The representation of Indian actors in Hollywood movies has changed drastically throughout the years. From portraying heroes to supervillains, Indian actors have given some great and powerful performances in Hollywood movies.
Bollywood actors and actresses have already made their presence felt global. Not just in Bollywood, even other Indian stars are making their way to global maps.
Here’s a list of the Indian actors in Hollywood along with their movies and series. These actors are big names in Bollywood who went straight to Hollywood fame and glory!
1. Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka is among the most successful Bollywood stars to have ever been a part of Hollywood. In 2015, she played the role of Alex Parrish in the American series 'Quantico' making her the first South Asian to play a lead role in an American drama series. In 2017, she made her Hollywood film debut with the action-comedy movie 'Baywatch' opposite Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Zac Efron.
Then later in 2018, she was a part of 'A Kid like Jake', a movie about gender variance. In 2021, she portrayed the role of Pinky madam in Netflix’s The White Tiger. Priyanka has upcoming projects like a romantic drama, 'Text For You', 'Matrix', Amazon Prime Video’s thriller series 'Citadel', 'Cowboy Ninja Viking' opposite Chris Patt, and many more!
2. Irfan Khan
Irfan played the role of Ashoke Ganguli in 'The Namesake'. He rose to fame in Hollywood after playing a police inspector in the 2008 film 'Slumdog Millionaire'. In 2010, he was a part of the third season of the HBO series 'In Treatment'.
Later in 2012, he played Dr. Ranjit Rath in 'The Amazing Spider Man'. He played the adult version of ‘Pi’ in 'Life of Pi', which was a commercial success worldwide. In 2015 he co-starred in 'Jurassic World'. His last Hollywood appearance was seen alongside Tom Hanks in the 2016 thriller Inferno.
3. Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher is one of the most talented and versatile actors in the Bollywood industry. With a career spanning over 35 years, he has been a part of many movies.
In Hollywood, he’s been a part of movies like Bend it Like Beckham (2002), Bride and Prejudice (2004), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), The Big Sick (2017), Hotel Mumbai (2018), and many more.
4. Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya has worked in quite a few Hollywood movies. She gained international recognition after starring in the British film 'Bride and Prejudice'. In 2005, she played the lead role in a romantic fantasy film 'Mistress of Spices'.
In 2017, she starred in British drama 'Provoked', and later in the same year, she starred in 'The Last Legion' alongside Ben Kingsley, Colin Firth, and Thomas Sangster. Her last Hollywood appearance was in the comedy movie 'The Pink Panther 2'.
5. Amitabh Bachchan
The Shahenshah of Bollywood made his Hollywood debut in 2013, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire in 'The Great Gatsby' with a special appearance.
6. Anil Kapoor
Appearing in over 100 films, Anil Kapoor is a globally renowned actor. His first appearance in a Hollywood movie was in 2008’s 'Slumdog Millionaire'. He earned praises worldwide for his portrayal of a television game show host. Later in 2011, he also starred in 'Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol' alongside Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, and Simon Pegg.
7. Deepika Padukone
The queen of Bollywood made her first and only Hollywood role in 'XXX: Return of Xander Cage' opposite Vin Diesel. Deepika played the lead female role of Serena Unger in the movie.
She received positive reviews for her performance and critics believed that she outclassed Vin Diesel in the movie.
8. Ali Fazal
This versatile actor is making his way to the West. Known for his role in the web series 'Mirzapur', he made his Hollywood debut in 'Furious 7', the seventh movie of the Fast and Furious series with a special appearance.
In 2017, he starred in a British-American film 'Victoria & Abdul' which is a true story based on the relationship of Queen Victoria and an Indian servant Abdul Karim. He will soon be seen in ‘Death on the Nile’, which is a Hollywood adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel of the same name.
9. Om Puri
A very famous name in Bollywood but he’s also been a part of Pakistani and British Films. Some of his most known works include Academy Award-winning, 'Gandhi', 'Charlie Wilson’s War', 'City of Joy', 'Code 46', 'The Hundred-Foot Journey', and many more.
10. Dimple Kapadia
The Bollywood actress who made her debut at the age of 16 has only made one appearance in Hollywood movies. Impressed by her charisma and poise, Christopher Nolan cast her in his spy thriller, 'Tenet'. Kapadia played the arms dealer Priya Singh in the movie.
She got positive reviews from critics for her performance. Tenet went on to become the fifth-highest grossing film of 2020.
11. Freida Pinto
Even though she’s not had any Bollywood appearances, her Hollywood movie list is long. She rose to fame after her debut in 'Slumdog Millionaire'. In 2011, she played the role of Caroline Aranha in the science fiction film, 'The Rise of the Planet of the Apes'.
In 2015, she starred alongside Christian Bale and Natalie Portman in Terrence Malick’s 'Knight of Cups'. Some of her other works include 'Day of the Falcon', 'Immortals', and many more.
12. Suraj Sharma
Without prior experience in acting, Suraj made his on-screen debut with 'Life in Pi' in 2012. In 2014, he was part of season 4 of the thriller series 'Homeland'. That same year he played the role of Rinku Singh in the shorts biopic 'Million Dollar Arm'.
Some of his other works include the comedy series 'God Friended Me' and 'Happy Death Day 2U'. He made his Bollywood debut in the rom-com 'Phillauri' alongside Anushka Sharma and Diljit Dosanjh.
13. Amrish Puri
The Mogambo of Bollywood has also shown his acting ability in Hollywood. He played the role of Khan in 'Gandhi' (1982) and the main antagonist Mola Ram in 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'.
The director of the film, Steven Spielberg said that Amrish is his favorite villain and the best the world has produced and ever will.
14. Naseeruddin Shah
He is considered one of the finest actors in India. But other than Bollywood, he has established himself as an actor in Hollywood too.
Some of his notable work abroad includes the role of Captain Nemo in 'The League of Extraordinary Gentleman' and Mira Nair’s 'Monsoon Wedding'.
15. Tabu
This fine actress of Bollywood made her Hollywood film debut with 'The Namesake' which was a big hit overseas. In 2012, she starred as the mother of the protagonist in 'Life of Pi', directed by Ang Lee.
16. Dev Patel
He made his Hollywood film debut with the role of Jamal Malik, the lead character in the Academy Award-winning 'Slumdog Millionaire'. Then he played the role of Zuko in 'The Last Airbender'. Some of his other Hollywood movies include 'The Commuter', 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel', 'About Cherry', 'The Green Knight', 'Lion', 'The Wedding Guest', and many more.
In 2015, he starred in a biographical drama 'The Man Who Knew Infinity', which was a film about Srinivasa Ramanujan. Dev stars as the Indian Mathematician in the movie. In 2018, he played the lead role in 'Hotel Mumbai' which was about the 2008 Mumbai Attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.
17. Shabana Azmi
Regarded as one of the finest actresses in India, Shabhana Azmi has been a part of several Hollywood projects like 'Madame Sousatzka', 'Bengali Night', 'City of Joy', 'Immaculate Conception', 'Son of the Pink Panther', and 'In Custody'.
18. Huma Qureshi
She is just one film old in Hollywood so she is a recent addition to the list. Huma Qureshi played the role of Geeta in Zack Snyder’s zombie-thriller 'Army of the Dead', which is streaming on Netflix.
Hollywood has done a great job in broadening its horizon and allowing artists from different countries and communities to showcase their talents. Our Indian actors have found acceptance and love among the audiences there.
This year will also mark the Hollywood debut of Bollywood actors, Dhanush, Sobhita Dhullpala, Suniel Shetty, Pankaj Tripathi, and Hrithik Roshan.
Let's hope this opens up windows of opportunity for more talented Bollywood actors to be a part of Hollywood films in the future!
So if you’re not aware, here’s a list of 18 Indian actors in Hollywood along with their movies and series.
Let us know which one of these actors or their performances is your favorite. Also if you found this article interesting, do share it with your friends and family!
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