Padma Lakshmi

Padma Lakshmi was a successful model before gaining fame as the host of the cooking competition show "Top Chef" (Bravo, 2006- ). She was born in India, but moved with her mother and step-father to the United States when she was young. As a Los Angeles teenager, she was in a serious car accident that left her right arm scarred. After earning a theater degree, she was discovered in Madrid, Spain and began modeling. She also began acting periodically, appearing on Italian television and in the Mariah Carey film "Glitter" (2001). She had the chance to join sci-fi lore with a small role in "Star Trek: Enterprise" (UPN, 2001-05). In her birth country, she played a supermodel in "Boom" (2003) and played an Indian-American in "The Mistress of Spices" (2005).

Having previously hosted cooking shows in Italy and on American cable's Food Network, her fortunes changed for the better when she was selected to become the host of "Top Chef" in the show's second season, taking over for Katie Lee. The show, featuring culinary experts including Emeril Lagasse, Anthony Bourdain, and Wolfgang Puck, as judges became an international phenomenon. Lakshmi eventually became one of the show's producers beginning in 2010. She also used the exposure to publish multiple cookbooks. Beyond cooking, she was also a contributor to the daytime talk show "The View" (ABC, 1997- ) and made occasional appearances on TV shows like "Royal Pains" (USA Network, 2009-16).