Though she qualifies as a direct descendant of Middle Eastern royalty - the great-great-grandaughter, in fact, of a 19th century Persian shah - Iranian-American Sarah Shahi lived out several offscreen roles exotic enough to rival anything in her lineage: during her adolescence, she enjoyed stints as a USO performer and Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, and graduated from that experience to a successful Hollywood acting career at the behest of Robert Altman (c. 2000), who advised her to make a beeline for the West Coast and audition for television pilots. Heeding this advice, Shahi gained national attention a short time later, as Jenny on the adventure series Alias (opposite Jennifer Garner), and - following guest appearances on Dawson's Creek - debuted cinematically with a small but memorable role as a (very) willing classroom participant, in the Will Ferrell/Vince Vaughn frat boy comedy Old School (2003). Alongside fleeting appearances in such movies as Legally Blonde 2 (2003) and For Your Consideration (2006), Shahi also accepted a permanent role on Showtime's lesbian-themed drama The L Word, during that program's second and third seasons.