Naveen Andrews

Naveen Andrews is a British actor best known for playing Sayid Jarrah in the hit ABC series “Lost” and the tech executive Sunny Balwani in the drama “The Dropout.” Born on 17 January 1969 in Lambeth, London, to parents who had emigrated from Kerala, India, he trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

He first drew acclaim as Kip Singh in Anthony Minghella’s Oscar-winning film “The English Patient” (1996). A decade later he reached a global audience as Sayid, the resourceful former soldier, on “Lost” (2004–2010) — a role that brought him Golden Globe and Emmy nominations and a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the ensemble.

His other screen work includes the Wachowskis’ Netflix series “Sense8” (2015–2018), the fantasy drama “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland,” and films such as “Bride and Prejudice” and “Planet Terror.” In 2022 he earned strong reviews as Sunny Balwani opposite Amanda Seyfried in “The Dropout.”

More recently he joined “The Cleaning Lady” as Robert Kamdar, adding to a résumé of complex, often morally ambiguous characters that has become his trademark.

His decades-long career has helped broaden the range of roles available to South Asian performers in Hollywood, and he continues to take on high-profile parts across film, television and, more recently, audio drama.

With Indian heritage, a British upbringing and a career built largely in American film and television, Andrews has long been one of the most prominent South Asian actors in Western media, known for bringing gravity and nuance to his roles.

Andrews has often spoken about representation and the shift in opportunities for actors of South Asian descent over the course of his career. Whether playing a heroic survivor, a real-life executive or a shadowy antagonist, he brings a distinctive intensity to his work, and his long list of credits across British and American productions has made him one of the most recognisable actors of his generation.