Tasha de Vasconcelos was born in Beira, Mozambique, to a family with a rich cultural heritage. Her father's Portuguese ancestry and her mother's British roots have greatly influenced her multilingual abilities and her capacity to connect with people from diverse backgrounds.
Due to social unrest in Africa, Tasha's family relocated to Canada, where she pursued her education at the University of British Columbia. She later graduated in International Strategy from the Centre for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies in Paris in 1998.
Tasha's modeling career began when she was discovered in Canada, and she quickly established herself as a successful international model. Her first Vogue cover was shot by renowned photographer Steven Meisel. She made her acting debut in the French film Riches, belles, etc. (1998),alongside Claudia Cardinale, Marisa Berenson, and Anouk Aimee.
Tasha studied acting at the Cours Florent and the Central School of Speech and Drama. She then played the role of Lauren, a sexually liberated minx, in the BBC comedy series Perfect World (2000),opposite Paul Kaye.
Her subsequent roles included a Russian jewel thief in the CBS remake of Murder on the Orient Express (2001),opposite Alfred Molina, and a feisty independent writer and love interest in Largo Winch (2001),alongside Paolo Seganti. She also appeared in Relic Hunter (1999) as a warrior princess.
In 2002, Tasha filmed the independent feature film Dot the I (2003),alongside Gael Garcia Bernal, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2003. She performed alongside Judi Dench and Gillian Anderson at "An Enchanted Evening" at London's Theatre Royal, a gala performance of the music of Richard Rodgers in aid of the Neurofibromatosis Association.
Tasha's first major feature film release was in the spoof Bond movie Johnny English (2003),directed by Peter Howitt and starring Rowan Atkinson, Natalie Imbruglia, and John Malkovich. She played the manipulative villainess Contessa Alexandra in the film's opening scene, opposite Rowan Atkinson.
Among her many talents, Tasha is an outstanding horsewoman and pentathlon competitor. She is also passionate about helping underprivileged children, supporting charities such as the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund and the Association for Drug-addicted Children in Portugal.
Tasha serves as a goodwill representative for UNICEF to Bolivia for malnourished children and to Algeria for war-ravaged children. She is also the goodwill ambassador appointed by Bolivia's first lady for the "Children of Pailaviri" project.
