What do Embeth Davidtz, Sasha Pieterse, and Lesley-Ann Brandt have in common? They’re all actors working in Hollywood but hail from South Africa! And there are many more that have come before and after them. Charlize Theron may be the most obvious example, but we’ve also watched Arnold Vosloo make his mark as the title character in the Mummy movies, Trevor Noah host The Daily Show, and Sharlto Copley chase aliens and bad guys and even be the bad guy himself, all in the name of entertainment.
Joining this line-up of local stars is Adhir Kalyan. Born and raised in Durban, he moved to London in his early twenties to pursue an acting career. After landing a few roles in British television, he nabbed a leading role in an American sitcom Aliens in America. The show did not last beyond one season, but it wasn’t long before Kalyan landed another significant role when he joined the cast of Rules of Engagement.
Now he’s back in the lead as the title character in the new sitcom, United States of Al, starting in January on M-Net. He plays Awalmir “Al” Karimi, an Afghanistani interpreter who heads to the United States and moves in with Riley Dugan, a Marine he befriended in Afghanistan. The series also stars Parker Young as Riley, as well as Breaking Bad’s Dean Norris.
Watch United States of Al season 1 every Friday at 19:00, starting 7 January 2022, on M-Net.