22 of the most recognizable Indian/Half Indian Actors

by n-amritha | created - 28 Sep 2010 | updated - 10 Jan 2011 | Public

In Hollywood and in no particular order.

1. Kal Penn

Actor | Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle

Kal Penn was born and raised in Montclair, New Jersey, to Asmita, a fragrance evaluator, and Suresh Modi, an engineer. His parents are Gujarati immigrants to America from India. He attended the Freehold Regional High School District's Performing Arts High School where he participated in the ...

The most successful? Atleast in terms of number of roles and visibility.

2. Deep Roy

Actor | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Deep Roy was born on January 26, 1949 in Nairobi, Kenya. He is an actor and producer, known for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and The NeverEnding Story (1984).

Oompa Loompa....

3. Jay Chandrasekhar

Director | Super Troopers

Jay Chandrasekhar was born on April 9, 1968 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is a director and actor, known for Super Troopers (2001), Club Dread (2004) and Beerfest (2006). He has been married to Susan Clarke since September 18, 2005. They have three children.

Is he talented? Is he funny? I don't know, but he does try.

4. Navi Rawat

Actress | Feast

Navi Rawat was born on June 5, 1977 in Malibu, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Feast (2005), The O.C. (2003) and Numb3rs (2005). She has been married to Brawley Nolte since 2012. They have one child.

The OC and Numbers! Variety and spice.

5. Parminder Nagra

Actress | Bend It Like Beckham

Parminder Nagra was born in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Bend It Like Beckham (2002), ER (1994) and The Blacklist (2013). She was previously married to James Stenson.

Nobody can bend it like Nagra!

6. Naseeruddin Shah

Actor | A Wednesday

Naseeruddin Shah was born on July 20 1950, in Barabanki, a small village in Uttar Pradesh. He is a seasoned Bollywood actor and has received several awards for his notable performance in several movies. The actor has also been awarded the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan awards for his enormous ...

A league of his own, except in the league of extraordinary (dull) gentlemen.

7. Padma Lakshmi

Actress | Glitter

Padma Lakshmi was born on September 1, 1970 in Madras, Tamil Nadu, India. She is a producer and actress, known for Glitter (2001), Star Trek: Enterprise (2001) and Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (2020). She was previously married to Salman Rushdie.

Yum yum yummy recent mummy!

8. Om Puri

Actor | The Hundred-Foot Journey

Om Puri was an Indian actor who has appeared in both mainstream Indian films and art films. His credits also include appearances in British and American films. He has received an honorary OBE.

Puri was born in Ambala, Haryana. His father worked on the railways and served in the Indian Army. Puri ...

Sprinkled across a few productions. (mostly british)

9. Sendhil Ramamurthy

Actor | The Slammin' Salmon

Sendhil Ramamurthy (born May 17, 1974) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as geneticist Mohinder Suresh in the NBC sci-fi drama Heroes and Jai Wilcox in the action spy series Covert Affairs. He appeared as Abhay in the Indian film Shor in the City. He played Gabriel Lowen in The ...

Hero.

Jewellery Designer and Wes Anderson prop.

11. Aasif Mandvi

Actor | Million Dollar Arm

Aasif Mandvi was born on March 5, 1966 in Bombay, Maharashtra, India. He is an actor and producer, known for Million Dollar Arm (2014), Evil (2019) and The Proposal (2009). He has been married to Shaifali Puri since August 26, 2017.

Provider of The Daily Indian/Muslim joke.

12. Rory Cochrane

Actor | Encounter

Rory Cochrane was born in New York, however he spent his childhood years in England. He later returned to New York City and was educated at the renowned High School of The Performing Arts. Soon after graduating, he got his first substantial role as Jeff Goldblum's son in Fathers & Sons, followed by...

Indian Mom

13. Dev Patel

Actor | Slumdog Millionaire

Dev Patel was born in Harrow, London, to Anita, a caregiver, and Raj Patel, who works in IT. His parents, originally from Nairobi, Kenya, are both of Gujarati Indian descent. His first role was in the UK TV series Skins (2007). His breakout role was in the Oscar winning film Slumdog Millionaire (...

Slumdog with the british accent.

14. Freida Pinto

Actress | Slumdog Millionaire

Freida Selena Pinto was born in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, India, to Sylvia, a school principal, and Frederick Pinto, a senior bank branch manager. She is from a Mangalorean family.

Pinto traversed the modeling circuit in Mumbai (represented by Elite Model Management India) for two years ...

The one movie wonder (as of now)

15. Naveen Andrews

Actor | The English Patient

Born Naveen William Sidney Andrews in London on January 17, 1969. His parents were both Indian immigrants from Kerala, India. In high school, he auditioned for drama school and was accepted at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Two of his classmates were Ewan McGregor and David Thewlis. ...

Exposed to a global audience, especially in Kamasutra, teeehee.

16. Ben Kingsley

Actor | Sexy Beast

Ben Kingsley was born Krishna Bhanji on December 31, 1943 in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England. His father, Rahimtulla Harji Bhanji, was a Kenyan-born medical doctor, of Gujarati Indian descent, and his mother, Anna Lyna Mary (Goodman), was an English actress. Ben began to act in stage plays during ...

Indian Dad, Gujju features :)

17. Kunal Nayyar

Actor | The Big Bang Theory

Kunal Nayyar is an British actor. He moved from India to the US in 1999. He first moved to Portland, Oregon, to study business. He started acting in plays as a way of making new friends. He took acting classes, but he went on to graduate from the University of Portland with a degree in business, as...

Cute, Mute and funny!

18. Rhona Mitra

Actress | Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

Mitra was born in Paddington, London, England, the daughter of Nora Downey and Anthony Mitra, a cosmetic surgeon. She has an older and a younger brother. Her father is of Bengali Indian and English descent, and her mother is Irish. In 1984, when Mitra was eight, her parents divorced, and she was ...

There is some Indian in there somewhere. All that hotness couldn't just have come out of nowhere!

19. Jimi Mistry

Actor | RocknRolla

Jimi Mistry was born in 1973 in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for RocknRolla (2008), 2012 (2009) and Blood Diamond (2006). He has been married to Flavia Cacace since December 28, 2013. He was previously married to Meg Leonard.

Half Indian, half hair gel.

20. Ayesha Dharker

Actress | Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

Ayesha Dharker was born in 1977 in Bombay, India. She is an actress, known for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002), The Father (2020) and Outsourced (2006).

a glimpse in star wars, another in ............(will check her page and get back)

21. Aziz Ansari

Actor | Parks and Recreation

Aziz Ansari was born in Columbia, South Carolina, to Fatima, a medical office worker, and Shoukath, a gastroenterologist. His family is from Tamil Nadu, India. He graduated from NYU as a business major in 2004. He graduated from the South Carolina Governor's School for Math and Science in ...

Funny Person (courtesy dclover66)

22. Erick Avari

Actor | Mr. Deeds

Erick Avari was born on April 13, 1952 in Darjeeling, India. His credits include leading roles in films from Kevin Reynolds' cult classic The Beast of War (1988) to commercial megahits such as Stargate (1994), Independence Day (1996), The Mummy (1999) and Planet of the Apes (2001). His comedic ...

sci fi/ fantasy maestro. (courtesy cschoenberger1973)



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