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Adhir Kalyan is a South African actor noted for his role as Timmy in theCBS sitcomRules of Engagement and as Awalmir Karimi/'Al' inUnited States of Al.^[2]

Kalyan's family is of Indian South African descent. His mother,Santosh Vinita "Sandy" Kalyan, was amember of Parliament in theSouth African National Assembly, where she represented theDemocratic Alliance.^[3]

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 ofCharles Dickens'Oliver Twist andA Christmas Carol, an adaptation ofSalman Rushdie'sThe Ground Beneath Her Feet, and the classicalShakespearean playMacbeth.

In 2005, Kalyan moved to London to pursue his acting career where he gained roles in the BBC seriesHolby City (series 8) as Arjmand Younis, inSpooks (series 5), and on the Irish networkRTÉ One inFair City as Ramal Kirmani. Kalyan also appeared in a number of independent films.^[3]

Kalyan starred in the short-lived AmericanCW Television NetworksitcomAliens in America, as a foreign exchange student from Pakistan living with aWisconsin family.^[4] He portrayed recurring characters in the fifth season of the cable showNip/Tuck,^[5] and in the third season of theCBS sitcomRules of Engagement, becoming a series regular in the latter's fourth season.

In 2009, Kalyan appeared in the filmPaul Blart: Mall Cop as Pahud, a teenager who admired his girlfriend Parisa, inUp in the Air as a fired employee, and in the cheerleader comedyFired Up. In 2010, he appeared inYouth in Revolt, and in 2011, he appeared in a minor role inNo Strings Attached.

In late 2015, he began starring in theFox science fiction crime dramaSecond Chance.

In December 2019, Kalyan was cast to portray Afghan interpreter Awalmir Karimi ("Al"), the main protagonist in theCBS sitcomUnited States of Al. The sitcom premiered on 1 April 2021, surrounded with controversy. Released to mostly negative reviews, the show 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.^[6]

In March 2015, he became engaged to actressEmily Wilson ofGeneral Hospital.^[7] He and Wilson married on 1 October 2016 at Colony 29 inPalm Springs, California.^[8] They welcomed their first child together, a daughter born on 23 March 2021.^[1]

• Adhir Kalyan atIMDb

• Living people
• Male actors from Durban
• South African male film actors
• South African people of Indian descent
• South African male television actors
• Male actors of Indian descent
• South African expatriates in the United States
• 21st-century South African male actors
• South African male actors

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