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Hollywood as seen from behind the Hollywood Sign by Michael E. Arth –

10 Famous Indian Actors Who Made it in Hollywood

Making it as an actor is no simple fete and more so in Hollywood. In the film and TV industry, only 2% of aspiring actors actually get to live out their dreams. A depressing statistic I know, but this is just the reality of their world.

Recently, Hollywood has seen an influx of talent from abroad and India has produced a majority of these said talents. Even Bollywood films have found great success outside their local audience a good example being the 2022 South Indian Movie RRR.

India has also produced some amazing talents who have graced the global audience with some captivating performances. Whether as a supporting role on the main lead, these actors have certainly caught the eye of the world and have gone on to do great things in Hollywood.

Below is a list of some amazing and famous Indian actors who took Hollywood by storm. Enjoy!

10. Dhanush

Dhanush at the Filmfare Awards South 2017 Press Meet by Dani Charles –

Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja, professionally recognized as Dhanushed is an Indian director, producer, lyricist, singer, and renowned actor.

He has received nominations and accolades for his work as a director, singer, and lyricist in a number of roles. He was recently signed by the Russo Brothers for the film The Gray Man, in which he portrayed a master assassin. His on-camera presence was lauded by the Russo Brothers, who even hinted at a potential solo film for his role.

9. Irrfan Khan

Khan (right) receiving his Padma Shri in 2011 by President’s Secretariat (GODL-India) –

Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan referred to simply as Irrfan was an Indian actor who worked in British, Indian, and American Cinema. Born on 7th January 1967, the critically acclaimed actor passed away on 29th April 2020 from neuroendocrine cancer after a 30-year career.

Irrfan left behind a large body of work including some Hollywood blockbusters. These include; The Namesake, Slumdog Millionaire, and The Darjeeling Limited. He received the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honor, in 2011. He received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 2021.

8. Amitabh Bachchan

Bachchan at Ishkq In Â鶹APP-Isabelle Adjani event by Bollywood Hungama –

Amitabh Shrivastav is the birth name of Amitabh Bachchan, a veteran in the film industry. Besides being an actor, Bachchan is also a film producer, TV host, playback singer, and at one point a politician.

He is sometimes referred to as ‘Big B’ or Shahenshah of Bollywood. Shahenshah is Hindu which translates to “Emperor of Bollywood.” In Bollywood, Bachchan built a legacy with his appearance in The Great Gatsby.

He played the role of a shady underworld businessman called Meyer Wolfsheim. Even Leonardo DiCaprio commended him, calling him “astonishingly talented” as an actor.

7. Anil Kapoor

Kapoor at IIFA 2014 by Laura Lee Dooley –

Anil Kapoor is an Indian actor and producer who also found success in Hollywood films as much as he did in Western and English films.  Kapoor has made appearances in several Hollywood films including Slumdog Millionaire. He also made an appearance on the action series 24 which generated many reviews from the American and global press.

6. Suraj Sharma

Suraj Sharma by Sean Reynolds –

Sharma is an Indian actor famous for his role in the 2012 film Life of Pi which was his debut in the film industry. The movie as well as Sharma is critically acclaimed and he won a BAFTA Rising Star award following his performance. Born in 1993, the 29-year-old (as of 2022) has been a regular in Holywood productions ever since.

He has starred in several other films including Million Dollar Arm (2014) and Burn Your Maps (2016). In the fourth season of the Homeland television series, he also played Aayan Ibrahim. He played Rakesh Singh in the CBS comedy-drama series God Friended Me from 2018 to 2020.

5. Freida Pinto

Freida Pinto by DFID – UK Department for International Development –

Selena Freida Pinto is an Indian actress who rose to fame following her success n the critically acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire. She plays Latika, Jamal’s love interest.

Pinto was born in India on 18th October 1984 but following the success of Slumdog, she starred mostly in British and American films. Immediately after Slumdog Millionaire’s success, she starred in Woody Allen’s picture You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger as its quick follow-up.

She has had roles in a variety of movies, including the important science fiction classic Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the art drama Knight of Cups, and the neo-western action movie Blunt Force Trauma.

4. Aishwarya Rai

Aishwarya Rai au festival de Cannes by Georges Biard –

Born on 1st November 1973, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is an Indian actress who has found success in Bollywood as she has in Hollywood. Over the years Rai has established herself as one of the most popular and widely appreciated celebrities in India.

In 1994, she won the Miss World beauty Pageant and has since quite often been referred to as “the most beautiful woman in the world”. In Hollywood, she has found success following top Hollywood films such as The Mistress of Spices, The Pink Panther 2, Bride & Prejudice, and The Last Legion.

3. Dimple Kapadia

Dimple Kapadia at the Pichvai Exhibition, 2018 by Bollywood Hungama –

Christopher Nolan is one of the highest-regarded film directors in the world and making your Holywood debut in one of his films is no small fete. Dimple is a veteran actress who has an established reputation in Bollywood.

Raj Kapoor, a director, spotted her when she was 14 years old and cast her in the lead part of his teen romance Bobby (1973). She has starred in several other films including Saagar (1985), Drishti (1990), Cocktail (2012, and Finding Fanny (2014).

In recent years she has been taking up fewer roles but her relevancy is in no way dwindling. She made her Hollywood debut in Christopher Nolan’s 2020 movie Tenet. Dimple played the role of Priya Singh, an arms dealer.

2. Kunal Nayyar

Kunal Nayyar by Gage Skidmore –

Have you watched the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory? If you have, then you’re familiar with the loveable, adorable, and incredibly funny Raj Koothrappali. If you haven’t then please do. The character is brought to life by the incredible Kunal Nayyar.

Nayyar has been a regular in Hollywood films and has displayed his wide range of acting. voiced Vijay on the Nickelodeon animated sitcom Sanjay and Craig (2013–2016) and produced a chilling performance on Netflix’s crime drama Criminal as the manipulative Sandeep Singh.

His other significant roles include; Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012), The Scribbler (2014), and Trolls (2016). In 2015 and 2018, according to Forbes, Nayyar was the third-highest-paid television actor in the world, with earnings of $20 million and $23.5 million, respectively.

1. Priyanka Chopra

Chopra Priyanka at 2019 Cannes by Unknown Author –

Priyanka is probably one of the actors on this list you already know. She has been making waves not only in the movie and TV industry but in social media as well. Priyanka is married to Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers.

Chopra’s major role in the police drama Quantico served as her big break in Western television. She has acted in films like Baywatch, starring Dwayne Johnson, Zac Effron, and Claire Danes; A Kid Like Jake, starring Jim Parsons and Claire Danes; and most recently, The White Tiger, a Netflix original film that has received an Oscar nomination.

Recently, in 2021, she had a supporting role in the science fiction film The Matrix Resurrections. The romantic comedy Love Again, starring Sam Heughan and Celine Dion will be Chopra’s next project. In the suspense series Citadel on Amazon Prime Video, she will co-star with Richard Madden.