Sarah Shahi stars as Dani Reese, Charlie Crews' (Damian Lewis) skeptical, demanding partner in NBC's new drama series "Life."

Shahi's previous credits include the critically acclaimed series "The L Word" where she played Carmen, a bilingual production assistant who spends her evenings as a dee jay.

Hailing from Dallas, Texas, Shahi moved to Los Angeles in 2000. As a member of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, she had a chance meeting with Robert Altman (in town shooting "Dr. T and the Women") at the Cowboy Ranch, who encouraged her to move to Los Angeles and pursue acting. In 2000, she graced the cover of the notorious Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader calendar and embarked on a USO tour, which took her to entertain the troops in Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo and Italy.

A newcomer to Hollywood, Shahi has previously appeared in the films "Old School," "For Your Consideration" and on the television series "The Sopranos," "Dawson's Creek," "Frasier" and "Alias."