Maulik Pancholy

Maulik Navin Pancholy (/moʊliːk nɑːvɪn pænˈtʃoʊli/, born January 18, 1974) is an American actor and author who is best known for his roles as Jonathan on 30 Rock, Baljeet Tjinder in Phineas and Ferb, Neal in the first season of Whitney, and as a character named Sanjay Patel in both Weeds and Sanjay and Craig. His debut novel, The Best at It (from Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins), is about a gay, Indian American boy coming into his own.[1] In 2022, he released Nikhil Out Loud, which tells the story of eighth grade theater kids rising up against homophobia in their community.[2] It won the 2023 Lambda Literary Award for Middle Grade Literature.[3][4]

Maulik Pancholy
Pancholy at the 2019 Texas Book Festival
Born
Maulik Navin Pancholy

(1974-01-18) January 18, 1974
Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
EducationNorthwestern University (BA)
Yale University (MFA)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • author
Years active1998–present
Spouse
Ryan Corvaia
​
(m. 2014)​
AwardsLambda Literary Award for Middle Grade Literature (2023)
Websitemaulikpancholy.com

Early life

Pancholy was born in Dayton, Ohio to Gita Jayantilal and Navin Chimanal Pancholy. He moved around while growing up, living in Ohio, Indiana, and Texas before his family settled in Tampa, Florida, where he attended junior high and high school at Berkeley Preparatory School.[5] His family comes from Gujarat, and his grandparents lived in Ahmedabad.[6] He is a 1991 graduate of the Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa, and went on to major in Theatre at Northwestern University, where he received his bachelor's degree in 1995.[7] He then attended the Yale School of Drama, where he received his Master of Fine Arts in 2003.[8]

Career
Pancholy in 2007

Pancholy played the character of Jonathan on the award-winning NBC series 30 Rock, Sanjay Patel on Showtime's Weeds and Nickelodeon's Sanjay & Craig, Neal on the first season of NBC's Whitney, and voiced the character of Baljeet Tjinder on Disney's Phineas & Ferb.[9] Additional television work includes guest roles on The Good Fight, The Good Wife, Elementary, Dynasty, Friends from College, Tracey Takes On..., The Sopranos, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and The Comeback.[8]

On February 13, 2017, StarTrek.com stated that Pancholy will play Nambue, Chief Medical Officer of the USS Shenzhou in the upcoming TV series Star Trek: Discovery. His character appeared in the pilot episode, "The Vulcan Hello", which aired on 24 September 2017, and streamed on CBS's online service in America and Netflix abroad.[10]

His stage credits in New York City include the Culture Project's production of Guantanamo: Honor Bound to Defend Freedom in 2004, a workshop of the play Morbidity & Mortality at the historic Cherry Lane Theatre in 2005, and the lead role in India Awaiting at the Samuel Beckett Theatre. In January 2015, he joined the cast of Terrence McNally's It's Only a Play, replacing Rupert Grint when the production's Broadway run was extended.[11] Washington DC stage credits include Katherina in an all-male version of the Shakespeare Theatre Company's "The Taming of The Shrew" in 2016. He starred as 'Kevin' in the world premiere engagement of Ken Urban's The Remains at the Studio Theatre in 2018.

In 2019, Pancholy played 'Tommy' in Bess Wohl's Grand Horizons at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.[12] It was announced that he will reprise the role in Second Stage's Broadway production of the play at the Helen Hayes Theater.[13]

Personal life

Pancholy came out as gay in a November 2013 interview with Out in which he discussed his partner of nine years, chef and caterer Ryan Corvaia.[14] They were engaged at the Taj Mahal in January 2014 and were married in September that year.[15] Pancholy and Corvaia were among the invited guests at a state dinner President Joe Biden held for Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi.[16]

Pancholy speaks Gujarati and Spanish. He is also proficient in Hindi, which he speaks in the 30 Rock episode "Khonani".[6][17]

Political activism

On April 25, 2014, Pancholy was named to President Barack Obama's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as part of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.[18][19][20] On February 25, 2017, Pancholy and nine other members of the commission resigned from their positions, citing administrative actions by President Donald Trump that they claimed went "against the commission's principles".[21][22]

Pancholy is active with several non-profit and social policy organizations including Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles, the New York City Anti-Violence Project, and OutRight Action International, formerly known as the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.[20][19]

Pancholy is the Chair and Co-Founder of the anti-bullying nonprofit Act To Change. He helped launch the campaign during his time serving on President Obama's Advisory Commission. Act To Change was transitioned outside of the White House after the 2016 presidential election.[23]

Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Notes
1999Pokémon Trading Card Game: Trainer VideoAdult Card Trader
2005HitchRaoul
2006Friends with MoneyFlirtatious Waiter
Quarter Life CrisisNeil Desai
ParkBabar
200827 DressesTrent
2009Love N' DancingGunmay
2010Love RanchSamir Singh
Good SharmaSamir
TugCarl
See You in SeptemberRoger
Raspberry MagicAmrish Patil
2011Horrible Bosses[24]GregoryVoice only
Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd DimensionBaljeet Tjinder / 2nd Baljeet
Scooby-Doo! Legend of the PhantosaurDoctor
2012Treasure BuddiesBabi
2013Super BuddiesCurly the Pig
2020 Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the UniverseBaljeet Tjinder

Television
YearShowRoleNotes
1998USA HighAchmedEpisode: "Jackson Moves Out"
City GuysRasheedEpisode: "Jamal Got His Gun"
Malibu, CAHajiEpisode: "Surf Sale"
FelicityT.A.Episode: "Finally"
1999Tracey Takes On...RobertoEpisode: "Road Rage"
Jack & JillBarto's Classmate2 episodes
CharmedTreasure Hunter #1Episode: "That Old Black Magic"
1999, 2000The Wild ThornberrysKazi/Tenzin/Construction Wallah (voice)Episode: "Happy Campers"
"You Ain't Seen Nothing Yeti"
2000Family LawClerkEpisode: "Metamorphosis"
2005–2009, 2012WeedsSanjay PatelRecurring seasons 1–5; 8
2005The ComebackKaveen Kahan3 episodes
2006–11, 201230 RockJonathanRecurring seasons 1–2; Main seasons 3–5; 7
2007Law & Order: Criminal IntentAziz Gabriel/Dani HasniEpisode: "Stress Position"
"World's Fair"
The SopranosDr. Ajit GupteEpisode: "Stage 5"
2007–presentPhineas and FerbBaljeet TjinderVoice only
2009The ReplacementsKamil Sattar (voice)
2010Running WildeHimselfEpisode: "Mental Flaws"
2011Web TherapyKamal PrakashRecurring; season 1
2011–2012WhitneyNealMain (season 1)
2013–2016Sanjay and CraigSanjay PatelMain role, voice only
60 episodes
2014The Good WifeDev JainEpisode "Parallel Construction, Bitches"
Wander Over YonderN/A
2016The MuppetsPhotographerEpisode: "Got Silk?"
2017Star Trek: DiscoveryDr. NambueEpisode: "The Vulcan Hello"
Friends from CollegePatelEpisode: "A Night of Surprises"
2017, 2019Milo Murphy's LawNeal
Baljeet Tjinder		6 episodes
2018ElementaryAlfonse KapoorEpisode: "Our Time Is Up"
2019DynastyKenneth DesaiEpisode: "Filthy Games"
2019, 2020American Dad!Nudist/Improv Actor (voice)Episode: "Stan & Francine & Connie & Ted"
"100 Years a Solid Fool"
2019The Good FightDev JainEpisode: "The One Where Diane Joins the Resistance"
"The One Where Kurt Saves Diane"
Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up AdventuresJasper (voice)Episode: "Here, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty!"
HelpstersRobbie RunnerEpisode: "Amazing Alie/Robbie & Rhonda Runner"
2020–2022Mira, Royal DetectiveRanjeet/Gardening Vendor/Uncle (voice)10 episodes
2021Q-ForceN/A2 Episodes
Only Murders in the BuildingArnav3 Episodes
2022Would I Lie to You? (US)HimselfEpisode: "Show Goat"

Stage
Year Title Role Location Category
2003 Aunt Dan and Lemon Marty Acorn Theatre Off-Broadway
2004 Guantanamo: Honor Bound to Defend Freedom Ruhel Ahmed Lynn Redgrave Theater Off-Broadway
2005 Morbidity & Mortality — Cherry Lane Theatre Off-Broadway
2014–2015 It's Only a Play Frank Finger Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre and Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre Broadway
2016 The Taming of the Shrew Katharina Minola Shakespeare Theatre Company at Sidney Harman Hall Regional
2018 Good for Otto Alex Pershing Square Signature Center Off-Broadway
2018 The Remains Kevin Studio Theatre Regional
2019 Grand Horizons Tommy Hayes Theater Broadway
2022 To My Girls Castor Tony Kiser Theater Off-Broadway

References
  1. "The Best at It - Maulik Pancholy - Hardcover". HarperCollins Publishers: World-Leading Book Publisher. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  2. Pancholy, Maulik (2022). Nikhil out loud (1st ed.). New York. ISBN 978-0-06-309192-4. OCLC 1345290131.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. "2023 Winners". Lambda Literary. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  4. Schaub, Michael (2023-06-12). "2023 Lambda Literary Award Winners Are Revealed". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  5. "Angry Reader of the Week: Maulik Pancholy". Angry Asian Man. October 10, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  6. Dayal, Priyanka. "Rock Star: A Conversation with Maulik Pancholy". ABCD Lady. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  7. "Maulik Pancholy - Biography". The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  8. Gregory Kirschling (11 May 2007). "Maulik Pancholy: You Might Know Me From...The 33-year-old". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 13 May 2007. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  9. "Maulik Pancholy". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  10. Schwindt, Oriana (February 13, 2017). "'Star Trek: Discovery' Adds Three More Starfleet Members". Variety. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2017
  11. Gordon, David."It's Only a Play's New Stars Martin Short, Katie Finneran, and Maulik Pancholy Meet the Press" theatermania.com, January 13, 2015
  12. BWW News Desk. "Williamstown Theatre Festival Announces Additional Casting; Ellen Barkin, Thomas Sadoski, and More". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  13. Evans, Greg (2019-08-05). "Michael Urie, Thomas Sadoski, Maulik Pancholy Among Cast Of Broadway-Bound 'Grand Horizons'". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  14. "Out100: Maulik Pancholy". Out Magazine. 11 November 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  15. Kennedy, Ed (September 28, 2014). "Maulik Pancholy Woke Up a Married Man". The Backlot. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  16. House, The White (22 June 2023). "White House Releases State Dinner Guest List". The White House. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  17. Pancholy, Maulik (4 August 2011). "That Khonani brings it out of me". Twitter. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  18. Garcia, Michelle (27 April 2014). "Out Actor Maulik Pancholy Named to White House Commission". The Advocate. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  19. Withers, James (27 April 2014). "Out actor Maulik Pancholy appointed to White House advisory commission". Gay Star News. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  20. "President Obama Announces his Intent to Appoint Fourteen Individuals to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders" (Press release). The White House. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  21. Lee, Traci G. (16 February 2017). "10 Resign from President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders". NBC News. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  22. Hughes, William (18 February 2017). "30 Rock's Maulik Pancholy just quit a presidential commission because of Donald Trump". The A.V. Club. Onion, Inc. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  23. "Act to Change |". Act to Change. 2018-12-05. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  24. Sabrina Siddiqui (11 November 2010). "30 Rock & Weeds Star on Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey and Shattering Stereotypes". Divanee. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
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