Adhir Kalyan

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Adhir Kalyan
Born (1983-08-04) 4 August 1983 (age 38)
Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
NationalitySouth African
OccupationActor
Years active2004–present
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 2016)​
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[]

  1. ^ "Adhir Kalyan". Movietome. Retrieved 2010-03-30.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Adhir Kalyan". CWTV. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  3. ^ "News 7389". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  4. ^ "Adhir Kalyan joins FX show". Zap2it. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Wilson, Emily (April 8, 2015). "We're Engaged!!". Instagram.
  7. ^ Cushman, Dustin (October 3, 2016). "Emily Wilson Marries Adhir Kalyan". Soaps.sheknows.com. Retrieved October 4, 2016.

External links[]

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