarios. I always had a fascination
of performing and was never shy. When we moved to Toronto, one day
my parents found me 4 houses down the street singing and dancing for
my neighbors. When I went through puberty I became a little more shy
and introverted. My favorite part of the year was when we did dance
performances. I was always told that I had beautiful feet and posture, but
my biggest strength was my performance. My love of performance would
get me all of these honors and accolades. I always felt that I was on stage
and I loved it. I wasn’t always the highest jumper, but I always wanted to
tell a story.
RAINE: Your name is very unique; does it have a meaning?
CONTRACTOR: My names means “graceful maiden”. It’s a Persian name,
I’m a Parsi. They’re known for many things: philanthropy, great success,
and superstitions. When you have a baby a Parsi astrologer comes to
the hospital and tells you what letter your baby’s name should begin with
based on when the baby was born. For me it was to be either N or Y.
RAINE: Tell us more about what Zoroastrianism is and what it is all about?
CONTRACTOR: My religion is believed to be one of the first religions to
preach one god, it’s believed to be older than Judaism. The religion is of
tolerance: good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. If you achieve
those in daily life, you are guaranteed a place in heaven. There is good
and evil in this world and it is our choice to follow the good. Charity is a
huge component in our religion. We also believe the body is sacred, so
there’s no smoking or drinking. We live every day to the fullest and believe
life is a celebration. I studied my religion every week and went on to teach
it. It’s such an ancient religion, but not a lot of people know anything about
it. I am honored to be a part of it and honored to bring it to my family.
RAINE: Congratulation on your role in Star Trek. How difficult was it to
land that role?
CONTRACTOR: It’s actually a great story. I auditioned in December 2011.
It was a very special audition because I was 9 months pregnant. I had not
had an audition in a long time and hadn’t worked since I was 3 months
pregnant. I had also lost my father that year. My manager called me with
the audition for Star Trek 2, for this very pivotal character in the movie. I
asked, “Do they know I’m pregnant? Do they know I’m really pregnant?”
and was reassured they knew I was due in just two weeks. The audition
was the next morning, which was earlier than I expected. I hit the worst
traffic ever and was running really late. I even called my husband asking
him to find me an alternate route, but he reassured me that it was going
to be ok. I finally arrived and I was very sweaty and tired. As I’m doing my
audition, JJ Abrams walked into the room. After they finished the taping, I
was introduced to him. I am a HUGE JJ Abrams fan. I was hoping my water
didn’t break because I had to pee so badly. After I left, he asked whom I
was. He watched my tape on the video camera and said, “That’s the one”.
I have to credit the casting directors to see me beyond the pregnancy.
JJ wanted a mother: he wanted someone that would go to the end of the
earth to protect her child.
RAINE: How was it working with the very talented Zoe Saldana and JJ
Abrams?
CONTRACTOR: It was great! Zoe was so warm and friendly and sweet
and they all wanted to see pictures of my baby. The entire cast is a bunch
of young actors that are extremely talented and with a super franchise.
They all know JJ and they all get him. He is a very demanding and
meticulous director, but he has a huge heart and everyone is on the same
playing field. He speaks to everyone with success and sincerity and a lot
of heart. I LOVED going to work. It was my first feature film and a great
learning experience as well. Here we would shoot maybe one page a day
and it was so exhausting - emotionally and physically - especially since
I had given birth 6 weeks earlier and it was hard to leave my baby at 6
weeks. I was so vulnerable and open, so exposed that it really added to
my performance because I was faced with so many new challenges. Chris
Pine was just awesome! He lives in my neighborhood and he was talking
to me about my performance and my kid. He is an inquisitive and lovely
actor. I felt so lucky and so spoiled.
RAINE: What can we see you doing next?
CONTRACTOR: I think that I would really like my next project to take
me to the next level. I’ve played the daughter, the lawyer, and the cop.
I would like my next project to really utilize my new skills as a mother. It
should be something where I can bring what I’m learning right now to the
stage or screen. I think Star Trek will help me with that because I have a
youthful look and the world will see me doing other things. I would love to
work with JJ again. He makes it so safe and easy to work with him. It was
so amazing. This is life. This is life at its best. You can have it all. A wife,
sister, and mother - I want to play every role in every stage in my life - I
have to do it all!