Rule 5 Saturday - I Spy Annet Mahendru

This week for Rule 5 Saturday, I have chose Annet (Anita Devi ) Mahendru, who plays Nina Sergeevna Krilova, the Soviet embassy secretary forced into spy work and the only really sympathetic character in the whole show on FX's "The Americans", which takes place in the cold war era ca. 1981.

Mahendru was born in Kabul, the daughter of Olga and Ghanshan "Ken" Mahendru. Her mother is a Russian businesswoman and artist, and her father is a Hindu Indian professor and journalist. She had what she calls a "gypsy" childhood, regularly travelling between St. Petersburg and Frankfurt before moving with her father to East Meadow, New York at the age of 13 after her parents separated.

Mahendru attended East Meadow High School, where she was active in competitive cheerleading and kick line teams, and graduated in 2004. She went on to earn an English degree from St. John's University.

A true child of the period:

Mahendru is fluent in German, Russian and English, and also speaks French, Persian and Hindi and initially wanted to use her "ethnic ambiguity" to work for the United Nations. She was enrolled at New York University for a Master's degree in international relations, but dropped out to pursue acting.

In the 201st Issue of his Blogging Magazine GOODSTUFF is feting Heidi Klum, including some material I hadn't seen before. Also linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly "Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup" and links. Wombat-socho has "Rule 5 Sunday: Good Witches" ready for your Rule 5 pleasure at The Other McCain.

Now listed in the "The Canonical List of Rule 5 Posts."