Zenobia Shroff | |
|---|---|
 Shroff in 2018 | |
| Born | (1965-05-27)May 27, 1965 (age 60) |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Education | Circle in the Square Theatre School |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, comedian |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Known for | Muneeba Khan inMs. Marvel[1] |
Zenobia Shroff (born May 27, 1965) is an Indian-born American actress. Shroff has been an actress, writer, teaching artist and sketch comedian for over 30 years and she is known for her role in the 2017 filmThe Big Sick,[2] and asMuneeba Khan in theDisney+ TV seriesMs. Marvel andThe Marvels.
Shroff grew up in aParsi family in South Bombay, in what is now known asMumbai.[3]
Shroff began her professional career at age sixteen as a commercial print model. After seven successful years as amodel, she switched to acting. She got her acting start in Mumbai under the mentorship ofPearl Padamsee. She then moved to study acting atNew York City'sCircle in the Square Theatre School.[4][5] Soon after, she appeared at the Broadway Castillo Theatre, where she played several roles such as Nora inHenrik Ibsen'sA Doll's House to German avant-gardistHeiner Müller.[5] She also performed inErotic Adventures in Venice at theLa MaMa Experimental Theatre Club and inMilan Kundera'sJacques and His Master.[citation needed]
In 2007, she was cast as Roxanne inLittle Zizou, written and directed bySooni Taraporevala. For that role she was nominated as best actress at theNew York Indian film festival.[6] A few years later, she appeared inWhen Harry Tries to Marry, an Americanromantic comedy film. She followed that up with her firstBollywood film,Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu alongsideImran Khan. The film received critical acclaim.[7] Her solo show,Show How to Succeed as an Ethnically Ambiguous Actor premiered at the Planet Connections Festival in June 2016. For that performance she has been nominated as Outstanding Solo Performer.[8]
Shroff has been a lifelong dancer, starting with the classical Indian temple dance,Bharat Natyam for several years and moving onto jazz and modern as a young adult. She is a founding company member of theShiamak Davar dance company with whom she toured nationally doing musical theatre including playing Anita inWest Side Story,Cabaret, andA Chorus Line.[9]
She has performed stand-up at the Guild Gallery, the Indo American Arts Council,[10] Don't Tell Mama,UCB and the South Asian International Performing Arts Festival.[citation needed] She went on to perform her show,Show How to Succeed as an Ethnically Ambiguous Actor, with over 30 characters in and off-Broadway at the Castillo Theatre in a full run in the summer of 2017.[11] Also in 2017, she was cast asKumail Nanjiani's mother inThe Big Sick, produced byJudd Apatow. The cast was nominated for aScreen Actors Guild Awards in 2018.[12]
She has appeared in the Americanmedical drama seriesThe Resident, Americanpolitical drama television seriesMadam Secretary, and a recurring role as Priya Ullah in seasons 4 and 5 ofThe Affair.[13] In 2020, she voiced one of the many counselors named “Jerry”, in theDisney-Pixar filmSoul.
In 2022, she was cast asMuneeba Khan in theMarvel Studios seriesMs. Marvel onDisney+. She reprised the role in the 2023 filmThe Marvels.[14]
She holds a master's degree in Psychology.[15]
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Percy | Vera | ||
| 2008 | Little Zizou | Roxanne | [6] | |
| 2010 | When Harry Tries to Marry | Geeta Shankar | [6] | |
| 2012 | Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu | Nicole Braganza | [6] | |
| 2016 | Misaligned | Nadia's Mother | Short film | |
| 2017 | The Big Sick | Sharmeen | [2][16] | |
| 2019 | (t)here | Geeta (Mother) | Short film | [17] |
| 2020 | Save Yourselves! | Su's Mom | Voice role | [18][19] |
| 2020 | Soul | Counselor Jerry | Voice role | [20] |
| 2021 | 7 Days | Rita's Mom | [21] | |
| 2023 | The Marvels | Muneeba Khan | [14] | |
| 2025 | This Tempting Madness† | TBA | Post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–2019 | The Resident | Himaya Pravesh | 3 episodes | [16] |
| 2018 | The Affair | Priya Ullah | 6 episodes | [16] |
| 2018 | The Greatest American Hero | Leena | TV film | |
| 2018 | Madam Secretary | Indian Prime Minister Vanya Kharti | Episode: "E Pluribus Unum" | [16] |
| 2022 | Ms. Marvel | Muneeba Khan | Main role (6 episodes) | [22] |
| 2025 | Marvel Zombies | Muneeba Khan (voice) | Miniseries (1 episode) |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
