Poorna Jagannathan, a prominent Indian-American actress and producer, has captivated audiences with her versatile performances across film and television. Her career showcases a remarkable range, spanning from Bollywood to Hollywood productions.

Wiki/Biography

Poorna Jagannathan was born on Friday, December 22, 1972 (age 51 as of 2023), in Tunis, Tunisia. Her zodiac sign is Capricorn. Her upbringing was truly global, encompassing Pakistan, Ireland, India, Brazil, and Argentina. She completed much of her schooling in these diverse locations. Her academic journey included Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in New Delhi, the University of Brasilia where she majored in Journalism and minored in Theatre, and the University of Maryland, College Park, from which she earned her BA. She also briefly attended the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University for a Master’s in Fine Arts before deciding to pursue acting independently, learning under the tutelage of Elizabeth Kamp.

Physical Appearance

• Height: 5′ 6½”
• Eye Colour: Black
• Hair Colour: Black

Family & Ethnicity

Poorna comes from a Tamil family, making her a South Indian American. Her father, Krish Krishnan, is an Indian diplomat, and her mother’s name is Vasantha Krishnan; both hail from Chennai. She has an older sister named Sharada. Poorna is married to Azad Oommen, and they have a son, Anav Oommen.

Career

In Films

Poorna’s acting debut was in the film She Hate Me (2004), playing “Song’s Girlfriend”. She then took on minor roles in American films such as The Weather Man (2005), Awake (2007), and Peace, Love & Misunderstandings (2011). Her Bollywood debut was in Delhi Belly (2011) as “Menaka Vashist”. She’s since appeared in notable supporting roles in both Bollywood and Hollywood productions, including Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), Growing Up Smith (2015), Carrie Pilby (2016), The Circle (2017), Mile 22 (2018), Share (2019), and Alia’s Birth (2020).

In Television

Her television debut was in the iconic Law & Order (2004) as “Rehana Khemlani”. She subsequently appeared in numerous popular TV series, including Rescue Me (2006), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2006), The Game (2008), Numbers (2009), Royal Pains (2010), House of Cards (2015), and NCIS: Los Angeles (2016), often in smaller roles. A significant breakthrough came in 2016 with a major role as “Safar Khan” in The Night Of. She continued her success with appearances in Gypsy (2017), The Blacklist (2017), The Act (2019), Big Little Lies (2019), Defending Jacob (2020), and Never Have I Ever (2020).

In Theatre

Poorna is a respected theatre artist, serving as a company and board member of The Barrow Group, a non-profit Off-Broadway theatre company in New York City. Inspired by the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder, she produced and acted in the play Nirbhaya, written and directed by Yaël Farber. This production, which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, garnered critical acclaim and won several awards, including the Amnesty International Award, Scotsman Fringe First, and Herald Angel Award in 2013.

Awards & Achievements

Favourite Things

• Actor(s): James Gandolfini, Aamir Khan
• Actress(es): Kalki Koechlin, Shabana Azmi
• Writer: Dave Eggers
• Plays: Our Town by Thornton Wilder, Amajuba by Yaël Farber

Facts/Trivia

Poorna enjoys watching movies and plays, and reading. Before becoming an actress, she worked in advertising. She has been featured in numerous publications, including Marie Claire, Femina, Jade, Exotica, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Grazia. She’s a vegetarian, a dog lover, and a PETA brand ambassador.