Mandeep was photographed by Joseph Sinclair in London; she was styled by Ella-Louise Gaskell; interview by Alison Engstrom

Suit by Bite Studio; shoes by Rupert Sanderson; jewelry by Pawn Shop

Let’s jump right in, congratulations on your new series ‘CSI: Vegas’! Can you talk more about your character Allie and the journey she goes on in the series?

Allie is a level two CSI; she’s so clever and smart. She’s originally from India and her family is still there. But in this series, she is battling with the issue of being with someone who she knows she shouldn’t be. Have you ever had that? It sucks, it’s the worst feeling in the world. Allie is struggling with it consciously and subconsciously, but towards the end of the season, it’s more conscious and she’s trying not to let that affect her judgment at work.

You’ve talked about the humanity of your character, it takes a certain person to be able to work in so many fields, especially the forensic field. You almost have to turn off the emotion.

Yes, and it’s such a human emotion to try and turn off. I’m awful with the idea of death and seeing a dead person—I don’t know what I would do. I always say it but I am so impressed by the real CSI’s who are out there doing the job, whilst juggling being a parent and having the normal ups and downs of life.

Walk me through the process of prepping. I find the world of crime investigation absolutely fascinating. What did you do to get ready for the role?

I spoke to the showrunner about her background and where she came from. I didn’t speak to the producers too much about the series and where my character was going to go or do, with these types of shows you are figuring it out as you are filming. We are filming episode two and then receive episode three and start filming it in four days. It keeps it exciting and it’s more like life because as we live our life, we never know what is going to happen. I would speak to our CSI tech advisor Daniel Holstein, he was amazing just to hear his stories and be able to ask him questions about his experiences. I flew out to LA from London and we were filming during covid so we weren’t able to go out into the field and morgues. It would have been great to go out with real CSIs to see it first hand, but I’m secretly happy that I didn’t do that because I would have had nightmares (laughs).

Mandeep is wearing a dress by Miu Miu at Yoox; earrings by Alighieri.

It was already a dark time in the world so I can only imagine that wouldn’t add anything positive to the time. But now, going back to the beginning of when you had a dream to pursue acting, what would you say was your ultimate goal?

It’s funny because it changes over time. When I was younger, it would have been my goal if I was watching the That’s So Raven on the Disney Channel, to be in a lead like that. I used to go to Florida with my auntie and uncle every year. I remember going to Disney World and seeing that it’s possible. I can’t remember how old I was, but one summer, something inside of me decided, when you go back to England that’s it, you are going hard for your dream. I remember coming back and signing up for this thing called To Be Seen, and it was for a background artist. At that time, I was like, yeah, I made it (laughs) because I was on a film set and I thought it was amazing. The show turned out to be a big show called The Inbetweeners. I recall standing there on set looking at the four leads and thinking, I want to be the female version of that. Literally, three years later, I was in a girl version called Some Girls. I love stuff like that because it’s so lovely to have people in the industry, it can be anyone, if I see them clearly, I am vibrating on that same frequency, so I can have it.

Oh I definitely believe that. It’s about putting it out there but not knowing when it will happen. It’s about believing before you see it.

That’s the magic; it’s how we achieve things, that’s how we can manifest things. It’s the limits in our brain; if we have a limit on our dreams then that will of course be our reality.

What would you say was your first defining moment where things shifted for you?

It’s interesting because I have always known it was going to work out, even when I was working so many different jobs to pay bills and to live whilst acting, trying to save my acting money, and building myself up. We deal with so many rejections but that’s okay. It’s something that I am grateful I have, I am really good with rejection. When I get a no about a job, I say, cool that’s not for me and that was never my part or my role. Ten times out of ten I watch the show and the casting went with exactly the right person.

Suit by Bite Studios; jewelry by Pawn Shop; bodysuit by Casia Intimates

How do you cultivate that belief of it will work out? I am also in that mindset. For you, is it faith, trusting in the universe?

Faith for sure. I believe in God and I have a beautiful relationship with God. I put all of my faith in God. It’s fascinating how your life can really change. I think following your gut can also be your god that’s also how I connect. If my gut says no about something, even if it’s a job, I will say I am not meant to do it. Following that is so important, it’s your guide. I dream something and I think that’s what I am meant to do and I want that, but it won’t happen. But down the line, something even bigger or better will happen, like CSI. The older I am getting the more I am willing to take the risk.

**You’ve held really great roles, one of my favorites was opposite Ricky Gervais in After Life. What excites or pull you in for a new project? Are you listening to your gut like you mentioned?**

I am listening to my gut now but at the start of my career, it was whatever role I could book. When you first start, you just want a break. You take whatever you can with whoever says yes at that time. It gets to a certain point where you realize, I have made a name for myself, I am good; I haven’t got to do the waitress thing anymore and now I can afford to say no, follow my gut more, and choose what message I want to get out through my art. I think a lot of people struggle with that, a lot of people come through the mindset of, I am so lucky to do this; I am so grateful to do this but I also think productions are lucky to have me. You know?

Yes, It’s about looking at life through an abundant versus scarcity mindset.

That’s exactly it, knowing you are enough, knowing you are worthy, and you have a right to be there.

Confidence and believing in yourself is a lifelong pursuit. How do you cultivate it in your daily life?

Fake it till you make it (laughs). I have affirmations around my house. Right now, I am looking at something in my kitchen and it says: right now I am enough, I am strong, I am brave, I am deserving. Even just that whether or not it’s my conscious mind or my subconscious mind, it’s going in. Don’t get me wrong some days I wake up and I feel shit. I will look at myself in the mirror and say, ugh. We all have those days but I think it’s getting to know yourself and what will bring you out of that, maybe it’s listening to Beyoncé—she’s amazing—and having a dance.

What do you know now that you wished you knew when you were little?

I think it would be the stuff of confidence, self-worth, and knowing you are enough. For some of the jobs I took, I would be wearing school uniforms. As soon as someone sees you in a school uniform they treat you like a child. If I could go back and tell my younger self something, I would say, hold up a minute, stand your ground in a lovely and loving way and remind them you aren’t a child, you are a grown woman.

You are a creative woman of many pursuits including acting, writing, singing, and dancing. Where do you feel most in the flow these days?

I feel like it’s changing recently. I love writing—five years ago I would say, I wrote back in school. Over the last five years, I have fallen in love with it again and I enjoy it and I’m in that zone. I am also at a place in my career, where I have done it for ten years and I want to train because I didn’t study acting in school. I want to learn as a thirty-year-old woman versus when I started at 19. It’s great to be vulnerable again. Now I go to acting classes, vocal training, and learn this woman version of myself. Writing is helping my acting and acting is helping my writing. I just finished watching Ted Lasso and that’s the type of show and experience I want for my audience.

I read you are also writing a TV series. What is your writing process? Can you talk about the series at all?

Sometimes I will wake up at 5 am with an idea, maybe out of a dream. I’ll write it in my notes, whatever it was, half asleep. Then when I’ll wake up and think, there is an idea here. Then I will write a treatment for it, create the world, create the message, the core of the show then when I am at that point, I will pitch it to producers. I’ll then write an episode and just play with the characters—I’ll have fun with it. I can’t reveal what it’s about just yet but I had been developing it the whole time I was filming CSI. It’s been amazing to develop, rewrite the episodes and be in the deep end with my writing.

Dress by Needle & Thread; earrings by Alighiery; necklace by Alighieri; boots by Grenson

Where do you get inspired for your work?

Life itself. In my life, I have been through so many ups and downs. I personally love shows that are happy, sad, and deal with real-life issues. I want to create a show like that, it’s what After Life, Ted Lasso, and This Is Us did. Those kinds of shows change the world whether it be through healing or laughter. If I can affect my audiences in that way, that’s my purpose, that’s what I feel my purpose is through my creativity.

The world needs a lot of healing and levity. Have you evolved or changed at all over the past two years during the pandemic?

The last two years have been amazing for me. I think career-wise but also developmentally, spirituality, and healing. I am a big therapy supporter, I did it all during lock-down. I had a breakup at the start of 2020, it was really hard but it has healed me massively. You go deeper and deeper with inner child healing and other work. We always carry our inner child with us wherever we go and if we haven’t done the work yet and are lucky enough to be able to do the work. I wish so many people out there could have free therapy.

November is a month of giving thanks here in the US. I’d love to know what you are grateful for?

I am very grateful for CSI: Vegas and then the show I’m developing. I am also thankful that I got to work in LA, it’s been a dream of mine for three or four years. It was on my vision board for this year, I put, I love filming in LA and I had a Hollywood sign and four months later, I was taking off and going to LA for six months. I am grateful for so much!

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Stream ‘CSI: Vegas’ on CBS

With very special thanks to Mandeep and team

Mandeep Dhillon On Not Putting Limits On Our Dreams, The Power of Visualization, and Her New CBS Series 'CSI: Vegas'