Erick Avari
Encyclopedia
Erick Avari is an Indian American
television, film and theater actor known for his roles in various science-fiction serial productions.
, India
, into an old Parsi-Zoroastrian family of that town in the Himalayan
foothills. His father Eruch Avari ran two movie theatres (the Capitol and the Rink) there. His early education was at the prestigious North Point School (the school division of the St. Joseph's College), which he attended as a day-scholar. He studied at the College of Charleston
, in South Carolina
.
Erick is a member of the Avari-Madan family of Darjeeling and Calcutta. His great-grandfather was Jamshedji Framji Madan
, one of the pioneers of Indian cinema
.
, Independence Day
, Flight of the Living Dead (2007), The Mummy, Daredevil
, Home Alone 4
, Planet of the Apes
and Mr. Deeds
. Along with Alexis Cruz
, he is one of only two actors to appear in both the original Stargate movie and the spin-off series Stargate SG-1
. However, before arriving in Los Angeles in 1991, his extensive work onstage has garnered him much praise from theater critics across America, most notably as Vasquez, in 'Tis Pity She's a Whore
with Val Kilmer
at the Joseph Papp
Public Theater and as Sir Richard at The Guthrie Theater's memorable production of The Screens
.
He has also made guest appearances on Castle
, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
, Heroes
, Hope & Faith
, Law & Order
, Star Trek: The Next Generation
, seaQuest DSV
, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
, Star Trek: Enterprise
, The West Wing, The X-Files
, Dharma & Greg
, Babylon 5
, Alias
, The O.C.
, The Sarah Silverman Program
, Leverage
and Human Target
. He played cameo roles in JAG
, Living People, NYPD Blue
, Cheers
, Murder, She Wrote
, Roseanne, Judging Amy
, NCIS
and Everwood
. In the video game Zork Grand Inquisitor
, he played Grand Inquisitor Mir Yannick, a ruthless dictator who serves as the game's main villain. He acted in The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines
.
Beginning in the autumn of 2006, a photograph of Avari and a recording of his voice have been used in the role of Chandra Suresh in Heroes
. The actor did not appear on screen until the episode Seven Minutes to Midnight, as his character is one of the backstory and had died before the events of the pilot. When the character does appear it is only in flashbacks until Six Months Ago
, when the story moves back to six months before the events of the pilot episode. In this episode, Suresh is seen as he moves to New York and contacts people on "the list" he generated of those he believes to have special genetic aberrations.
In the course of his career, Avari has portrayed representatives of more than 24 different nationalities. As of November 2006, Avari has appeared in 33 feature films and over 70 television episodes. Avari has appeared with Brent Spiner
in four different productions: Star Trek: The Next Generation
(1987), Independence Day
(1996), The Master of Disguise
, and Home Alone 4
(2002). Avari also acted opposite Richard Gere
in a drama film based on a true story: Hachi: A Dog's Tale, in which he played Jasjeet, an Indian hot dog vendor.
Avari was scheduled to reappear in his role as Kasuf in the Stargate SG-1 season six finale "Full Circle", but failed to do so due to his commitment to Dragnet
(2003).
In October 2009, he was cast as Omar on Days of our Lives
.
In January 2009, he was cast as the cell phone salesman in Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Indian American
Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestral roots lie in India. The U.S. Census Bureau popularized the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Indigenous peoples of the Americas who are commonly referred to as American Indians.-The term: Indian:...
television, film and theater actor known for his roles in various science-fiction serial productions.
Early life
Erick Avari was born Nariman Eruch Avari in Darjeeling, West BengalWest Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, into an old Parsi-Zoroastrian family of that town in the Himalayan
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
foothills. His father Eruch Avari ran two movie theatres (the Capitol and the Rink) there. His early education was at the prestigious North Point School (the school division of the St. Joseph's College), which he attended as a day-scholar. He studied at the College of Charleston
College of Charleston
The College of Charleston is a public, sea-grant and space-grant university located in historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina, United States...
, in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.
Erick is a member of the Avari-Madan family of Darjeeling and Calcutta. His great-grandfather was Jamshedji Framji Madan
Jamshedji Framji Madan
Jamshedji Framji Madan , born in a Parsi family in Bombay, was one of the pioneers of the Indian film industry.-Early life:Madan's father suffered a huge monetary loss when Bombay Reclamation Bank, which was responsible for reclaiming land between the seven islands of Bombay, failed. JF Madan had...
, one of the pioneers of Indian cinema
Cinema of India
The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic culture of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Indian films came to be followed throughout South Asia and...
.
Career
Avari is known for his roles in films such as StargateStargate (film)
Stargate is a 1994 American adventure-military science fiction film released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco Pictures. Created by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the film is the first release in the Stargate franchise...
, Independence Day
Independence Day (film)
Independence Day is a 1996 science fiction film about an alien invasion of Earth, focusing on a disparate group of individuals and families as they converge in the Nevada desert and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance counterattack on July 4 – the same...
, Flight of the Living Dead (2007), The Mummy, Daredevil
Daredevil (film)
Daredevil is a 2003 American superhero film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson. Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, the film stars Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who fights for justice in the courtroom and out of the courtroom as the masked vigilante Daredevil...
, Home Alone 4
Home Alone 4
Home Alone 4, also known as Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House, is a 2002 American made-for-television family/Christmas film directed by Rod Daniel. It is the fourth and final installment in the Home Alone franchise...
, Planet of the Apes
Planet of the Apes (2001 film)
Planet of the Apes is a 2001 American science fiction film, based on Pierre Boulle's novel and a remake of the 1968 film of the same name. Tim Burton directed the film, which stars Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, Paul Giamatti, and Estella Warren. It tells the...
and Mr. Deeds
Mr. Deeds
Mr. Deeds is a 2002 American comedy film, directed by Steven Brill and starring Adam Sandler and Winona Ryder. The movie, which is loosely a remake of the 1936 film Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, also stars Peter Gallagher, John Turturro, Allen Covert and Steve Buscemi...
. Along with Alexis Cruz
Alexis Cruz
Alexis Cruz is an American actor, known for his performances as Rafael in Touched by an Angel and as Skaara in Stargate and Stargate SG-1. Cruz was born in The Bronx, New York of Puerto Rican descent. His mother, Julia, was a songwriter. He currently resides in Los Angeles. He went to Boston...
, he is one of only two actors to appear in both the original Stargate movie and the spin-off series Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
. However, before arriving in Los Angeles in 1991, his extensive work onstage has garnered him much praise from theater critics across America, most notably as Vasquez, in 'Tis Pity She's a Whore
'Tis Pity She's a Whore
'Tis Pity She's a Whore is a tragedy written by John Ford. It was likely first performed between 1629 and 1633, by Queen Henrietta's Men at the Cockpit Theatre. The play was first published in 1633, in a quarto printed by Nicholas Okes for the bookseller Richard Collins...
with Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer
Val Edward Kilmer is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer became popular in the mid-1980s after a string of appearances in comedy films, starting with Top Secret! , then the cult classic Real Genius , as well as blockbuster action films, including a supporting role in Top Gun and a...
at the Joseph Papp
Joseph Papp
Joseph Papp was an American theatrical producer and director. Papp established The Public Theater in what had been the Astor Library Building in downtown New York . "The Public," as it is known, has many small theatres within it...
Public Theater and as Sir Richard at The Guthrie Theater's memorable production of The Screens
The Screens
The Screens is a play by the French dramatist Jean Genet. Its first few productions all used abridged versions, beginning with its world premiere under Hans Lietzau's direction in Berlin in May 1961...
.
He has also made guest appearances on Castle
Castle (TV series)
Castle is an American comedy-drama television series, which premiered on ABC on March 9, 2009. The series is produced by Beacon Pictures and ABC Studios. On January 10, 2011, Castle was renewed for a fourth season...
, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their...
, Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
, Hope & Faith
Hope & Faith
Hope & Faith is an American sitcom that aired for three seasons on ABC from September 26, 2003, to May 2, 2006. For its first two seasons the show was part of a revived TGIF comedy block....
, Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
, seaQuest DSV
SeaQuest DSV
seaQuest DSV is an American science fiction television series created by Rockne S. O'Bannon. It originally aired on NBC between 1993 and 1996. In its final season, it was renamed seaQuest 2032. Set in "the near future", seaQuest mixes high drama with realistic scientific fiction...
, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
, Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...
, The West Wing, The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
, Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites...
, Babylon 5
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
, Alias
Alias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
, The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
, The Sarah Silverman Program
The Sarah Silverman Program
The Sarah Silverman Program is an American television series that starred comedian and actress Sarah Silverman, who created the series with Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab...
, Leverage
Leverage (TV series)
Leverage is an American television drama series on TNT that premiered in December 2008. The series is produced by director/executive producer Dean Devlin's production company Electric Television...
and Human Target
Human Target (TV series)
Human Target is an American action drama television series that was broadcast by Fox in the United States. Based loosely on the Human Target comic book character created by Len Wein and Carmine Infantino for DC Comics, it is the second series based on this title developed for television, the first...
. He played cameo roles in JAG
JAG (TV series)
JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...
, Living People, NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
, Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
, Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
, Roseanne, Judging Amy
Judging Amy
Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly...
, NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
and Everwood
Everwood
Everwood is an American drama television series that initially aired in the United States on The WB. The series is set in the fictional small town of Everwood, Colorado, and was filmed in Ogden, South Salt Lake, and Draper, Utah, except the series pilot which was filmed in Canmore, Alberta,...
. In the video game Zork Grand Inquisitor
Zork Grand Inquisitor
Zork: Grand Inquisitor is a graphical adventure game, developed by Activision and released in 1997 for the IBM compatible PC and Macintosh . It builds upon the Zork and Enchanter series of interactive fiction computer games originally released by Infocom. The cast includes Erick Avari, Dirk...
, he played Grand Inquisitor Mir Yannick, a ruthless dictator who serves as the game's main villain. He acted in The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines
The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines
The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines is the second in The Librarian franchise of movies starring Noah Wyle as a librarian who protects a secret collection of artifacts. Gabrielle Anwar, Bob Newhart, Jane Curtin and Olympia Dukakis co-star. It is a sequel to 2004's The Librarian: Quest for...
.
Beginning in the autumn of 2006, a photograph of Avari and a recording of his voice have been used in the role of Chandra Suresh in Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
. The actor did not appear on screen until the episode Seven Minutes to Midnight, as his character is one of the backstory and had died before the events of the pilot. When the character does appear it is only in flashbacks until Six Months Ago
Six Months Ago
"Six Months Ago" is the tenth episode of the first season of the NBC science fiction drama series Heroes. The entire episode is set six months before the series' premiere, displaying how all the characters initially developed their powers.-Plot:...
, when the story moves back to six months before the events of the pilot episode. In this episode, Suresh is seen as he moves to New York and contacts people on "the list" he generated of those he believes to have special genetic aberrations.
In the course of his career, Avari has portrayed representatives of more than 24 different nationalities. As of November 2006, Avari has appeared in 33 feature films and over 70 television episodes. Avari has appeared with Brent Spiner
Brent Spiner
Brent Jay Spiner is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and four subsequent films. His portrayal of Data in Star Trek: First Contact and of Dr...
in four different productions: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
(1987), Independence Day
Independence Day (film)
Independence Day is a 1996 science fiction film about an alien invasion of Earth, focusing on a disparate group of individuals and families as they converge in the Nevada desert and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance counterattack on July 4 – the same...
(1996), The Master of Disguise
The Master of Disguise
The Master of Disguise is a family fantasy comedy film released in 2002 starring actors Dana Carvey, Jennifer Esposito, James Brolin and Brent Spiner...
, and Home Alone 4
Home Alone 4
Home Alone 4, also known as Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House, is a 2002 American made-for-television family/Christmas film directed by Rod Daniel. It is the fourth and final installment in the Home Alone franchise...
(2002). Avari also acted opposite Richard Gere
Richard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere is an American actor. He began acting in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and a starring role in Days of Heaven. He came to prominence in 1980 for his role in the film American Gigolo, which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol...
in a drama film based on a true story: Hachi: A Dog's Tale, in which he played Jasjeet, an Indian hot dog vendor.
Avari was scheduled to reappear in his role as Kasuf in the Stargate SG-1 season six finale "Full Circle", but failed to do so due to his commitment to Dragnet
Dragnet (series)
Dragnet is a radio and television crime drama about the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners...
(2003).
In October 2009, he was cast as Omar on Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
.
In January 2009, he was cast as the cell phone salesman in Paul Blart: Mall Cop