Ambika Mod

Last updated

Ambika Mod
Born
Ambika Bhakti Mod

(1995-10-02) 2 October 1995 (age 28)
Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England
Alma mater St Mary's College, Durham (BA)
Occupation(s)Actress, comedian, writer
Years active2019–present

Ambika Bhakti Mod (born 2 October 1995) [1] [2] is a British actress, comedian and writer of Indian descent. She is best known for her roles as Shruti Acharya in the BBC drama series This Is Going to Hurt (2022) and Emma Morley in the Netflix miniseries One Day (2024).

Contents

Early life and education

Mod grew up in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire. [3] She is the daughter of Indian immigrants; her mother arrived in the UK as a child, and her father in his 20s. [4] Mod attended Dame Alice Owen's School. [5] She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Studies from St Mary's College, Durham. [6]

Early in her career, Mod worked as a personal assistant at Condé Nast as her day job while doing comedy at night. [4] [7] She studied acting at Theatrix Performing Arts of St Albans, based at the Abbey Theatre, St Albans. At Durham, she did sketch comedy through the university's Revue, [8] performing with Tom Harper at the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and serving as the troupe's president in 2017. [9] She formed a duo, Megan from HR, with Andrew Shires. [10] [11] She performs regularly at improvised comedy theatre The Free Association in London. [12]

Career

Following a series of short films, which consisted of Fair Bnb, Granddaughter, The Sacrifice (aka Leila Margot) and Pet Name, [13] in 2022 Mod appeared as a struggling junior doctor alongside Ben Whishaw in Adam Kay’s medical comedy-drama, This Is Going to Hurt , based on his memoir of the same name. [14] The series, surrounding the experiences of doctors working in gynaecology and obstetrics, earned critical acclaim. [15] The Hollywood Reporter ’s Daniel Fienberg praised Mod as the highlight among the "regular female characters" and added that she made "Shruti’s earnest fragility into the show’s true heart"; however, he also added that her character is used more as a catalyst for Kay's actions. [16] Mod received the Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Actress. [17]

In 2024, Mod portrayed Emma Morley opposite Leo Woodall in Netflix's One Day , based on David Nicholls' novel of the same name. [18] It tells the story of two young people who meet annually for 20 years following a platonic one-night stand. Mod initially declined the part due to the intense nature of her role in This Is Going to Hurt forming doubts about her ability to play a romantic lead. [19] [20] Reflecting on her original decision, she said, "I think part of the reason why I just didn’t see myself playing that part was because insidiously and implicitly, that’s a message that I’ve been fed my entire life—that people who look like me aren’t romantic leads, that people who look like me aren’t the people who the male romantic lead will fall in love with". [21] The series, along with her performance, received critical acclaim and the role proved to be a major breakthrough in her career. [22] [23] It was the most-watched series globally during the week of February 12, with 9.9 million views. [24] Writing for The Guardian , Chitra Ramaswamy lauded Mod as a "revelation", and said, "It is hard to believe this is her first lead role". [25] While discussing her character's alteration in ethnicity from the novel and film, she expressed her hope that it would "open people's minds a little bit", and said she was "aware how significant it will be to a lot of people, especially young women of colour, young South Asian women in particular". [26]

Mod will next appear in a lead role in the Disney+ thriller series Playdate . [27]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2018Fair BnbIzzyShort film
2019GranddaughterPhoebeShort film
2020The Sacrifice (aka Leila Margot)RukhsanaShort film
2022Pet NameSophieShort film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2019 The Mash Report Sarah / Average Young PersonEpisode 6
2020The B@itSamanthaEpisode: "Ending other people's relationships"
2021 Trying UsherEpisode: "I'm Scared"
2022 This Is Going to Hurt Shruti Acharya7 episodes
Martin FishbackSamahTelevision pilot
I Hate Suzie Una Finch2 episodes
2024 One Day Emma Morley14 episodes
TBA Playdate Selma DesaiIn production

Stage

YearTitleRoleVenue
2015Cirque du SillýSelf Edinburgh Fringe Festival
2019Children of the QuornSelfEdinburgh Fringe Festival

Podcasts

YearTitleRoleNotes
2022Doctor Who: RedactedCaptain ChopraEpisode: "Rescue"

Awards and nominations

YearAssociationCategoryWorkResultRef.
2020 Funny Women Awards ——Semi-finalist [28]
2022 Edinburgh Television Festival Breakthrough Talent—Nominated [29]
2023 Broadcasting Press Guild Awards Best Actress This Is Going to Hurt Won [30]
Royal Television Society Programme Awards Supporting Actor – FemaleWon [31]
2024 Gotham TV Awards Outstanding Performance in a Limited Series One Day Pending [32]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Seymour (actress)</span> British actress (born 1951)

Jane Seymour is a British actress. After making her screen debut as an uncredited extra in the 1969 musical comedy Oh! What a Lovely War, Seymour transitioned to leading roles in film and television, including a leading role in the television series The Onedin Line (1972–1973) and the role of psychic Bond girl Solitaire in the James Bond film Live and Let Die (1973).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate del Castillo</span> Mexican-American actress (born 1972)

Kate del Castillo Negrete Trillo is a Mexican-American actress. At the age of 19, del Castillo became known for her lead role in the telenovela Muchachitas for Televisa in 1991. Afterwards, she continued her career in film and television in Latin America, playing the leading roles in telenovelas, including Alguna vez tendremos alas (1997), La Mentira (1998), Ramona (2000), and Bajo la misma piel (2003–04).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vivica A. Fox</span> American actress and producer

Vivica Anjanetta Fox is an American actress, producer and television host. Fox began her career on Soul Train (1982–1983), and played roles on the daytime television soap operas Days of Our Lives (1988) and Generations (1989–1992). In prime time she starred opposite Patti LaBelle in the NBC sitcom Out All Night (1992–1993). Fox's breakthrough came in 1996, with roles in two box-office hit films, Roland Emmerich's Independence Day and F. Gary Gray's Set It Off.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Roberts</span> American actress, singer and producer (born 1991)

Emma Rose Roberts is an American actress, singer and producer. Known for her performances spanning multiple genres of film and television, her work in the horror and thriller genres have established her as a scream queen. Roberts has received various accolades, including a Young Artist Award, an MTV Movie & TV Award, and a ShoWest Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Stone</span> American actress and producer (born 1988)

Emily Jean "Emma" Stone is an American actress and producer. Her accolades include two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. In 2017, she was the world's highest-paid actress and named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shruti Haasan</span> Indian actress and singer (born 1986)

Shruti Haasan is an Indian actress and singer who works in Telugu, Hindi and Tamil films. She is the recipient of various accolades, including two Filmfare Award South and six South Indian International Movie Awards. Haasan has appeared in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list of 2015 and 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dale Dickey</span> American actress

Diana Dale Dickey is an American character actress who has worked in theater, film, and television. She began her career on stage, performing in the 1989 Broadway version of The Merchant of Venice, before appearing in popular revivals of A Streetcar Named Desire, Sweeney Todd and more off-Broadway and in regional theaters. She's the recipient of two Ovation Awards for her stage work in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey King</span> American actress (born 1999)

Joey Lynn King is an American actress. She first gained recognition for portraying Ramona Quimby in the comedy film Ramona and Beezus (2010) and has since gained wider recognition for her lead role in The Kissing Booth (2018) and its two sequels. King received critical acclaim for her role as Gypsy-Rose Blanchard in the crime drama series The Act (2019), for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

<i>One Day</i> (novel) 2009 novel by David Nicholls

One Day is a novel by David Nicholls, published in 2009. A couple spend the night together on 15 July 1988, knowing they must go their separate ways the next day. The novel then visits their lives on 15 July every year for the next 20 years. The novel attracted generally positive reviews and was named 2010 Galaxy Book of the Year. Nicholls adapted his book into a screenplay; the feature film, was released in August 2011, and a television series for Netflix, premiered on 8 February 2024.

<i>One Day</i> (2011 film) 2011 film

One Day is a 2011 romantic drama film directed by Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by David Nicholls, based on Nicholls' 2009 novel of the same name. It stars Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, with Patricia Clarkson, Ken Stott and Romola Garai in supporting roles. It was released in the United States on 19 August 2011 by Focus Features and in the United Kingdom on 24 August 2011 by Universal Pictures. A television series adaptation of the same source novel, starring Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall was released on Netflix in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Garner</span> American actress (born 1994)

Julia Garner is an American actress. She is best known for her starring role as Ruth Langmore in the Netflix crime drama series Ozark (2017–2022), for which she received critical acclaim and won three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lana Condor</span> American actress (born 1997)

Lana Therese Condor is an American actress and YouTuber. She made her acting debut starring as Jubilee in the superhero film X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), and gained international recognition for portraying Lara Jean Covey in the romantic comedy To All the Boys film series (2018–2021). She has also portrayed Saya Kuroki in the television series Deadly Class (2019) and Koyomi in the film Alita: Battle Angel (2019). More recently, Condor voiced the titular character in the animated teen comedy film Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Gilpin</span> American actress (born 1986)

Elizabeth Folan Gilpin is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Debbie "Liberty Belle" Eagan in the Netflix comedy series GLOW (2017–2019), for which she was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She also starred as Dr. Carrie Roman in the Showtime comedy-drama series Nurse Jackie (2013–2015). In 2023, she starred in the lead role as a nun who battles A.I. in the Peacock science fiction series Mrs. Davis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Mackey</span> British-French actress (born c. 1996)

Emma Margaret Marie Tachard-Mackey is a British and French actress. Her breakthrough performance in the Netflix comedy-drama series Sex Education (2019–2023) earned her a British Academy Television Award nomination. Mackey has since starred in the mystery film Death on the Nile (2022) and portrayed Emily Brontë in the drama film Emily (2022). She won the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leo Woodall</span> British actor

Leo Vincent Woodall is an English actor. He is known for his roles in the second season of the HBO satirical series The White Lotus (2022) and in the Netflix romantic drama series One Day (2024).

<i>This Is Going to Hurt</i> (TV series) British medical comedy-drama miniseries

This Is Going to Hurt is a British medical comedy-drama television miniseries, created by Adam Kay and based on his memoir of the same name. The show was co-produced by the BBC and AMC. It focuses on the lives of a group of junior doctors working on an obstetrics and gynaecology ward in a National Health Service hospital. It profiles their professional and personal lives and explores the emotional effects of working in a stressful work environment. The series closely follows the stories of Adam Kay and Shruti Acharya as they work through the ranks of hospital hierarchy. These characters both break the fourth wall and directly address viewers with dialogue. This Is Going to Hurt presents its stories with comedic and dramatic tones. The seven-part series premiered on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on 8 February 2022. It began airing on AMC+ in the United States on 2 June 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milly Alcock</span> Australian actress (born 2000)

Amelia "Milly" Alcock is an Australian actress. She received an AACTA Award nomination for her performance in the Foxtel comedy-drama Upright (2019–2022). She gained wider recognition for starring as young Rhaenyra Targaryen in the HBO fantasy series House of the Dragon (2022). For the role, Alcock was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

<i>Irish Wish</i> 2024 film by Janeen Damian

Irish Wish is a 2024 American fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Janeen Damian and written by Kirsten Hansen. The film stars Lindsay Lohan and marked her second consecutive project with Netflix, Damian and Damian's husband Michael Damian, who served as a producer on the film alongside Brad Krevoy. The plot follows Maddie Kelly (Lohan), a book editor whose dream man is days away from marrying her best friend in Ireland when a spontaneous wish made on an ancient stone magically alters her fate and turns her into the bride. Ed Speleers, Alexander Vlahos, Ayesha Curry, Elizabeth Tan, and Jane Seymour also appear in supporting roles.

<i>Baby Reindeer</i> 2024 British drama television miniseries

Baby Reindeer is a British black comedy drama-thriller television miniseries created by and starring Richard Gadd, adapted from Gadd's autobiographical one-man show. Directed by Weronika Tofilska and Josephine Bornebusch, it also stars Jessica Gunning, Nava Mau and Tom Goodman-Hill.

<i>One Day</i> (TV series) British TV series or programme

One Day is a British romantic drama limited series based on the 2009 novel by David Nicholls as well as the 2011 film adaptation. It follows the 20-year relationship of Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew, who meet at a graduation ball after graduating from the University of Edinburgh, and stars Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall in the lead roles.

References

  1. ↑ "Ambika Mod: Character of Shruti in BBC's This Is Going To Hurt is important". Barry And District News. 11 February 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  2. ↑ Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall From One Day Take The BFF Test Test , retrieved 9 February 2024
  3. ↑ "Stage Awards Semi-Finalists 2020". Women Funny Awards. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  4. 1 2 Mulkerrins, Jane (5 March 2022). "This Is Going to Hurt's Ambika Mod: 'I have really bad anxiety'". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  5. ↑ "Old Owenian performs at the Fringe!" (PDF). Old Owenians Newsletter: 8. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  6. ↑ "Catching up with Ambika Mod". DST First Night. 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  7. ↑ Healy, Rachael (22 February 2022). "This Is Going to Hurt's Ambika Mod: 'Whenever I did a caesarean I was buzzing!'". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  8. ↑ Wall, Natalie (4 March 2016). "The Durham Revue's Ambika Mod!". Her Campus. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  9. ↑ "Durham Revue team up with Cambridge Footlights for 'ComedyFest!". Durham University. 10 February 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  10. ↑ Brown, Keira (25 August 2019). "Ambika Mod: Within this main narrative we weave in and out of tight, witty sketches which range from observational to a bit more absurd". The Fountain. Archived from the original on 11 February 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  11. ↑ Iftikhar, Asyia (9 February 2022). "Ambika Mod Is "Pretty Confident" She Could Do A C-Section IRL". Bustle. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  12. ↑ "Harold Night". 3 May 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2022.[ permanent dead link ]
  13. ↑ "Obsessed with Ambika Mod in One Day? Here's all her other projects you need to watch". Cosmopolitan. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  14. ↑ Morris, Lauren (16 February 2022). "Meet the cast of BBC One's This Is Going to Hurt". Radio Times . Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  15. ↑ "This Is Going to Hurt Is the Best Medical Drama in Years". TIME. 3 June 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  16. ↑ Fienberg, Daniel (1 June 2022). "Ben Whishaw in AMC+'s 'This Is Going to Hurt': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  17. ↑ "2023 Awards". 7 February 2024.
  18. ↑ "Meet the 'One Day' Netflix cast, from Ambika Mod to White Lotus star Leo Woodall". Glamour UK. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  19. ↑ "One Day's Ambika Mod on why she initially turned down playing Emma". Cosmopolitan. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  20. ↑ "Ambika Mod on playing Emma in new Netflix series One Day". Watford Observer. 7 February 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  21. ↑ "Ambika Mod Didn't See Herself as a Romantic Lead. Then 'One Day' Happened". ELLE. 16 February 2024. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  22. ↑ "'One Day' is one of this year's defining cultural moments". Glamour UK. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  23. ↑ Barr, Sabrina (11 February 2024). "Wondering why One Day actress playing Emma has you sobbing? Here's why" . Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  24. ↑ Seitz, Loree (20 February 2024). "One Day, Love is Blind Season 6 Lure Netflix TV Viewers". TheWrap. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  25. ↑ Ramaswamy, Chitra (6 February 2024). "One Day review – a flawless romcom you'll fall for, hard". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  26. ↑ "One Day: I rarely saw people like me in lead roles, says Ambika Mod". BBC News. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  27. ↑ "Obsessed with Ambika Mod in One Day? Here's all her other projects you need to watch". Cosmopolitan. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  28. ↑ "2020 Stage Awards Semi-Finalists Announced!". Funny Women. 4 August 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  29. ↑ @EdinburghTVFest (16 June 2022). "Our nominees for Breakthrough Talent- Actor🎭 📺 @ambikamod 📺 @DLMacdonald19 📺 Dipo Ola 📺 @GambaCole #EdTVAwards" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  30. ↑ "2023 Awards". 7 February 2024.
  31. ↑ "RTS Programme Awards". 7 February 2024.
  32. ↑ Verhoeven, Beatrice (14 May 2024). "'Baby Reindeer,' 'The Curse,' 'Shogun' Among Inaugural Gotham TV Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.