Karen Johal
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Karen_Johal_2023.jpg/220px-Karen_Johal_2023.jpg)
Karen Johal[1] (born 13 March 1991) is a British actress of Indian descent. She is best known for playing Nicole Shelley[2] on season 3 of the Apple TV+ television series Ted Lasso (2020).[3][4][5] She gained further recognition for her portrayal of Noreen Khan in the BBC television series Phoenix Rise (2023).[6][7] She is a graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts[8] in Manhattan, New York where she starred on stage for The Public Theater[9] and performed live at Carnegie Hall.[10] In June 2023, she was featured in a national ad campaign for global messaging platform WhatsApp alongside British broadcaster Alex Scott.[11]
Early life
[edit]Karen Johal was born on 13 March 1991 in Birmingham, England, to British parents.[12] She is of Indian descent and has two younger brothers. Johal grew up in Aston and comes from a working class background.[13] She attended St. Clare's Primary School in Handsworth[14] and Perry Beeches Secondary School[15] in Perry Barr.[16]
At age 16 she enrolled at Birmingham Metropolitan College at the Sutton Coldfield campus, where she received A Levels in English Literature, Psychology, Fine Art and Drama. After finishing college, she began working full time as a retail assistant in Birmingham City Centre and part time at the Birmingham Hippodrome. Whilst working, she auditioned unsuccessfully for several UK drama schools with hopes of studying acting professionally.[17]
In 2014, after a successful audition in London, she was accepted into The American Academy of Dramatic Arts and relocated to Manhattan, New York.[18] After graduating in 2016 she was offered a place in the third year program,[19] performing in theater productions of Moira Buffini's Welcome to Thebes, Megan Cohen's Truest[20] and Qui Nguyen's She Kills Monsters.[21] Johal also starred opposite Scottish actor Alan Cumming in original musical Me and the Girls directed by Douglas Carter Beane.[22] The musical was choreographed by Lorin Latarro and featured original music by Noël Coward.[23]
Career
[edit]In 2017, Johal starred in the off-Broadway production of Julius Caesar[24] directed by Oskar Eustis[25] at Shakespeare in the Park for The Public Theater.[26] Later that year she performed on stage at Carnegie Hall in the premiere of The Journey to America for Orchestra Moderne.[27] The performance was directed by Amy Andersson and composed by Emmy award winning American composer Lolita Ritmanis.[28]
Johal was well received by critics and the performance garnered positive reviews in The Huffington Post[29] and The New York Classical Review.[30]
The following year, Johal starred in a number of off-Broadway theater productions including As You Like It[31][32] and The 7th Inning Stretch for Miles Square Theater in New Jersey.[33] She played a series of leading roles in the short films, Frank's Plan (2018) for Amazon Prime,[34] Man on the Phone (2019)[35] and the YouTube web series Everyone Else Has (2017).[36]
In 2020, Johal relocated to the UK, due to the global pandemic.[37][38][39] The following year she played the lead role as Una in David Harrower's Blackbird[40] and the role of doctor/therapist in Duncan MacMillan's People, Places and Things. Both productions were regional premieres performed in the city of Lichfield, Staffordshire.[41]
In late 2021, Johal starred in a national Christmas commercial for global retailer TK Maxx.[42] The commercial, called "Christmas to the Maxx",[43] was directed by Raine Allen-Miller and aired in the UK/ Europe.[44] In Spring 2022, Johal performed at the Sky Comedy Rep festival at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.[45] Sky Comedy Rep is an annual comedy festival, featuring original one-act plays from new playwrights.[46] Writers are paired with mentors throughout the research and development stage. Past mentors have included Meera Syal, Guz Khan and Sanjeev Bhaskar.[47] During the festival Johal was cast in the new play Mismatch written by Ashfaq Gorsi and directed by The Rep's Artistic Director Iqbal Khan.[48] The production was performed across two nights in March 2022 and was hosted by Birmingham Comedian, Daren Elliott.[49]
Later in the year, Johal was cast in the newly commissioned BBC television series Phoenix Rise.[50] The show was written and created by Matt Evans and Perrie Balthazar. Phoenix Rise follows a diverse group of teenagers who have been excluded from a West Midlands school as they begin their first steps back into education.[51] Johal played a recurring role on the series as Noreen Khan.[52] Production took place in Coventry and lasted over six months, filming up until the end of 2022.[53] Season one launched on BBC iPlayer on 21 March 2023[54] and on 12 April 2023 it was confirmed a second series would be aired later in the year.[55] A third and fourth series has also been commissioned by the BBC.[56][57] In 2024 it was announced that Johal would not be returning for the third season citing scheduling conflicts.
Whilst working on production for Phoenix Rise,[58] Johal auditioned for the role of Nicole Shelley on the hit Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso.[59][60] The award winning television series starring Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham and Nick Mohammed, began production on its rumoured final season on 7 March 2022.[61][62][63][64]
After an initial audition for executive producer Sudeikis and the casting team at Theo Park,[65] Johal won the role. Season 3, aired on Apple TV+ on 15 March 2023[66][67] and the character of Nicole Shelley was introduced in episode 7 "The Strings That Bind Us".[68] Johal played Nicole Shelley, the younger sister of Nathan Shelley, played by Nick Mohammed until the series ended on 31 May 2023.[69]
In June 2023, it was announced that season 3 of Ted Lasso had been nominated for 21 Emmy awards including Best Comedy Series.[70][71]
In January 2024, Johal received a nomination for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series by the Screen Actors Guild Awards for Ted Lasso.[72][73] The awards ceremony took place in February 2024 as it was delayed due to the SAG AFTRA strike, which ended in November 2023.
Johal was cast in a short film for MTV Entertainment titled The Waves (2023) for The Corner Shop in aid of Women's History Month in March 2023.[74] The short film was directed by Bafta award winning director Sindha Agha[75] and aired on Comedy Central, Paramount, VH1 and all channels owned by the MTV Entertainment Group.The short film was developed in concept, based on a poem by Virginia Woolf.[76] "For pain words are lacking", the focal point of the piece centered around the female body and relation to pain.[77]
In Spring 2023, Johal relocated to Hamburg, Germany, to play Zarina in Ayad Akhtar's The Who and the What.[78] The production ran for six weeks at The English Theatre of Hamburg with an all British cast.[79]
The Who and the What directed by Clifford Dean was met with overall positive reviews from the German press.[80] Several media outlets made mention of Germany's previous productions of the play, for its controversial decision to cast white actors as Pakistani American characters.[81] Akhtar's play has been produced all over the world with notable productions in Vienna, Austria, Denmark and New York.[82]
In June 2023, Johal was approached to star in WhatsApp's global campaign, A Private Message alongside British Broadcaster Alex Scott MBE.[83] The campaign was launched to help promote WhatsApp's new chat encryption services for safe messaging and mental health awareness.[84]
Johal will next appear in global campaigns for F1 sponsor Aramco Global[85] and Northwell Health.[86]
Personal life
[edit]Johal currently resides in the UK.[87]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | Frank's Plan | Kathy | Short film |
2019 | Man on the Phone | Felicity | Short film |
2023 | The Waves | Woman in Labour | Short film |
Television
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2022 | Ted Lasso | Nicole Shelley | Nominated for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series[88] |
2022 | Phoenix Rise | Noreen Khan |
Theatre
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Director | Playwright | Theatre |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | 4.48 Psychosis | Lead | Sally Humphreys | Sarah Kane | Sutton Coldfield College |
2016 | Measure for Measure | Duke Vincentio | Sheila Bandyopadhyay | William Shakespeare | The American Academy of Dramatic Arts |
2016 | Welcome to Thebes | Eurydice | Barbara Rubin | Moira Buffini | The American Academy of Dramatic Arts |
2016 | Me and the Girls | Nasim | Douglas Carter Beane | Douglas Carter Beane | The American Academy of Dramatic Arts |
2016 | Truest | Jen | Jessica Holt | Megan Cohen | The American Academy of Dramatic Arts |
2017 | She Kills Monsters | Farrah | George Heslin | Qui Nyuen | The American Academy of Dramatic Arts |
2017 | Camel | Ezme | Michael Bradshaw Flynn | Charly Clive | Under St. Marks |
2017 | Julius Caesar | Lead Ensemble | Oskar Eustis | William Shakespeare | Delacourte Central Park |
2017 | The Journey to America | MC | Amy Andersson | Amy Andersson | Carnegie Hall |
2017 | Satisfaction | Sammie | Adam Fitzgerald | Nandita Shenoy | The American Academy of Dramatic Arts |
2018 | Good Fit | Asma | Anna Loyd Bradshaw | Nkenna Akunna | Wow Cafe |
2018 | American As... | Anita | Peter J Kuo | Nandita Shenoy | Miles Square |
2018 | Rise/Fall | God | Sheila Bandyopadhyay | Sheila Bandyopadhyay | Leviathan Lab |
2019 | As you like it | Phebe | Alexis Confer | William Shakespeare | Teatro Latea |
2019 | This is Me | Claire | Yudelka Heyer | Barbara Bernardi | The American Academy of Dramatic Arts |
2020 | The Tempest | Caliban | Ryan Cupello | William Shakespeare | SoHo Shakes |
2020 | Lysistrata | Lysistrata | Alexis Confer | Aristophanes | Teatro Latea |
2021 | Blackbird | Una | Christopher Buckle | David Harrower | Sandfields Pumping Station |
2021 | People, Places & Things | Doctor/Therapist | Christopher Buckle | Duncan Macmillan | Sandfields Pumping Station |
2022 | Mismatch | Zainab | Iqbal Khan | Ashfaq Gorsi | The Birmingham Rep |
2023 | The Who and the What | Zarina | Clifford Dean | Ayad Akhtar | The English Theatre of Hamburg |
Radio
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Station |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Midlands Masala with Gagan Grewal | Guest | BBC Sounds |
2023 | National NDR Radio Hamburg | Guest | NDR |
References
[edit]- ^ "Karen Johal | Actor". IMDb. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- ^ Darwish, Meaghan (26 April 2023). "'Ted Lasso' Star Nick Mohammed Weighs In on Nate's Potential Romance". TV Insider. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- ^ "Apple's 'Ted Lasso' First Look At Jason Sudekis, Bill Lawrence Comedy – Deadline". 16 November 2020. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Schwartz, Ryan (28 October 2020). "Jason Sudeikis' Ted Lasso Already Renewed for Season 3 at Apple TV+". TVLine. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Ted Lasso (Comedy, Drama, Sport), Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Ruby's Tuna, Universal Television, Doozer, 14 August 2020, retrieved 3 August 2023
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ Parkes, Thomas (27 July 2022). "Actress from Walsall takes on new children's TV drama role". expressandstar.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Phoenix Rise, retrieved 31 July 2023
- ^ "Alumni & Academy Archive | The American Academy of Dramatic Arts | The American Academy of Dramatic Arts". aada.edu. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Paulson, Michael (17 June 2017). "Two Protesters Disrupt 'Julius Caesar' in Central Park (Published 2017)". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Amy Andersson, Conductor Momo Wong, Violin Orchestra Moderne NYC". carnegiehall.org. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "WhatsApp teams up with Alex Scott to promote safe and private messaging". The Drum. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- ^ Official, Michelle Sciarrotta-TAL (11 March 2023). "Karen Johal: Interview With A Stage & Screen Actor". TheatreArtLife. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Brassington, Jamie (14 May 2023). "I'm a proud Brummie actor who's lived in New York and been on the BBC". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "St. Clare's Catholic Primary School". stclare.bham.sch.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Large, Heather (28 May 2023). "Hard work is paying off for Walsall-born actress". expressandstar.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Large, Heather (29 March 2020). "Big Apple life for Karen: What it's like to be an actress in New York". expressandstar.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "British south Asian Actress Karen Johal on following your purpose as an artist". British Asian Women's Magazine. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "The Academy Abroad: A Conversation with Karen Johal". The Academy Pages. 19 March 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Admin (29 July 2022). "Karen Johal – "Half of the battle is inside your mind but if it is meant to be it will work out."". Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Russo, Rebecca. "Playwrights Melisa Tien and Megan Cohen Develop New Works at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Vincentelli, Elisabeth (2 July 2020). "Queer Kids, Nerds and Sword Fights: It's the Hot School Play (Published 2020)". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Alan Cumming Surprises Audience at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts". aada.edu. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Douglas Carter Beane's New Musical Based on a Noël Coward Story Bows Today". playbill.com. 26 October 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Mead, Rebecca (12 June 2017). "In Defense of the Trumpian "Julius Caesar"". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Why Donald Trump Was Low-Hanging Fruit for 'Julius Caesar'". Time. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Lenker, Maureen Lee. "The Public Theater Responds to 'Julius Caesar' Controversy After NEA Diss". EW.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Boyer, Peter. "Boyer's Ellis Island to be performed at Carnegie Hall – Peter Boyer: Propulsive Music". Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Amy Andersson, Conductor Momo Wong, Violin Orchestra Moderne NYC". lolitaritmanis. 18 October 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Orchestra Moderne NYC Is Ready To Tackle Social and Political Issues; First Stop—The Immigrant Experience". HuffPost. 30 September 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "New York Classical Review". newyorkclassicalreview.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Musbach, Julie. "Shakespeare's As You Like It Comes To The Latea NYC Theater". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "As You Like It". Time Out New York. 7 June 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Play Ball: Mile Square Theatre Presents the 14th Annual 7th Inning Stretch — May 18, 19 & 20". hmag. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Kwon, Juhui (27 October 2018), Frank's Plan (Short, Comedy), Wayne J. Miller, Karen Johal, Dean Cho, Default Films, retrieved 2 August 2023
- ^ Aquilino, Nick (31 May 2019), Man on the Phone (Short, Crime), Anthony Notarile, Karen Johal, Emily Pinto, retrieved 2 August 2023
- ^ Everyone Else Has (Comedy), Ryan Duke, Karen Johal, Logan Keeler, Everyone Else Has, 10 November 2017, retrieved 3 August 2023
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "Karen Johal". All Roads Magazine. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Checking Back In With Karen Johal". All Roads Magazine. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Karen Johal: 'The industry is ready now to see us play more than the terrorist or shopkeeper roles'". Asian Image. 19 April 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "How to Keep Your Mental Health Safe Whilst Working on Intense Subject Matters". spotlight.com. November 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Home". Let Me In. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Raine Allen-Miller – TK Maxx "Christmas to the Maxx" | Somesuch". somesuch.co. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Shaw, Neil (4 November 2021). "TK Maxx channels Aerosmith for 2021 Christmas ad". WalesOnline. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Shiny New Boots Take Christmas to the Maxx in TK Maxx's Holiday Campaign | LBBOnline". lbbonline.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Sky Comedy Rep presents Parklife". Birmingham Rep. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Wild, Stephi. "Sky Comedy Rep Hosts Festival of Comedic Short Plays This Weekend". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
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- ^ "Rising stars of comedy writing take centre stage at Birmingham REP". whatsonlive.co.uk. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Rising stars of comedy writing take centre stage at Birmingham Rep hosted by Darren Harriott". West End Best Friend. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Launch for new BBC school drama set in Coventry". BBC News. 14 March 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- ^ Bałaga, Marta (17 October 2022). "'This is a Show about Second Chances,' Creators of 'Phoenix Rise' Say at MipJunior". Variety. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- ^ "Phoenix Rise - Meet the characters and creators of the bold new school drama". bbc.com. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- ^ Kaur, Jaspreet (14 June 2022). "New BBC high school drama Phoenix Rise being filmed in Coventry". CoventryLive. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Karen from Yew Tree stars in BBC drama". Celebrate Sandwell. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Phoenix Rise review – like Grange Hill meets The Breakfast Club | Television | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "BBC Children's unveils huge variety of new commissions for children and families across the UK". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
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- ^ Kaur, Jaspreet (21 December 2022). "Actors filming upcoming BBC kids drama at multimillion pound venue in Coventry". CoventryLive. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Lewis, Tim (14 May 2023). "'I'm pleased as pie!': Jason Sudeikis on Ted Lasso – and lessons in kindness". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (14 October 2019). "Jason Sudeikis Revives Ted Lasso for Apple TV Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Apple TV+ hit 'Ted Lasso' season 3 begins filming". AppleInsider. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Hailu, Selome (6 June 2022). "'Ted Lasso' Season 3 Being Written as the Final Season, Says Brett Goldstein". Variety. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ London, Luxury; Gunn, Zoe (14 March 2023). "The Ted Lasso filming locations to visit in London". Luxury London. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Gonzalez, Sandra (13 July 2021). "'Ted Lasso' broke a 'Glee' record with its Emmy nominations". CNN. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Ted Lasso Casting Director Theo Park Fulfills Each Role With the 'Ted Lasso Effect' | Below the Line". 24 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Ted Lasso - Rotten Tomatoes". rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ VanArendonk, Jen Chaney, Roxana Hadadi, Kathryn (11 May 2023). "Ted Lasso Has a Major Character Flaw". Vulture. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Goldberg, Lesley (13 September 2021). "'Ted Lasso' Stars, Writers Score Big Paydays for Season 3 (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Cordero, Rosy (7 March 2023). "Jason Sudeikis Says 'Ted Lasso' Season 3 "Is The End Of This Story We Wanted To Tell," Addresses Potential Spinoffs". Deadline. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Sepinwall, Alan (10 March 2023). "'Ted Lasso' Season 3 Coasts on Good Vibes and Little Else". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Moreau, Jordan; Schneider, Michael (12 July 2023). "Emmys 2023: The Complete Nominations List". Variety. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Full list of SAG Awards nominees 2024". The Independent. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ "SAG Awards 2024 nominations: Complete list of nominees". 10 January 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ "MTV takes great pains". shots. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Sindha Agha". Sindha Agha. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Director, Sindha Agha, The Corner Shop & MTV: A tribute to women who feel pain (with help from Virgina Woolf)". Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "MTV 'The Waves'... at DAVID". davidreviews.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "The Who & The What". The English Theatre of Hamburg. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ NDR. "Krönung von Charles III. wird auch in Hamburger Theater ein Fest". ndr.de (in German). Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Oehmsen, Heinrich (7 April 2023). ""The Who & The What" im English Theatre: "Du bist nicht mehr meine Tochter!"". abendblatt.de (in German). Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ ""The Who & The What" – The New Play at the English Theatre of Hamburg – Die Auswärtige Presse e.V." (in German). Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Isherwood, Charles (17 June 2014). "The Shadow of the Patriarch (Published 2014)". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Alex Scott stars in WhatsApp campaign about privacy". campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Alex Scott teams up with WhatsApp". themediaeye.com. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Where Energy is Opportunity". www.aramco.com. 13 June 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ "Northwell Health". www.northwell.edu. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ "Karen Johal's journey from the U.K. & the importance of Educating Yourself!". OnStage Blog. 7 March 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Czachor, Emily Mae (10 January 2024). "SAG Awards nominations for 2024 announced: See the full list of nominees - CBS News". cbsnews.com. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
External links
[edit]- Karen Johal IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10374637/
- Karen Johal Official website - https://www.karenjohal.com/