Kahlil Joseph
Encyclopedia
Kahlil Joseph is an Indian born film, television and stage actor and teacher of performing arts who has worked extensively in America and India, and is based in Los Angeles, California. His first name is pronounced "Kha-leel".
Early life=
Joseph was born in New Delhi, India to mother Mary Joseph, an English Literature professor and author, and father Kurien Joseph, an architect, general manager, theatre practitioner and public speaking teacher. Joseph frequently traveled with his parents on business trips to other countries, including Australia, England, the United States of America, Canada, Singapore, and Malaysia. Shortly after his first birthday, Joseph moved to Sydney, Australia with his parents for five years due to his father’s company transferring the family on business.
While in Sydney, Joseph was introduced to the stage at five by his father, playing Noah in a production of "Noah's Ark". That created the love for performing in him. From a young age, Joseph constantly displayed a strong interest in entertaining audiences with various types of performances. Never one to be satisfied with learning one thing, he always tried to learn as many new things as he could. Joseph had an extremely keen ear for sound since childhood, and would continually mimic everyone and everything he could.
Joseph was constantly encouraged to read books that were advanced for his age. His parents introduced him to various authors, to build his interests and knowledge of other cultures and people.
In 1983, Joseph moved back to New Delhi with his parents and attended St. Columba's School, Delhi. By the age of 9, trained extensively in voice and diction by his father, Joseph started consistently winning inter-school declamation and debate championships, which continued till the time he was 17.
Simultaneously, at the age of 7, Joseph began a life-long practice of another discipline that has had a profound effect on his work and person to this day – the martial arts. When Joseph watched the legendary Bruce Lee
in Enter the Dragon
, he was inspired immediately by the way Lee so expressed himself through his physicality and movement. Starting with Shotokan
Karate, Joseph branched into Tae Kwon Do, Hung Gar
Kung Fu, and boxing. He competed on a semi-contact and full-contact amateur level.
Joseph earned his first Bachelor of Arts in English Literature
from Ramjas College
, University of Delhi, India. During his studies, he was the lead singer for various heavy metal and hard rock bands in New Delhi. He learned and developed a high respect during this time for such a type of singer, whom he believes needs even more vocal and physical strength and resilience than a speaker or singer of another genre.
His performance got him noticed by a casting director for a new primetime TV drama series Khwahish, and in 1999, he joined the show as its antagonistic fashion designer Ronaldo. He continued his role and also played Zach in the Indian premiere of the stage musical A Chorus Line at Kamani Auditorium, Delhi, until he left India in August 1999.
on the horizon, he packed his bags and headed to Concord University
in Athens, West Virginia as a student. By this time, he wanted to learn more about the American acting industry and find work in Hollywood and the American stage while pursuing his second Bachelor of Arts degree, this time in Communication Arts (Theater & Broadcasting). From the time he entered the U.S., Joseph managed to consistently break ethnic and racial bounds as an actor through his quick ability with multiple accents and physical skills by being cast in many roles that were not originally written for an Indian actor.
In 2001 and 2002, Joseph played the characters Blue Jacket
and Wasegoboah in the acclaimed outdoor drama Tecumseh! in Chillicothe, Ohio
. In 2003, Joseph starred as Talvin in the feature film Far From India, which had a gala premiere at the Weinberg Center for the Arts
in Frederick, Maryland.
By the time he graduated Summa Cum Laude from Concord University, Joseph had worked professionally in the vocally demanding arena of outdoor drama and film, learned to ride horses, choreograph fights for the stage and film, and gotten accepted into a competitive graduate class of 10 actors at the prestigious UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, where he earned his Master of Fine Arts
(MFA) in Acting in 2006.
as Martin Bashir
in The Michael Jackson Trial, as well as lent his voice to the acclaimed Naked In Ashes, a feature-length documentary about yogis in India, which premiered at the NuArt Theatre
. In the same year, Joseph was also featured as a guest celebrity on the Showbiz India
Xtreme program.
In 2006, Joseph played a lead role as Ibrahim Shaalan in the action feature film Special Ops: Delta Force, acting alongside English actor Mark Ryan. Joseph also guest starred as Resident Amer in the TV series Untold Stories of the ER. In October 2006, Joseph joined the cast of the hit television daytime drama Days Of Our Lives
for a month in a recurring guest star role as Dr. Myers. Joseph’s character played the specialist who is desperately searching for a cure to save the poisoned characters Kayla Johnson and Steve Johnson. On Thanksgiving Day 2006, Joseph appeared as a real-life Christian evangelical preacher seeking asylum in America in the television special Thanksgiving USA, hosted by Pat Boone
. Joseph also lent his presence to two national commercials in the fall of 2006, one for the U.S. Army and the other for Chrysler, both of which ran till 2008.
In January 2007, Joseph was the main character in the Season 6 opening of the TV drama 24
(episode Day 6: 6:00 am – 7:00 am). In the summer of that year, Joseph played villain Mahmoud Bashir in the play The Conex at the Write Act Theatre in Hollywood, California.
In January 2008, Joseph guest starred with his voice on the TV series Zoey 101
(episode “Trading Places”) as Roger, the tech support employee who frustrates lead character Chase Matthews endlessly using his trademark question “Have you tried pressing Control G???” Joseph then played train engineer Cutty Nagim accused of foul play in the TV series Numb3rs
(episode “Thirty-Six Hours”) in November 2008. During this time, Joseph played the role of The C*** in the controversial play Money Shot. Joseph’s work was highly praised in Variety (magazine)
(November 4, 2008) by Bob Verini, who noted that “Explosions always threaten from a cast in constant motion, especially from … Kahlil Joseph as the industry’s preeminent videographer in a hilarious sendup of every egotistical auteur who ever pulled a hissy fit on set”.
Joseph enjoyed one of his favorite television roles in the TV series Leverage
. In the episode “The Juror No. 6 Job”, he played a con man, Avi/Donnie, a good friend of lead character Eliot Spencer, played by actor Christian Kane
. Joseph also portrayed heroin dealer Omar in the feature film La Linea
, which also featured Ray Liotta
, Andy García
, and Danny Trejo
. In October 2009, he played The Bank Manager in the TV series Castle
(episode “Fool Me Once”) who aids lead detectives Rick Castle and Kate Beckett
in catching the killer.
Joseph appeared in Desperate Housewives
(episode “The Glamorous Life”) in January, 2010.
Joseph’s voice talents were heard in the film Eat Pray Love starring Julia Roberts
, released on August 13, 2010.
as the villainous Professor Callahan. He performed a total of 242 shows in 96 cities and travelled 35,050 miles. He was the youngest and first actor of color to play the role, which had previously been cast with older Caucasian actors.
Throughout the tour, the press strongly praised Joseph's performances: in Metromix Columbus (September 28, 2010), Dwayne Steward noted that “Kahlil Joseph is creepiness personified as Professor Callahan”; in The Columbus Dispatch
(September 29, 2010), Margaret Quamme wrote that "Joseph (made) a believably predatory lawyer"; Erin Millar of Examiner.com (September 29, 2010) believed "Kahlil Joseph does the slimy Professor Callahan justice (no pun intended) – the general opinion of this character was very clear in the audience"; Richard Ades of The Other Paper
noted how "Some cast members do distinguish themselves, especially ... Kahlil Joseph as the hard-edged Professor Callahan" (September 29, 2010); Debbie Blassingame Hale of Chattanooga Times Free Press
observed "Several standouts in the cast include: ... Kahlil Joseph as Professor Callahan" (September 18, 2010); George Walker of Indiana Public Media commented how "Kahlil Joseph is mean and lascivious as Professor Callahan" (October 20, 2010); Sue Merrell of The Grand Rapids Press remarked that "As Professor Callahan, Kahlil Joseph demands respect and is so smooth that you’re not sure at first if he’s villain or hero" (November 24, 2010); in Around The Town Chicago, M.D. Horn took note of "Kahlil Joseph, who instills fear in his students as Professor Callahan" (December 5, 2010); in Le Droit
, a newspaper in Ottawa, Canada, critic Annik Chainey referred to Joseph as "the ruthless Professor Callahan" (December 29, 2010); Iris Winston of the Capital Critics' Circle in Ottawa, Canada commented on "Kahlil Joseph as Professor Callahan (being a) strong counterpoint(s) in the female-dominated cast" (January 2, 2011); Sarah Cure of The Huntsville Times
strongly commended Joseph: "Kahlil Joseph, who plays Callahan, does a superb job telling his students in song that they need to be “sharks” rather than chum" (January 9, 2011); Tracy Poindexter-Canton of The Spokesman-Review wrote that "Performances by other cast members worth mentioning include ... Kahlil Joseph’s (Professor Callahan) debonair rendition of 'Blood in the Water'" (February 12, 2011); Ana Osorio of The Sound and Noise, a Canadian magazine, stated: "The acting was quite good as well. A particular scene that stood out was
professor’s Callahan first lecture, which actor Kahlil Joseph played convincingly,
with the song ‘Blood in the Water’— also one of the best songs in the musical." (March 3, 2011); John Jane of ReviewVancouver offered the following praise: "The oldest cast member Kahlil Joseph, who has the only serious role, is impressively pompous as the lofty, gung-ho law professor. His tongue-in-cheek delivery of Blood in the Water was sublime." (March 5, 2011); in a tougher review, T.D. Mobley-Martinez for MSNBC
and Colorado Springs Gazette appreciated Joseph's work, writing: "High points: Kahlil Joseph's performance as the corrupt professor: On point and completely understandable." (March 10, 2011); William Kerns of Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
observed how "Kahlil Joseph also provides an intimidating law school introduction by singing 'Blood in the Water'” (April 2, 2011); Lindsay Christians of The Capital Times likened Joseph's portrayal of Professor Callahan to a snake: "Kahlil Joseph practically slithers across the stage as Professor Callahan. His buttery baritone is a perfect match for the sinister 'Blood in the Water'.". Nanciann Cherry of the Toledo Blade felt that Joseph's performance was uncomfortably realistic, noting how "Joseph’s Professor Callahan is almost too believable as a brilliant but ultimately sleazy attorney.".
As Professor Callahan, Joseph was also extremely popular and requested frequently for interviews. He was interviewed as a special guest by the following TV and radio stations and newspapers: on television, Joseph spoke with – Mike Sobel of Global Television Network
on February 24, 2011 in Edmonton, Canada; Lisa Colbert of Fox News Channel
on September 29, 2010 on the Columbus section of the Good Day(newscast); Sean Lehosit of UWeekly
on September 22, 2010; Tim Doty of WXMI
in Grand Rapids, Michigan on November 23, 2010; on the radio, Joseph's favorite interview was with Greg Batton and Dan Diorio of WMBD (AM)
radio in Peoria, Illinois on November 30, 2010, other radio stations that interviewed Joseph included KBCY
, KCDD
, KVUU
, K97 in Edmonton, Canada, KXLY (AM)
, WBGA
, WCAP (AM), WWRR
, WVAQ
, and WTCB
; in print, Joseph was interviewed by – Sarah Henning of Lawrence Journal-World
on December 1, 2010; Dan Lea of The Idaho Press-Tribune
on January 31, 2011 in 'Boise Goes Blonde!'; Michael Bowen of The Pacific Northwest Inlander
in 'Blonde Justice' on February 9, 2011; Laurie Allred of Daily Bruin
on January 4, 2011. Joseph's favorite interviews were with Michael Bowen of The Pacific Northwest Inlander
in 'The Professor Is a Professor' on February 12, 2011, where Joseph opened up about himself and his life on the road and as an actor; and especially in a three-part interview with Jenna Marynowski of The Sound and Noise on March 15, 2011, March 24, 2011, and April 10, 2011, where Joseph talked in great educational detail about his process of acting.
, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
, and Savate
, all in conjunction with the core philosophy of Jeet Kune Do
, created by none other than Bruce Lee. He also works out frequently. Joseph is a fan of mixed martial arts
, and loves to cook.
Early life=
Joseph was born in New Delhi, India to mother Mary Joseph, an English Literature professor and author, and father Kurien Joseph, an architect, general manager, theatre practitioner and public speaking teacher. Joseph frequently traveled with his parents on business trips to other countries, including Australia, England, the United States of America, Canada, Singapore, and Malaysia. Shortly after his first birthday, Joseph moved to Sydney, Australia with his parents for five years due to his father’s company transferring the family on business.
While in Sydney, Joseph was introduced to the stage at five by his father, playing Noah in a production of "Noah's Ark". That created the love for performing in him. From a young age, Joseph constantly displayed a strong interest in entertaining audiences with various types of performances. Never one to be satisfied with learning one thing, he always tried to learn as many new things as he could. Joseph had an extremely keen ear for sound since childhood, and would continually mimic everyone and everything he could.
Joseph was constantly encouraged to read books that were advanced for his age. His parents introduced him to various authors, to build his interests and knowledge of other cultures and people.
In 1983, Joseph moved back to New Delhi with his parents and attended St. Columba's School, Delhi. By the age of 9, trained extensively in voice and diction by his father, Joseph started consistently winning inter-school declamation and debate championships, which continued till the time he was 17.
Simultaneously, at the age of 7, Joseph began a life-long practice of another discipline that has had a profound effect on his work and person to this day – the martial arts. When Joseph watched the legendary Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
in Enter the Dragon
Enter the Dragon
Enter the Dragon is a 1973 Hong Kong martial arts co-production with Golden Harvest and Warner Bros. studios, directed by Robert Clouse; starring Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly and John Saxon. This is Bruce Lee's final film appearance before his death on July 20, 1973...
, he was inspired immediately by the way Lee so expressed himself through his physicality and movement. Starting with Shotokan
Shotokan
is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi and his son Gigo Funakoshi . Gichin was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including...
Karate, Joseph branched into Tae Kwon Do, Hung Gar
Hung Gar
Hung Ga 洪家, Hung Kuen 洪拳, or Hung Ga Kuen 洪家拳 is a southern Chinese martial art associated with the Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hung, who was a master of Hung Ga....
Kung Fu, and boxing. He competed on a semi-contact and full-contact amateur level.
Joseph earned his first Bachelor of Arts in English Literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
from Ramjas College
Ramjas College
Ramjas College is a constituent college of the University of Delhi located in Delhi, India. The college admits both undergraduates and post-graduates, and awards degrees under the purview of the University...
, University of Delhi, India. During his studies, he was the lead singer for various heavy metal and hard rock bands in New Delhi. He learned and developed a high respect during this time for such a type of singer, whom he believes needs even more vocal and physical strength and resilience than a speaker or singer of another genre.
Acting career (India)
Following college, Joseph was immediately cast as Jean Valjean in a Delhi production of the acclaimed Broadway musical Les Misérables in 1998, which turned out to be his biggest musical theater success in New Delhi. Training to sing in this show was a huge learning experience for him, as he now needed to sing a completely different style from his usual gigs – classical operatic. This also improved his speaking voice remarkably.His performance got him noticed by a casting director for a new primetime TV drama series Khwahish, and in 1999, he joined the show as its antagonistic fashion designer Ronaldo. He continued his role and also played Zach in the Indian premiere of the stage musical A Chorus Line at Kamani Auditorium, Delhi, until he left India in August 1999.
Acting career (USA; 1999 – 2003)
Joseph had always wanted to work as an actor in the United States. So, in spite of BollywoodBollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
on the horizon, he packed his bags and headed to Concord University
Concord University
Concord University is a comprehensive, public, liberal arts institution located in Athens, West Virginia, United States, founded on February 28, 1872, when the West Virginia Legislature passed "an Act to locate a Branch State Normal School, in Concord Church, in the County of Mercer".Founded by...
in Athens, West Virginia as a student. By this time, he wanted to learn more about the American acting industry and find work in Hollywood and the American stage while pursuing his second Bachelor of Arts degree, this time in Communication Arts (Theater & Broadcasting). From the time he entered the U.S., Joseph managed to consistently break ethnic and racial bounds as an actor through his quick ability with multiple accents and physical skills by being cast in many roles that were not originally written for an Indian actor.
In 2001 and 2002, Joseph played the characters Blue Jacket
Blue Jacket
Blue Jacket or Weyapiersenwah was a war chief of the Shawnee people, known for his militant defense of Shawnee lands in the Ohio Country...
and Wasegoboah in the acclaimed outdoor drama Tecumseh! in Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The name comes from the Shawnee name Chalahgawtha, meaning "principal town", as it was a major settlement of...
. In 2003, Joseph starred as Talvin in the feature film Far From India, which had a gala premiere at the Weinberg Center for the Arts
Weinberg Center for the Arts
The Eliyahu 'Weinberg Center for the Arts is an organization and venue in Frederick, Maryland, USA that holds various showings of music, theatre, films and visual art. The theatre was built as the Tivoli Theatre by the Stanley-Crandall concern and opened on December 23, 1926...
in Frederick, Maryland.
By the time he graduated Summa Cum Laude from Concord University, Joseph had worked professionally in the vocally demanding arena of outdoor drama and film, learned to ride horses, choreograph fights for the stage and film, and gotten accepted into a competitive graduate class of 10 actors at the prestigious UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, where he earned his Master of Fine Arts
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
(MFA) in Acting in 2006.
Acting career (USA; 2003 – 2010)
Since Joseph moved to Los Angeles in 2003 to pursue his MFA in Acting, he played Faruq Abdullah in the acclaimed play The Road To Damascus in 2004, which was critically praised in the LA Weekly by Sandra Ross (October 22, 2004) commenting how “Joseph and … deliver persuasive performances …”. In 2005, he made his debut on American television on E!E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
as Martin Bashir
Martin Bashir
Martin Bashir is a British journalist and media personality, currently with NBC News as a contributor for its Dateline program, and an afternoon anchor for MSNBC, hosting Martin Bashir...
in The Michael Jackson Trial, as well as lent his voice to the acclaimed Naked In Ashes, a feature-length documentary about yogis in India, which premiered at the NuArt Theatre
Nuart Theatre
The Nuart Theatre is L.A.'s premier art house movie venue and the flagship movie theater of the Landmark Theatres chain in the United States of America.-Location:...
. In the same year, Joseph was also featured as a guest celebrity on the Showbiz India
Showbiz India
Showbiz India is a television program that focuses on entertainment from South Asia, specifically from the Indian subcontinent. The show has been on the air since 1998 and its hostess and producer is Reshma Dordi, who was crowned the first Miss L.A. India in 1988....
Xtreme program.
In 2006, Joseph played a lead role as Ibrahim Shaalan in the action feature film Special Ops: Delta Force, acting alongside English actor Mark Ryan. Joseph also guest starred as Resident Amer in the TV series Untold Stories of the ER. In October 2006, Joseph joined the cast of the hit television daytime drama 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...
for a month in a recurring guest star role as Dr. Myers. Joseph’s character played the specialist who is desperately searching for a cure to save the poisoned characters Kayla Johnson and Steve Johnson. On Thanksgiving Day 2006, Joseph appeared as a real-life Christian evangelical preacher seeking asylum in America in the television special Thanksgiving USA, hosted by Pat Boone
Pat Boone
Charles Eugene "Pat" Boone is an American singer, actor and writer who has been a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He covered black artists' songs and sold more copies than his black counterparts...
. Joseph also lent his presence to two national commercials in the fall of 2006, one for the U.S. Army and the other for Chrysler, both of which ran till 2008.
In January 2007, Joseph was the main character in the Season 6 opening of the TV drama 24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
(episode Day 6: 6:00 am – 7:00 am). In the summer of that year, Joseph played villain Mahmoud Bashir in the play The Conex at the Write Act Theatre in Hollywood, California.
In January 2008, Joseph guest starred with his voice on the TV series Zoey 101
Zoey 101
Zoey 101 is an American television series that ran from January 9, 2005 to May 2, 2008 starring Jamie Lynn Spears as teenager Zoey Brooks, produced for Nickelodeon and syndicated worldwide. The show was initially filmed at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, then at stages in Valencia,...
(episode “Trading Places”) as Roger, the tech support employee who frustrates lead character Chase Matthews endlessly using his trademark question “Have you tried pressing Control G???” Joseph then played train engineer Cutty Nagim accused of foul play in the TV series Numb3rs
NUMB3RS
Numb3rs is an American television drama which premiered on CBS on January 23, 2005, and concluded on March 12, 2010. The series was created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton, and follows FBI Special Agent Don Eppes and his mathematical genius brother, Charlie Eppes , who helps Don solve crimes...
(episode “Thirty-Six Hours”) in November 2008. During this time, Joseph played the role of The C*** in the controversial play Money Shot. Joseph’s work was highly praised in Variety (magazine)
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
(November 4, 2008) by Bob Verini, who noted that “Explosions always threaten from a cast in constant motion, especially from … Kahlil Joseph as the industry’s preeminent videographer in a hilarious sendup of every egotistical auteur who ever pulled a hissy fit on set”.
Joseph enjoyed one of his favorite television roles in the TV series 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...
. In the episode “The Juror No. 6 Job”, he played a con man, Avi/Donnie, a good friend of lead character Eliot Spencer, played by actor Christian Kane
Christian Kane
Christian Kane is an American actor and singer/songwriter of Native American descent. He currently stars as Eliot Spencer on the TNT series Leverage. He is best known for his roles in the television shows Angel and Into the West, and the movies Just Married and Secondhand Lions.He is the lead...
. Joseph also portrayed heroin dealer Omar in the feature film La Linea
La Linea (film)
La Linea is a 2008 action-crime-thriller film directed by James Cotten. La Linea features an ensemble cast that includes Ray Liotta, Armand Assante, Valerie Cruz, Esai Morales, and Andy García.-Plot summary:...
, which also featured Ray Liotta
Ray Liotta
[File:Ray Liotta is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Henry Hill in the crime-drama Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese and his role as Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams...
, Andy García
Andy García
Andrés Arturo García Menéndez , professionally known as Andy García, is a Cuban American actor. He became known in the late 1980s and 1990s, having appeared in several successful Hollywood films, including The Godfather: Part III, The Untouchables, Internal Affairs and When a Man Loves a Woman...
, and Danny Trejo
Danny Trejo
Dan "Danny" Trejo is an American actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films, most notably in roles as an antagonist, or anti-hero.-Early life:...
. In October 2009, he played The Bank Manager in the TV series Castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
(episode “Fool Me Once”) who aids lead detectives Rick Castle and Kate Beckett
Kate Beckett
Katherine "Kate" Beckett is a fictional character portrayed by Stana Katic in the ABC crime series Castle.-Background:Beckett is a detective with the Twelfth Precinct Homicide Squad of the New York City Police Department, where she worked with fellow detectives Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan and...
in catching the killer.
Joseph appeared in Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
(episode “The Glamorous Life”) in January, 2010.
Joseph’s voice talents were heard in the film Eat Pray Love starring Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
, released on August 13, 2010.
Legally Blonde The Musical (USA and Canada; 2010 – 2011)
Joseph recently finished the 9-month 2nd National USA/Canada Tour (September 21, 2010 – May 15, 2011) of Legally Blonde (musical)Legally Blonde (musical)
Legally Blonde is a musical with music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin and book by Heather Hach. The story is based on the novel Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown and the 2001 film of the same name. It tells the story of Elle Woods, a sorority girl who enrolls at Harvard Law School to...
as the villainous Professor Callahan. He performed a total of 242 shows in 96 cities and travelled 35,050 miles. He was the youngest and first actor of color to play the role, which had previously been cast with older Caucasian actors.
Throughout the tour, the press strongly praised Joseph's performances: in Metromix Columbus (September 28, 2010), Dwayne Steward noted that “Kahlil Joseph is creepiness personified as Professor Callahan”; in The Columbus Dispatch
The Columbus Dispatch
The Columbus Dispatch is a daily newspaper based in Columbus, Ohio. Its first issue was published on July 1, 1871, and has been the only mainstream daily newspaper in the city since The Columbus Citizen-Journal stopped printing in 1985....
(September 29, 2010), Margaret Quamme wrote that "Joseph (made) a believably predatory lawyer"; Erin Millar of Examiner.com (September 29, 2010) believed "Kahlil Joseph does the slimy Professor Callahan justice (no pun intended) – the general opinion of this character was very clear in the audience"; Richard Ades of The Other Paper
The Other Paper
The Other Paper is an alternative weekly news publication servicing the Greater Columbus, Ohio area. It is distributed on Thursdays and contains primarily local news and other features such as concert and movie reviews, classified ads, and personals, all with a distinctly irreverent, humorous style...
noted how "Some cast members do distinguish themselves, especially ... Kahlil Joseph as the hard-edged Professor Callahan" (September 29, 2010); Debbie Blassingame Hale of Chattanooga Times Free Press
Chattanooga Times Free Press
The Chattanooga Times Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is distributed in the metro Chattanooga region of Tennessee and Northwest Georgia...
observed "Several standouts in the cast include: ... Kahlil Joseph as Professor Callahan" (September 18, 2010); George Walker of Indiana Public Media commented how "Kahlil Joseph is mean and lascivious as Professor Callahan" (October 20, 2010); Sue Merrell of The Grand Rapids Press remarked that "As Professor Callahan, Kahlil Joseph demands respect and is so smooth that you’re not sure at first if he’s villain or hero" (November 24, 2010); in Around The Town Chicago, M.D. Horn took note of "Kahlil Joseph, who instills fear in his students as Professor Callahan" (December 5, 2010); in Le Droit
Le Droit
Le Droit is a Canadian daily newspaper, published in Ottawa, Canada. Initially established and owned by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the paper was has been published by Gesca since 2000.-History:...
, a newspaper in Ottawa, Canada, critic Annik Chainey referred to Joseph as "the ruthless Professor Callahan" (December 29, 2010); Iris Winston of the Capital Critics' Circle in Ottawa, Canada commented on "Kahlil Joseph as Professor Callahan (being a) strong counterpoint(s) in the female-dominated cast" (January 2, 2011); Sarah Cure of The Huntsville Times
The Huntsville Times
The Huntsville Times is the daily morning newspaper published in Huntsville, Alabama, and also serves the surrounding areas of north Alabama's Tennessee Valley region. The Times formerly operated as an afternoon paper, but moved to mornings after The Huntsville News ceased publication...
strongly commended Joseph: "Kahlil Joseph, who plays Callahan, does a superb job telling his students in song that they need to be “sharks” rather than chum" (January 9, 2011); Tracy Poindexter-Canton of The Spokesman-Review wrote that "Performances by other cast members worth mentioning include ... Kahlil Joseph’s (Professor Callahan) debonair rendition of 'Blood in the Water'" (February 12, 2011); Ana Osorio of The Sound and Noise, a Canadian magazine, stated: "The acting was quite good as well. A particular scene that stood out was
professor’s Callahan first lecture, which actor Kahlil Joseph played convincingly,
with the song ‘Blood in the Water’— also one of the best songs in the musical." (March 3, 2011); John Jane of ReviewVancouver offered the following praise: "The oldest cast member Kahlil Joseph, who has the only serious role, is impressively pompous as the lofty, gung-ho law professor. His tongue-in-cheek delivery of Blood in the Water was sublime." (March 5, 2011); in a tougher review, T.D. Mobley-Martinez for MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
and Colorado Springs Gazette appreciated Joseph's work, writing: "High points: Kahlil Joseph's performance as the corrupt professor: On point and completely understandable." (March 10, 2011); William Kerns of Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal is a newspaper based in Lubbock, Texas, U.S. It is owned by the Morris Communications Company.-History:The Lubbock Avalanche was founded in 1900 by John James Dillard and Thad Tubbs. According to Dillard, the name "Avalanche" was chosen due to his desire that the...
observed how "Kahlil Joseph also provides an intimidating law school introduction by singing 'Blood in the Water'” (April 2, 2011); Lindsay Christians of The Capital Times likened Joseph's portrayal of Professor Callahan to a snake: "Kahlil Joseph practically slithers across the stage as Professor Callahan. His buttery baritone is a perfect match for the sinister 'Blood in the Water'.". Nanciann Cherry of the Toledo Blade felt that Joseph's performance was uncomfortably realistic, noting how "Joseph’s Professor Callahan is almost too believable as a brilliant but ultimately sleazy attorney.".
As Professor Callahan, Joseph was also extremely popular and requested frequently for interviews. He was interviewed as a special guest by the following TV and radio stations and newspapers: on television, Joseph spoke with – Mike Sobel of Global Television Network
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
on February 24, 2011 in Edmonton, Canada; Lisa Colbert of Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
on September 29, 2010 on the Columbus section of the Good Day(newscast); Sean Lehosit of UWeekly
UWeekly
UWeekly is a weekly newspaper, based in Columbus, Ohio, that primarily serves the central portion of Columbus and the Ohio State University community. Its first issue was published on September 21, 2005...
on September 22, 2010; Tim Doty of WXMI
WXMI
WXMI channel 17 is a Fox-affiliated television station in Grand Rapids, Michigan, owned by the Tribune Company. WXMI's studio and office facility is located in Grand Rapids and its transmitter is based southwest of Middleville, Michigan...
in Grand Rapids, Michigan on November 23, 2010; on the radio, Joseph's favorite interview was with Greg Batton and Dan Diorio of WMBD (AM)
WMBD (AM)
WMBD is the oldest radio station in Peoria, Illinois. It broadcasts on 1470 kHz with 5000 watts day and night, with a 2-tower pattern during the day and a 4-tower pattern at night.The station started broadcasting in 1927...
radio in Peoria, Illinois on November 30, 2010, other radio stations that interviewed Joseph included KBCY
KBCY
KBCY is a commercial radio station located in Tye, Texas, broadcasting to the Abilene, Texas area on 99.7 FM. KBCY airs a country music format.-External links:*...
, KCDD
KCDD
KCDD is an FM radio station that serves the Abilene, Texas, area with a Rhythmic Contemporary music format. The station is under ownership of Cumulus Media.POWER 103 features:WEEKDAYS...
, KVUU
KVUU
KVUU is a Hot AC radio station in the Colorado Springs, Colorado, area that is known by its moniker "My999". It was known for many years by its previous moniker, "K-View 99.9".-99.9 FM history:...
, K97 in Edmonton, Canada, KXLY (AM)
KXLY (AM)
KXLY is a news/talk radio outlet based in Spokane, Washington. The station, which operates at 920 kHz on the AM dial, offers a lineup of local and national news stories and syndicated talk shows. KXLY also share a website and news resources with sister station KXLY-TV...
, WBGA
WBGA
WBGA is a radio station broadcasting a Urban Contemporary format. Licensed to St. Simons Island, Georgia, USA, the station serves the Brunswick area. The station is currently owned by Qantum of Brunswick License Company, LLC.-History:...
, WCAP (AM), WWRR
WWRR
WWRR is a classic hits radio station in Scranton, Pennsylvania known as 105 The River.The station's logo was featured in a fourth season episode of the NBC sitcom The Office, along with their sister station, The Game....
, WVAQ
WVAQ
WVAQ is a Contemporary Hit Radio formatted radio station licensed to Morgantown, West Virginia, broadcasting to the North-Central West Virginia area. WVAQ is owned and operated by West Virginia Radio Corporation....
, and WTCB
WTCB
WTCB is an adult contemporary radio station licensed to Orangeburg, South Carolina and serves the Columbia, South Carolina market. The Cumulus Media outlet is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast at 106.7 MHz with an effective radiated power of 100 kW...
; in print, Joseph was interviewed by – Sarah Henning of Lawrence Journal-World
Lawrence Journal-World
The Lawrence Journal-World is a daily newspaper published in Lawrence, Kansas by The World Company.-History:Though the Journal-World title only came into existence in 1911, according to the volume number of the current masthead of the paper, the paper dates itself back to 1858.The Simons family...
on December 1, 2010; Dan Lea of The Idaho Press-Tribune
The Idaho Press-Tribune
The Idaho Press-Tribune is the second-oldest active newspaper in Idaho, first printing in December 1883. Often, the early paper was an instrument for political influences. One of the first owners and editors was Frank Steunenberg....
on January 31, 2011 in 'Boise Goes Blonde!'; Michael Bowen of The Pacific Northwest Inlander
The Pacific Northwest Inlander
The Pacific Northwest Inlander is a free weekly newspaper published in Spokane, Washington and circulated throughout the Inland Northwest, covering local news and culture. It is published in print and online every Thursday. A member of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, it was founded in...
in 'Blonde Justice' on February 9, 2011; Laurie Allred of Daily Bruin
Daily Bruin
The Daily Bruin is the student newspaper at the University of California, Los Angeles.-Frequency and governance:When classes are in session, the Bruin is published Monday through Friday during the school year and once a week on Mondays in the summer quarter.It is overseen by the ASUCLA...
on January 4, 2011. Joseph's favorite interviews were with Michael Bowen of The Pacific Northwest Inlander
The Pacific Northwest Inlander
The Pacific Northwest Inlander is a free weekly newspaper published in Spokane, Washington and circulated throughout the Inland Northwest, covering local news and culture. It is published in print and online every Thursday. A member of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, it was founded in...
in 'The Professor Is a Professor' on February 12, 2011, where Joseph opened up about himself and his life on the road and as an actor; and especially in a three-part interview with Jenna Marynowski of The Sound and Noise on March 15, 2011, March 24, 2011, and April 10, 2011, where Joseph talked in great educational detail about his process of acting.
Teaching career
Along with his acting career, Joseph simultaneously proves to be in consistently high demand as a teacher of a remarkable variety of performing arts. He was on the faculty of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television from 2007–2008, with the title of Visiting Assistant Professor, where he taught voice and speech to the undergraduate senior acting and musical theater students. He continues to privately train performers and non-performers in acting, dialects, voice, speech and combat (for stage and screen as well as real life).Martial Arts
Joseph still trains in and teaches multiple-system self-defense, consisting of Muay ThaiMuay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting...
, and Savate
Savate
Savate , also known as boxe française, French boxing, French kickboxing or French footfighting, is a French martial art which uses the hands and feet as weapons combining elements of western boxing with graceful kicking techniques. Only foot kicks are allowed unlike some systems such as Muay...
, all in conjunction with the core philosophy of Jeet Kune Do
Jeet Kune Do
Jeet Kune Do is a hybrid martial arts system and life philosophy founded by martial artist Bruce Lee with direct, non classical and straightforward movements. Due to the way his style works they believe in minimal movement with maximum effect and extreme speed. The system works on the use of...
, created by none other than Bruce Lee. He also works out frequently. Joseph is a fan of mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
, and loves to cook.
Film and Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Eat Pray Love | Voiceover Actor | |
| 2009 | Castle Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble... |
The Bank Manager | |
| 2009 | 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... |
Avi/Donnie | |
| 2009 | La Linea La Linea (film) La Linea is a 2008 action-crime-thriller film directed by James Cotten. La Linea features an ensemble cast that includes Ray Liotta, Armand Assante, Valerie Cruz, Esai Morales, and Andy García.-Plot summary:... |
Omar | |
| 2008 | Numb3rs NUMB3RS Numb3rs is an American television drama which premiered on CBS on January 23, 2005, and concluded on March 12, 2010. The series was created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton, and follows FBI Special Agent Don Eppes and his mathematical genius brother, Charlie Eppes , who helps Don solve crimes... |
Cutty Nagim | |
| 2008 | Zoey 101 Zoey 101 Zoey 101 is an American television series that ran from January 9, 2005 to May 2, 2008 starring Jamie Lynn Spears as teenager Zoey Brooks, produced for Nickelodeon and syndicated worldwide. The show was initially filmed at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, then at stages in Valencia,... |
Roger at tech support | |
| 2007 | 24 24 (TV series) 24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration... |
The Middle Eastern Man | |
| 2006 | Thanksgiving USA | Peter Nazar | |
| 2006 | 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... |
Dr. Myers | |
| 2006 | Special Ops: Delta Force | Ibrahim Shaalan | |
| 2005 | Untold Stories of the ER | Resident Amer | |
| 2005 | Naked In Ashes | Lead Narrator | |
| 2005 | Showbiz India Showbiz India Showbiz India is a television program that focuses on entertainment from South Asia, specifically from the Indian subcontinent. The show has been on the air since 1998 and its hostess and producer is Reshma Dordi, who was crowned the first Miss L.A. India in 1988.... Xtreme |
Himself | |
| 2005 | The Michael Jackson Trial | Martin Bashir | |
| 2005 | India Spiceland | Maneesh | |
| 2003 | Far From India | Talvin | |
| 1999 | Khwahish Khwahish Khwahish is a 2003 Indian Bollywood film directed by Govind Menon. The film stars Himanshu Malik and Mallika Sherawat in leading roles. Sherawat made her acting debut in the film. Although the film was quite racy by Indian standards, it was known for its naturalistic and realistic topic, being a... |
Ronaldo |
Selected Stage Works
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–2011 | Legally Blonde (musical) Legally Blonde (musical) Legally Blonde is a musical with music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin and book by Heather Hach. The story is based on the novel Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown and the 2001 film of the same name. It tells the story of Elle Woods, a sorority girl who enrolls at Harvard Law School to... 2nd U.S./Canada National Tour |
Professor Callahan | |
| 2008 | Money Shot | The C**t | |
| 2007 | The Conex | Mahmoud Bashir | |
| 2006 | I Gelosi | Vincenzo, Duke of Mantua | |
| 2005 | Vivekananda: The Lion Between Matter and Spirit | Swami Vivekananda | |
| 2004 | The Road to Damascus | Faruq Abdullah | |
| 2002 | Tecumseh! | Blue Jacket; Wasegoboah | |
| 2001 | Tecumseh! | Blue Jacket | |
| 2001 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Theseus, Duke of Athens |