Sendhil Ramamurthy
Encyclopedia
Sendhil Ramamurthy is an American
actor
. He is best known for the role as geneticist
Mohinder Suresh
in the NBC
drama Heroes
.
on May 17, 1974. His parents emigrated to the US from India
. He has one sister who is a physician. He and his sister were raised in San Antonio. There, he went to Keystone School
and graduated in 1991. He is the cousin of film director Jay Chandrasekhar
. Ramamurthy is married to actress Olga Sosnovska
and the couple have two children. Their daughter, Halina, is four years old, and son, Alex, is two years old.
Ramamurthy attended Tufts University
initially as a pre-med major to follow in his parents' footsteps. He was also a member of the Kappa Charge of Theta Delta Chi
. He became interested in acting when he took an "Intro to Acting" class during his junior year as part of his graduation requirement. After participating in several plays — including Our Country's Good, he chose to change career goals. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in history and then attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
in London
, from which he graduated in 1999.
, Indian Ink
at the Soho Repertory Theatre
, and East Is East
at the Manhattan Theatre Club
. His film credits include Love & Debate
(originally titled Thanks to Gravity), Orient Express, Blind Dating
, Little India, Shor in the City
and Gurinder Chadha
's comedy film It's a Wonderful Afterlife
. In addition, he has appeared on several TV shows, including Ellen
, Casualty
, Guiding Light
, Grey's Anatomy
, Ultimate Force
, Heroes
and Numb3rs
.
Ramamurthy enjoys playing football. He made a conscious decision to not audition for stereotypical Indian roles, although he has been offered such parts. Ramamurthy's role on Heroes
was his biggest role to date. Although the character of Mohinder Suresh was originally written for a 55-year old, his audition tape and screen test were convincing enough for writers to rewrite the part for Ramamurthy.
Ramamurthy guest starred in a season four episode of Psych titled "Bollywood Homicide", directed by Jay Chandrasekhar
.
It was announced in March 2010 that Ramamurthy had joined the cast of the new USA Network show Covert Affairs
. Ramamurthy appears as Jai Wilcox from the second episode onward, replacing character Conrad Sheehan III, played by Eric Lively
in the pilot. The show premiered in July 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He is best known for the role as geneticist
Geneticist
A geneticist is a biologist who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a researcher or lecturer. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of skills. A geneticist is also a Consultant or...
Mohinder Suresh
Mohinder Suresh
Mohinder Suresh is a fictional character on the NBC drama Heroes, portrayed by Sendhil Ramamurthy. He is from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India and is a genetics professor at the University of Madras who holds a PhD in parapsychology...
in the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
drama Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
.
Personal life
Ramamurthy was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
on May 17, 1974. His parents emigrated to the US from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He has one sister who is a physician. He and his sister were raised in San Antonio. There, he went to Keystone School
Keystone School
Keystone School, generally called simply Keystone, is a co-educational independent private school for students from kindergarten to twelfth grade, located in the Monte Vista Historic District, San Antonio, Texas, USA...
and graduated in 1991. He is the cousin of film director Jay Chandrasekhar
Jay Chandrasekhar
Jayanth Jambulingam "Jay" Chandrasekhar is a Tamil American actor, comedian, writer, and film director with the comedy team Broken Lizard.-Life and career:...
. Ramamurthy is married to actress Olga Sosnovska
Olga Sosnovska
Olga Sosnovska is a Polish-born UK/US-based actress.-Career:Sosnovska is perhaps best known in America for her role as Polish businesswoman Lena Kundera on the soap opera All My Children...
and the couple have two children. Their daughter, Halina, is four years old, and son, Alex, is two years old.
Ramamurthy attended Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
initially as a pre-med major to follow in his parents' footsteps. He was also a member of the Kappa Charge of Theta Delta Chi
Theta Delta Chi
Theta Delta Chi is a social fraternity that was founded in 1847 at Union College. While nicknames differ from institution to institution, the most common nicknames for the fraternity are Theta Delt, Thete, TDX, and TDC. Theta Delta Chi brothers refer to their local organization as Charges rather...
. He became interested in acting when he took an "Intro to Acting" class during his junior year as part of his graduation requirement. After participating in several plays — including Our Country's Good, he chose to change career goals. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in history and then attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, formerly the Webber Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art, was a drama school, and originally a singing school, in London. It was one of the leading drama schools in Britain, and offered comprehensive training for those intending to pursue a...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, from which he graduated in 1999.
Career
Ramamurthy has appeared in theatrical productions of A Servant of Two Masters in London's West EndWest End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
, Indian Ink
Indian Ink (play)
Indian Ink is a 1995 play by Tom Stoppard , based on his 1991 radio play In the Native State. Indian Ink had its first performance at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, and opened at the Aldwych Theatre, London, on February 27, 1995. The production was directed by Peter Wood and designed by Carl...
at the Soho Repertory Theatre
Soho Repertory Theatre
The Soho Repertory Theatre, also known as Soho Rep, is an Off-Broadway theater company with a 73-seat located at 46 Walker Street in the TriBeCa district of Manhattan, New York City...
, and East Is East
East is East (play)
East is East is a play by Ayub Khan-Din, first produced by Tamasha Theatre Company in co-production with the Royal Court and Birmingham Repertory Theatre. It is often cited as one of the key works to bring Asian culture to mainstream British audiences...
at the Manhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club is a theater company located in New York City. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, Manhattan Theatre Club has grown since its founding in 1970 from an Off-Off Broadway showcase into one of the country’s most acclaimed...
. His film credits include Love & Debate
Love & Debate
Love & Debate is a drama/romance film released in 2006 based on decisions everyday teenage girls have to make.It is a story of a young girl who has become the star in the debate club in her high school....
(originally titled Thanks to Gravity), Orient Express, Blind Dating
Blind Dating
Blind Dating is a 2006 romantic comedy film directed by James Keach and starring Chris Pine, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Anjali Jay, Jane Seymour, and Jayma Mays. The movie is produced by David Shanks and James Keach and is distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films LLC.During its release, the film received...
, Little India, Shor in the City
Shor in the City
Shor in the City is a 2011 Hindi film directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K. starring Tusshar Kapoor, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Preeti Desai, Nikhil Dwivedi, Pitobash Tripathy, Sundeep Kishan, Girija Oak, Radhika Apte and Amit Mistry in the lead roles. The background score of the film was composed by...
and Gurinder Chadha
Gurinder Chadha
Gurinder Chadha , OBE, is a British film director of Indian origin. Most of her films explore the lives of Indians living in the United Kingdom. She is best known for the hit films Bhaji on the Beach , Bend It Like Beckham , Bride and Prejudice and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging...
's comedy film It's a Wonderful Afterlife
It's a Wonderful Afterlife
It's a Wonderful Afterlife is a 2010 British comedy film directed by Gurinder Chadha. The screenplay centers on an Indian mother whose obsession with marrying off her daughter leads her into the realm of serial murder. It was filmed primarily in English, with some Hindi and Punjabi dialogue...
. In addition, he has appeared on several TV shows, including Ellen
Ellen
Ellen may refer to:* Ellen , a female given name* Television programs with Ellen DeGeneres:** Ellen , a sitcom about a bookstore owner...
, Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
, Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
, Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
, Ultimate Force
Ultimate Force
Ultimate Force is a British television drama series that was shown on ITV, which deals with the activities of the fictional Red Troop of the SAS...
, Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
and Numb3rs
NUMB3RS
Numb3rs is an American television drama which premiered on CBS on January 23, 2005, and concluded on March 12, 2010. The series was created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton, and follows FBI Special Agent Don Eppes and his mathematical genius brother, Charlie Eppes , who helps Don solve crimes...
.
Ramamurthy enjoys playing football. He made a conscious decision to not audition for stereotypical Indian roles, although he has been offered such parts. Ramamurthy's role on Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
was his biggest role to date. Although the character of Mohinder Suresh was originally written for a 55-year old, his audition tape and screen test were convincing enough for writers to rewrite the part for Ramamurthy.
Ramamurthy guest starred in a season four episode of Psych titled "Bollywood Homicide", directed by Jay Chandrasekhar
Jay Chandrasekhar
Jayanth Jambulingam "Jay" Chandrasekhar is a Tamil American actor, comedian, writer, and film director with the comedy team Broken Lizard.-Life and career:...
.
It was announced in March 2010 that Ramamurthy had joined the cast of the new USA Network show Covert Affairs
Covert Affairs
Covert Affairs is a USA Network television series starring Piper Perabo and Christopher Gorham. The one-hour drama premiered on Tuesday, July 13, 2010. The show concluded its first season on September 14, 2010 and was renewed for a second season on August 19, 2010. The second season began airing on...
. Ramamurthy appears as Jai Wilcox from the second episode onward, replacing character Conrad Sheehan III, played by Eric Lively
Eric Lively
Eric Lawrence Lively is an American actor. He played the role Nick Larson in The Butterfly Effect 2.-Early life:Lively was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He has a sister, actress Blake Lively, half-sisters actresses Lori Lively and Robyn Lively and a half-brother, Jason Lively, who played Rusty in...
in the pilot. The show premiered in July 2010.
Movies
- Shor in the CityShor in the CityShor in the City is a 2011 Hindi film directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K. starring Tusshar Kapoor, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Preeti Desai, Nikhil Dwivedi, Pitobash Tripathy, Sundeep Kishan, Girija Oak, Radhika Apte and Amit Mistry in the lead roles. The background score of the film was composed by...
(2011) - Abhay - It's a Wonderful AfterlifeIt's a Wonderful AfterlifeIt's a Wonderful Afterlife is a 2010 British comedy film directed by Gurinder Chadha. The screenplay centers on an Indian mother whose obsession with marrying off her daughter leads her into the realm of serial murder. It was filmed primarily in English, with some Hindi and Punjabi dialogue...
(2010) - D S Raj Murthy - The Slammin' SalmonThe Slammin' SalmonThe Slammin' Salmon is a 2009 film by Broken Lizard. The film is about the owner of a restaurant initiating a contest to see which of his waiters can earn the most money in a single night, with a prize of $10,000. The loser receives a "beat down" by the owner, Cleon Salmon, a former heavyweight boxer...
(2009) - Marlon Specter
Television
- Ultimate ForceUltimate ForceUltimate Force is a British television drama series that was shown on ITV, which deals with the activities of the fictional Red Troop of the SAS...
(2002) - Corporal Alex Leonard - HeroesHeroes (TV series)Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
(2006–2010) - Mohinder Suresh - PsychPsychPsych is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks and broadcast on USA Network. It stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened observational skills" and impressive detective instincts...
(2009) - Rajesh - Covert AffairsCovert AffairsCovert Affairs is a USA Network television series starring Piper Perabo and Christopher Gorham. The one-hour drama premiered on Tuesday, July 13, 2010. The show concluded its first season on September 14, 2010 and was renewed for a second season on August 19, 2010. The second season began airing on...
(2010–Present) - Jai Wilcox