Born in London, Archie Panjabi, 45, was cast in the 1999 film East Is East and in 2002 appeared in Bend It Like Beckham. She starred in the US drama The Good Wife for six years, and is now in ITV’s Next Of Kin. She is married and lives in Los Angeles.

When were you happiest?

When I got a doctorate from my alma mater, Brunel. My mother always wanted me to become a doctor.

What is your greatest fear?

Falling out of love with my work.

What is your earliest memory?

Playing in the garden with my family on a summer’s day. I was about three or four.

Which living person do you most admire, and why?

Mathew Varghese, an orthopaedic surgeon who runs India’s only polio ward in Delhi. He provides reconstructive surgery to help survivors walk.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Indecisiveness.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Grandiosity.

What was your most embarrassing moment?

When presenting the Baftas a couple of years ago, I went straight to announcing the winner instead of the nominees. Thankfully, Graham Norton rescued me.

What is the worst thing anyone’s said to you?

A US talent agent once told me an Indian woman could never have a career in Hollywood. It was heartbreaking, but she was merely highlighting the harsh reality at the time.

What has been your biggest disappointment?

I was rejected by EastEnders, having been called three times. I was heartbroken.

What is your most treasured possession?

The collar of my dog Benzo, who was with me for 16 years.

If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?

Concorde, because it would shorten the millions of trips I have to make from London to the States.

To whom would you most like to say sorry, and why?

My dog, Mr Q, because he has the saddest look when I leave.

Have you ever said ‘I love you’ and not meant it?

I am an actress…

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

Benazir Bhutto, because I’d love to hear what it was like being the first female prime minister of a [Muslim] country.

What is the worst job you’ve done?

Redeeming mortgages. I did it for a few weeks, and it sealed the deal that I wanted a career in entertainment.

If you could go back in time, where would you go?

Ancient Greece 480BC, when they were laying the foundations for western civilisation.

What single thing would improve the quality of your life?

Everyone cutting out social media for one day a week.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I am an ambassador for Rotary, and we are very close to eradicating polio. When I was younger, I lived in Mumbai and, as a kid from England, I was traumatised by seeing children on the street without limbs.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

Something my mother always said to me as a young girl: you can’t control the things life throws at you, but you can control the way you deal with things.