Adhir Kalyan
Adhir Kalyan | |
---|---|
Born | Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | 4 August 1983
Nationality | South African |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 2004–present |
Spouse(s) | |
Parent(s) | Sandy Kalyan |
Adhir Kalyan (born 4 August 1983) is a South African actor noted for his role as Timmy in the CBS sitcom Rules of Engagement and as Awalmir Karimi/'Al' in United States of Al.[1]
Early life[]
Kalyan was born in Durban, South Africa, to an Indian South African family. His mother, Santosh Vinita "Sandy" Kalyan,was a member of Parliament in the South African National Assembly, where she represented the Democratic Alliance.[2]
Kalyan completed his schooling at Marklands in Durban. Prior to moving abroad, he performed in a number of productions in South Africa, including theatrical adaptations of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol, an adaptation of Salman Rushdie's The Ground Beneath Her Feet, and the classical Shakespearean play Macbeth.
Career[]
In 2005, Kalyan moved to London to pursue his acting career where he gained roles in the BBC series Holby City (series 8) as Arjmand Younis, in Spooks (series 5), and on the Irish network RTÉ One in Fair City as Ramal Kirmani. Kalyan also appeared in a number of independent films.[2]
Kalyan starred in the short-lived American CW Television Network sitcom Aliens in America, as a foreign exchange student from Pakistan living with a Wisconsin family.[3] He portrayed recurring characters in the fifth season of the cable show Nip/Tuck,[4] and in the third season of the CBS sitcom Rules of Engagement, becoming a series regular in the latter's fourth season.
In 2009, Kalyan appeared in the film Paul Blart: Mall Cop as Pahud, a teenager who admired his girlfriend Parisa, in Up in the Air as a fired employee, and in the cheerleader comedy Fired Up. In 2010, he appeared in Youth in Revolt, and in 2011, he appeared in a minor role in No Strings Attached.
In late 2015, he began starring in the Fox science fiction crime drama Second Chance.
In December 2019, Kalyan was cast to portray Afghan interpreter Awalmir Karimi ("Al"), the main protagonist in the CBS sitcom United States of Al. The sitcom premiered on April 1, 2021 surrounded with controversy. Released to mostly negative reviews, United States of Al and its makers were criticized for the show’s humor, use of antiquated tropes, and in particular, critics called out the casting of a South-African-born Indian actor to play an Afghan lead and his use of an inauthentic accent. [5]
Personal life[]
In March 2015, he became engaged to actress Emily Wilson of General Hospital.[6] He and Wilson married on October 1, 2016 at Colony 29 in Palm Springs, CA.[7]
Filmography[]
Year | Title | Type | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | Holby City | TV series | Arjmand Younis | 1 episode |
2006–2007 | Fair City | TV series | Ramal Kirmani | |
2007–2008 | Aliens in America | TV series | Raja | Starring role |
2009 | Paul Blart: Mall Cop | Feature | Pahud | |
2009 | Fired Up | Feature | Brewster | |
2009 | Up in the Air | Feature | Irate IT worker | |
2009 | Nip/Tuck | TV series | Raj Paresh | 3 episodes |
2009 | Youth in Revolt | Feature | Vijay Joshi | |
2009–2013 | Rules of Engagement | TV series | Timmy | Recurring (Season 3) Main cast (Seasons 4–7) 70 episodes |
2010 | High School | Feature | Sebastian Saleem | |
2011 | No Strings Attached | Feature | Kevin | |
2015 | Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 | Feature | Pahud | Cameo |
2016 | Second Chance | TV series | Otto Goodwin | Starring role |
2020 | A Nice Girl Like You | Feature | Paul Goodwin | |
2020 | Feature | Kumaran Naidu | ||
2020 | The Goldbergs | TV series | Dodd Wembley | Episode: "It's All About Comptrol" |
2021–present | United States of Al | TV series | Awalmir "Al" Karimi | Main cast |
References[]
- ^ "Adhir Kalyan". Movietome. Retrieved 2010-03-30.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Adhir Kalyan". CWTV. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
- ^ "News 7389". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
- ^ "Adhir Kalyan joins FX show". Zap2it. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
- ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (March 21, 2021). "'United States of Al' Blasted For Handling Of Afghan Character; Reza Aslan Defends CBS Sitcom: "You Can't Judge A Show By A 30 Second Trailer"". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
- ^ Wilson, Emily (April 8, 2015). "We're Engaged!!". Instagram.
- ^ Cushman, Dustin (October 3, 2016). "Emily Wilson Marries Adhir Kalyan". Soaps.sheknows.com. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
External links[]
- Adhir Kalyan at IMDb
- 1983 births
- Living people
- Actors from Durban
- South African male film actors
- South African people of Indian descent
- South African male television actors
- Male actors of Indian descent
- 21st-century South African male actors