Karan Soni
Karan Soni is an Indian-American actor and comedian. Often appearing in comedic roles, he came to prominence for playing Dopinder in the films Deadpool (2016) and its sequels Deadpool 2 (2018) and Deadpool 3 (2024),[1] and voicing Pavitr Prabhakar / Spider-Man India in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023).
Karan Soni | |
---|---|
Born | New Delhi, India |
Citizenship | United States |
Education | USC School of Dramatic Arts |
Occupation(s) | Actor and comedian |
Years active | 2010–present |
Born in New Delhi, Soni moved to the United States to study business at the University of Southern California before pursuing an acting career. He made his feature film debut in Safety Not Guaranteed (2012), which was followed by lead appearances on the series Betas (2013) and Other Space (2015). Soni has also appeared in the films Ghostbusters (2016), Office Christmas Party (2016), and Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019). On television, he has appeared as a series regular on Blunt Talk (2015–2016) and Miracle Workers (2019–present).
Early life
Soni is from New Delhi, where he attended an international school. He came to the United States to study at the University of Southern California.[2]
Career
Soni made his film debut in Yusuf Sumer's 2010 comedy film Kaka Nirvana, alongside Rachel Quinn.[3] In 2013, Soni was cast in the Amazon Studios original series Betas.[4] The series was canceled after one season.[5] In 2014, Soni appeared in commercials for AT&T along with Jim Conroy.[6][7]
In 2015, Soni appeared in Other Space, a series created by Paul Feig for Yahoo! Screen, as Captain Stewart Lipinski.[8] Yahoo! Screen would be shut down later in the year, preventing the series from being renewed for a second season,[9] while the first season would later be picked up by DUST in 2020. Later in 2015, he appeared in episodes of Melissa & Joey,[10] The Goldbergs[11] and 100 Things to Do Before High School[12][13] and began starring in Blunt Talk, opposite Patrick Stewart, as Martin.[14] The series was renewed for a second season, which premiered in 2016,[15] but on December 20, was canceled after two seasons.[16]
In 2016, Soni appeared in Deadpool as a taxi driver named Dopinder[17] and in Ghostbusters as the delivery man Benny.[18] He reprised Dopinder in 2018's Deadpool 2 and also appeared in another May blockbuster film, the following year's Pokémon Detective Pikachu.[19] In both Deadpool films and Pokémon Detective Pikachu, he starred opposite Ryan Reynolds.
In 2023, Soni was announced as the voice of Pavitr Prabhakar / Spider-Man India in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.[20] In March 2023, he was confirmed to be returning as Dopinder for Deadpool 3, which will be set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).[21]
Personal life
Soni is gay.[22] He is in a relationship with writer and director Roshan Sethi, with whom he developed the film 7 Days.[23]
Filmography
† | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
Film
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | The Protector | Kenny | Episode: "Safe" |
Worst. Prom. Ever. | Glenn | Television film | |
2012 | Touch | Ravi | Episode: "1+1=3" |
Linked Out | Keith | Episode: "Facebook Intervention" | |
1600 Penn | Misfit | Episode: "Putting Out Fires" | |
Bite Me | Teacher's Assistant | Episode: "Continue!" | |
Are You There, Chelsea? | Stan | Episode: "Sloane's Ex" | |
2012–2013 | The Neighbors | Indian Allen | 2 episodes |
Geo's Pizza | Asheed | 8 episodes | |
2013 | Little Horribles | Unknown | Episode: "Road Rage" |
Trophy Wife | Graduate #2 | Episode: "Pilot" | |
Aim High | Mingesha Dutta | Episode 2.2 | |
The Middle | Vijal | Episode: "Life Skills" | |
2013–2014 | Mighty Med | Benny | 3 episodes |
Betas | Avinash "Nash" Dagavi | Main role | |
2014 | Growing Up Fisher | Owen | Episode: "Secret Lives of Fishers" |
2015 | Melissa & Joey | Flash | Episode: "Failure to Communicate" |
Other Space | Stewart Lipinski | Main role | |
100 Things to Do Before High School | Caltech Dude | Episode: "Be a Mad Scientist Thing!" | |
Any Tom, Dick, or Harry | Ernie Dassani | Television film | |
2015–2016 | Blunt Talk | Martin Bassi | Recurring (season 1) Main role (season 2) |
2015–2017 | The Goldbergs | Randy Mescunda, Srinivas Bollimpalli | 6 episodes |
2016 | The Grinder | Cooper | Episode: "From the Ashes"; uncredited |
2017 | I Live with Models | Marshall | 5 episodes |
Silicon Valley | Tenley | Episode: "Hooli-Con" | |
Room 104 | Anish | Episode: "The Internet" | |
2018 | Bobcat Goldthwait's Misfits & Monsters | Ravi | Episode: "Mermaid" |
Wrecked | Keith | 2 episodes | |
2019 | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Gordon Lundt | Episode: "The Honeypot" |
Miracle Workers | Sanjay Prince | Main role | |
Will & Grace | Mike | Episode: "With Enemies Like These" | |
2020 | Miracle Workers: Dark Ages | Lord Chris Vexler | Main role |
Cake | Himself | Episode: "Auditions: No Reader" | |
Dream Corp LLC | Patient 27 | Episode: "Fear of Heights" | |
Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun | Jerry Seinfeld | Episode: "Housemates" | |
Big Mouth | Voice, episode: "Four Stories About Hand Stuff" | ||
2020–2021 | Mira, Royal Detective | Manjeet | Voice, 10 episodes |
2021 | Special[25] | Dev Laghari | 2 episodes |
Miracle Workers: Oregon Trail | The Gunslinger | Main role | |
2023 | Miracle Workers: End Times | TI-90, Tai | Main role, 10 episodes |
Podcast
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | The Coldest Case | Edgar | 3 episodes |
Bridgewater | Vipin Kharana | 8 episodes | |
Dark Air with Terry Carnation | Jeet Batra | 18 episodes |
References
- "Karan Soni was surprised when Ryan Reynolds upgraded Dopinder in Deadpool 2". Hindustan Times. May 14, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- Jha, Neha (February 22, 2016). "Meet Deadpool's Dopinder: Indian-American Karan Soni shares his experience". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- "Deadpool actor Karan Soni: A white guy voicing an Indian character in 2018 is not okay". Hindustan Times. May 11, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- Andreeva, Nellie (October 18, 2013). "Amazon Studios Comedy Pilot 'Betas' Assembles Cast". Deadline.com. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- Kimball, Trevor (April 3, 2014). "Betas: Amazon Series Cancelled, No Season Two". TVSeriesFinale.com. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- Ramachandran, Vignesh (April 21, 2015). "KARAN SONI, THAT GUY FROM THE AT&T COMMERCIALS TAKES THE SILVER SCREEN". Ozy.com. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- Rohwedder, Kristie (February 13, 2015). "Who Are The Actors Who Play The Network Experts In the AT&T Commercials? These Guys Are Good". Bustle.com. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- Donnelly, Matt (April 15, 2015). "Why Paul Feig Chose Streaming for His New Comedy 'Other Space'". TheWrap.com. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- Brouwer, Bree (October 21, 2015). "Yahoo Lost $42 Million On 'Community' and Two Other Originals". TubeFilter. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- "JOEY LAWRENCE, KARAN SONI, MELISSA JOAN HART". TeenInfonet.com. February 3, 2015. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- "Scoop: THE GOLDBERGS on ABC - Tonight, October 21, 2015". BroadwayWorld.com. October 21, 2015. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- "Mad Scientists - "100 Things to Do Before High School"". Nickalive.blogspot.com. November 21, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- Wariach, Sonia (November 9, 2015). "Catch Karan Soni's Blink-and-Miss Role as Mr. Rooney in 'Goosebumps'". Indiawest.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- Baron, Steve (February 24, 2015). "Starz Announces Recurring and Guest Cast for 'Blunt Talk' Starring Patrick Stewart". TVByTheNumbers.zap2it.com. Archived from the original on November 25, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- Goldberg, Lesley (April 29, 2014). "Starz Orders Two Seasons of Seth MacFarlane Comedy 'Blunt Talk'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- Roots, Kimberly (December 20, 2016). "Blunt Talk Cancelled at Starz". TVLine. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
- "EXCLUSIVE: Karan Soni Talks Deadpool, Improvising with Ryan Reynolds". ComicBook.com. October 30, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- "EXCLUSIVE: Karan Soni Talks Deadpool, Improvising with Ryan Reynolds". ComicBook.com. October 30, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- "Watch Pokemon Detective Pikachu (Movie)". HBO. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- "Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse' Casts Karan Soni As Spider-Man India". Deadline. March 2023.
- Kroll, Justin (March 29, 2023). "Karan Soni & Leslie Uggams Returning For Next 'Deadpool' Installment". Deadline. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
- @funnyindian (July 17, 2022). "Actor @itskaransoni Karan Soni's Coming Out Story" – via Instagram.
- Chapman, Wilson (April 4, 2022). "The Cast and Crew of '7 Days' on Reliving Quarantine as a Romantic Comedy". Variety. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
- Dick, Jeremy (May 23, 2023). "Deadpool 3 Officially Starts Filming". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- Petski, Denise (March 29, 2021). "'Special': Charlie Barnett, Max Jenkins, Ana Ortiz Among Nine Set To Recur In Season 2 Of Netflix Series". Deadline. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
External links
- Karan Soni at Rotten Tomatoes
- Karan Soni at IMDb
- Karan Soni on Twitter
- Karan Soni on Instagram