Annapurna Sriram

Last updated
Annapurna Sriram
OccupationsActor, filmmaker, writer
Notable work Fucktoys

Annapurna Sriram is an American film director, screenwriter, and actor from Nashville Tennessee. [1] She is known as the writer-director and star of the 2025 film Fucktoys , which premiered at South by Southwest where it won the Special Jury Award for a Multi-Hyphenate [2] and received positive reviews from critics. [3] Sriram's performance in the 2019 film Feral received positive reviews from The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety. [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Early life and education

Sriram was raised in Nashville Tennessee where she attended a performing arts high school. [7] In her youth, she enjoyed renting movies from the library such as John Waters' Polyester , [8] and was a self described "theater kid" and a champion Irish dancer. [7]

Sriram attended Rutgers' Mason Gross School of the Arts, during which she studied at Shakespeare's Globe Theater in London for a year and earned a BFA in acting in 2011. [1] [9]

Career

Sriram began her career in the film industry as an actor, appearing in shorts, feature films, and series. Her first lead role in a feature film was in the 2019 drama thriller Feral , directed by Andrew Wonder. Glenn Kenny of The New York Times praised her "bravura, multilayered lead performance" [4] and John DeFore from The Hollywood Reporter described the role as a "complicated protagonist, played brilliantly." [5] For her performance as Yazmine, she won the Outstanding Performance Award at the Bushwick Film Festival. [10] [9] Sriram has appeared in a number of popular television series including Billions , The Blacklist , and I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson . [11] [12]

Sriram also has a history in live theater. Her notable stage credits include originating the role of Reshma in Jesse Eisenberg's play The Spoils, directed by Scott Elliott for The New Group in 2015. [13] She later reprised the role on the West End in London at Trafalgar Studios in 2016. [14] Variety called Sriram "perfect in this role." [15] She also appeared in Wallace Shawn's Evening at the Talk House alongside Matthew Broderick and in Quiara Alegría Hudes' The Happiest Song Plays Last. [9] [16]

Sriram's experiences as a biracial actor in Hollywood influenced her decision to create her own work. She has stated that as an "ethnically ambiguous" actor, she was frequently typecast into racial stereotypes and limiting roles, which did not align with her creative ambitions. [12] This led her to write material for herself. [7]

In 2025, Sriram made her feature directorial debut with Fucktoys , which she wrote, directed, starred in, and executive produced. [2] The film took eight years to create. [8] [17] The film was inspired by a breakup in Sriram's late 20s that occurred after a psychic told her she needed to end the relationship or face negative consequences for her career and health. [8] Fucktoys premiered at South by Southwest on March 9, 2025, where it won the Special Jury Award for a Multi-Hyphenate. [2] [18] The film was shot on 16mm film [19] and has been described as drawing inspiration from the works of John Waters, Gregg Araki, Jim Jarmusch, and Ken Russell. [19] [7] [20] Sriram has described the film as "neo-camp" and "American New Wave revival," [20] exploring themes of capitalism, class, and structures of oppression through a distinctly female perspective. [21]

Acting credits

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2004Dip, Snip and ZipAnnabelleShort, credited as Anna Sriram
2005The Tulip GrowerAnnaShort, credited as Anna Sriram
2009Blood Over BroadwayCharlene LittleShort, credited as Anna Sriram
2016The Lost FlowersPaulaShort
2016The Real AwardJenniferShort
2016Why I Eat BreadMolecular Water Healer
2016America AdriftAbby
2017Girl FriendsCooperShort
2017In Case of EmergencyJasmine
2018CarnivoreAhanaShort
2019DomDomShort
2019Secret Men's BusinessHayleyShort
2019 Feral Yazmine
2019TerzettoRubyShort
2020DoppelbängerCeciliaShort
2020 Give or Take Lauren
2020A Case of BlueAmelia
2021The LoversAndyShort
2021Welcome to God's CountryTaylorShort
2021Work WifeTV Movie
2022 Measure of Revenge Zoe / Hamlette
2022 Continue Taryn
2022 Mid-Century Ofc. Raquel Dorado
2022Rabbit!Short
2022TenderlyAubreyShort
2024The French ItalianKelsey
2024Positive ReinforcementDaisyShort
2025 Fucktoys AP

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2012Jest OriginalsOffice Worker / Orgy Participant1 episode
2015 South of Hell Diversi-Tay5 episodes
2016 Billions Tara Mohr3 episodes
2016Billy & BillieTerri1 episode
2016 The Path Meera3 episodes
2016 The Blacklist Odette5 episodes
2017Modern Aliens: A Documentary PeriodicalSarah Sprolo2 episodes
2020CoupLena RemnickMini series
2021 Bonding Kassandra4 episodes
2021 I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson Joanie1 episode

Filmmaking credits

YearTitlePosition
2016The Lost FlowersWriter
2017Girl FriendsAssociate producer
2022TenderlyAssociate producer
2023GoldilocksExecutive producer
2025 Fucktoys Writer, director, executive producer, actor

Awards and nominations

Awards

Nominations

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Rizov, Vadim (2025-09-17). "Annapurna Sriram". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved 2025-11-24.
  2. 1 2 3 Gyarkye, Lovia (2025-03-18). "'F*cktoys' Review: Annapurna Sriram's Bold Blast of a Sex Worker Comedy". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  3. "Fucktoys". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  4. 1 2 Kenny, Glenn (2020-06-04). "'Feral' Review: Homeless and Unraveling as a Storm Approaches". The New York Times. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  5. 1 2 "'Feral': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. June 2020. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  6. Harvey, Dennis (2020-06-02). "'Feral': Film Review". Variety. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Keogan, Natalia (2025-03-09). ""This is Part of Where Our Title Came From — the Amount That Women are Censored": Annapurna Sriram On Her SXSW-Premiering Fucktoys". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved 2025-11-24.
  8. 1 2 3 Earl, William (2025-10-09). "'F—toys' Mastermind Annapurna Sriram Was Sick of Being Pigeonholed in Hollywood, So She Channeled John Waters to Make Her Gonzo Sexual Fantasia". Variety. Retrieved 2025-11-25.
  9. 1 2 3 "Spotlight on 'A Case of Blue' actor Annapurna Sriram | ArtSWFL.com" . Retrieved 2025-11-25.
  10. "2019 Bushwick Film Festival Award Winners and Prizes Announced". Bushwick Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2024-11-06.
  11. "Ranking Every Sketch from I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  12. 1 2 Earl, William (2025-03-09). "'F—toys' Mastermind Annapurna Sriram Was Sick of Being Pigeonholed in Hollywood, So She Channeled John Waters to Make Her Gonzo Sexual Fantasia". Yahoo Entertainment. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  13. Brantley, Ben (2015-06-03). "Review: Review: 'The Spoils' Stars Jesse Eisenberg as Narcissist". The New York Times. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  14. Hemming, Sarah (2016-06-09). "The Spoils, Trafalgar Studio 1, London — review". Financial Times. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  15. Rooney, David (2015-06-03). "'The Spoils' Review: Jesse Eisenberg's Plays Opens Off Broadway". Variety. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  16. "Second Stage Theater". 2st.com. Retrieved 2025-11-25.
  17. Foreman, Alison (July 30, 2025). "Why Has Nobody Bought 'F*cktoys'? — Annapurna Sriram Interview". IndieWire. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
  18. 1 2 Smith, Kate (2025-03-12). "2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival Awards Winners". SXSW. Retrieved 2025-11-25.
  19. 1 2 Garner, Glenn (2025-03-19). "'F—toys' Multi-Hyphenate Annapurna Sriram Talks Non-Binary Co-Star's Passport Scare & "Rebellious Nature" Of Her SXSW Winner". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  20. 1 2 Veneto, Nicole (2025-05-06). "Film Interview: Talking Trash with Annapurna Sriram". The Arts Fuse. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  21. "Interview with Annapurna Sriram on 'Fucktoys'". Purple Hour. 2025-07-20. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  22. "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2025-11-25.
  23. McControversy, Nicole (2025-03-24). "Bacchus Awards 2025". Boston Underground Film Festival. Retrieved 2025-11-25.
  24. "2025 Festival Award Winners". NASHVILLE FILM FESTIVAL. Retrieved 2025-11-25.
  25. "Meet the SDAFF Award Winners". Pacific Arts Movement. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
  26. "2020 Award Winners". Out On Film. Retrieved 2025-11-25.
  27. "Bushwick Film Festival, Brooklyn's Premier Independent Film Platform". Bushwick Film Festival. Retrieved 2025-11-25.
  28. McLachlan, Megan (2025-05-25). "Seeds, Suburban Fury, Deaf, and The Crowd Win Top Awards At the 51st Seattle International Film Festival". The Contending. Retrieved 2025-11-25.