Summer Bishil Bio

Summer Bishil was born in Pasadena, California. Her family and she moved out of the country when she was three. Summer attended American and British schools, while her family was living abroad. They returned to Pasadena just prior to her 14th birthday. Summer was five when she discovered her passion for acting and began her first acting class. Nine months later, she signed with an agent and an manager and began to follow her career full-time. She is currently pursuing her degree at the college level in her free time. She was named one of the "Ten Actors To Watch" by Variety (2007). Nominated for Best Actress – Spirit Award. Bishil began her acting lessons at the age of 14. In just one year she was signed with an agency and a manager. Bishil was initially seen on the Nickelodeon television series Just for Kicks. She then appeared in several other children's programs. In 2007, she played the lead actress in Alan Ball's film Towelhead that was an adaptation of the novel. Dana Stevens, a Slate critic, claimed that "Her performance in a film that , despite its best intentions seems completely fake as well as embarrassing and as if it were an extended PSA regarding inappropriate touching is the most honest thing." Bob Strauss, a Los Angeles newspaper reporter, claimed that Bishil "...is one of the best natural actresses on film in recent times. In an article published on September 12, Los Angeles Times review, Gary Goldstein stated that Summer Bishil, the "...newcomer performs a riveting and gutsy performance in the role of Jasira. "In 2009, she filmed Wayne Kramer's new project, Crossing Over, starring Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta and Ashley Judd, a portrayal that garnered some positive attention from the Associated Press's Jay Reiner. The film was a part she was cast to play Azula in M. Night Shyamalan's 2010 film The Last Airbender, and was supposed to be the focus of the planned but never-produced sequel.