One Step At A Time
Female Malaysia|June 2018

SHIVA KALAISELVAN MIGHT HAVE SCORED BIG WHEN SHE MADE HER AMERICAN NETWORK TV DEBUT AS LEILA, THE LEADER OF THE LEAGUE OF SHADOWS ON GOTHAM AND IVY, A WITCH IN THE ORIGINALS SERIES. BUT IF THERE’S ANYTHING HER EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT HER, IT IS TO REMAIN HUMBLE AND ALWAYS TAKE RISKS WITH NO REGRETS.

Tammy Chan
One Step At A Time

Although investment banking is now a thing of the past for the 34-yearold Kuala Lumpur-born actress and producer, Shiva admits that she can never really run away from her finance and business background (she graduated with a degree in Finance from Indiana University Bloomington back in 2006, after all).

“I’m working on producing my own content. I’ve produced two Off-Off-Broadway plays – Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me by Frank McGuinness, and Exposure, a new play by Laura Zlatos in New York – and now I’m trying to branch out and learn a new medium,” she says. Nonetheless, Shiva admits that her passion for the arts is the main reason she is where she is today and also who she aspires to become tomorrow.

FEMALE: Congratulations on your role as Lelia in Gotham! Would you consider that to be the biggest risk you’ve ever taken? 

Shiva: “I don't think so. My initial decision to become an actress was probably the biggest risk I’ve ever taken. Acting isn’t a very stable job; it’s not a structured career path. Deciding to do this was out of the ordinary for me as I love to have a plan but deep down in my heart, I knew I had to try and see what happens. If I fail, at least I can say that I tried and have no regrets.”

F: What other accomplishments are you most proud of? 

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