Dileep Rao
| Dileep Rao | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 29, 1973 Los Angeles, USA |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2006–present |
Dileep A. Rao (born July 29, 1973) is an American actor who has appeared in feature films and television series. He starred in Sam Raimi's horror film Drag Me to Hell (2009), James Cameron's science fiction film Avatar (2009), and Christopher Nolan's thriller Inception (2010).
Life and career
Rao was born in Los Angeles to a physicist mother and an engineer father, both of Indian descent.[1][2] He grew up in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, Denver, Colorado, and Claremont, California. He has one sister who is a professor at New York University. He graduated from Claremont High School[3] and the University of California, San Diego, with a B.A., later receiving an M.F.A. from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco where his class included Anna Belknap and Elizabeth Banks.
Rao's first role after graduating was in the American premiere of Indian Ink by Tom Stoppard. Rao moved to Los Angeles and began working in regional theater including at the Berkeley Rep, South Coast Repertory, and for the Manhattan Theater Club.
He competed on Jeopardy! on June 7, 2002, and won $34,400.[4] On June 8, 2008, Rao was randomly selected from over 1600 entrants to play the NPR Weekend Edition Sunday puzzle on air with Will Shortz.[5]
In 2009, he appeared in Avatar and Drag Me to Hell. He was nominated for several awards as part of the ensemble cast in Christopher Nolan's 2010 film Inception. He played a pharmacologist in the film.[6]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Drag Me to Hell | Rham Jas | |
| Avatar | Dr. Max Patel | ||
| 2010 | Inception | Yusuf | Nominated—Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble Nominated—Scream Award for Best Ensemble Nominated—Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble |
| 2014 | Murder of a Cat | Doctor Mundhra | |
| 2015 | Beeba Boys | Kash Sood |
TV roles
- Standoff as Robert (2006)
- Brothers & Sisters as Arlo Natterson (2008)
- Touch as Vikash Nayar (2013)
- Z Nation as Odegard (2015)
References
- ↑ "AIA San Diego". AIA San Diego. May 13, 2010. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
- ↑ "Indian set to fly high". Deccan Herald. India. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
- ↑ Bolinger, Brenda (22 June 2012). "On to fame and fortune (and prison): CHS alumni in the public spotlight". Retrieved 7 May 2015.
- ↑ "Dileep Rao". J-Archive. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
- ↑ "NPR Weekend Edition, June 8, 2008". Npr.org. June 8, 2008. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
- ↑ Anderson, John (July 5, 2010). "'Inception': To Dream, Perchance to Sleep". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 19, 2012.