Born in Pasadena, Calif., on July 17, 1988, Summer Bishil spent much of her youth in the Middle East, where her father worked as a banker. A huge fan of American movies, Bishil took her first acting lesson at age 14 and signed with an agency in Southern California less than a year later.

Bishil made her acting debut at age 17 on "Days of Our Lives" and soon began landing other small roles on family-friendly TV shows such as "Just for Kicks" and "Hannah Montana." She also appeared in the made-for-TV movie Return to Halloweentown.

In 2007, the 19-year-old Bishil scored a starring role in Alan Ball's Towelhead playing Jasira Maroun, a 13-year-old Arab American girl coping with the perils of adolescence during the first Gulf War. Heralded as a remarkable new talent, Bishil was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her work in the film.