Emmanuelle Sophie Anne Chriqui was born on December 10, 1977, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and grew up in the Toronto area. Bitten by the acting bug at the age of 9, her older brother Serge helped finance acting lessons for his baby sister. She made her professional debut in a television commercial for McDonald's -- the first of several TV ads she appeared in. With dreams of an acting career, she honed her craft in the Arts York Drama Program at Unionville High School, where she received a creative arts-oriented education.