Kavi Raz (born 1 January 1953) is an Indian-born British actor, writer, director and producer. Born in

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...

, Raz left India at a young age for the United Kingdom, where he grew up.

Biography

Raz attended university in the San Francisco Bay area. He was a founder and artistic director of the Wandering Players' Theatre Company. The company staged several World and US premieres of plays from India. Western audiences were exposed to the works of

Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...

for the first time, in addition to plays like

Sakharam Binder ''Sakharam Binder'' (Sakharam, the Binder) is a play by Indian playwright Vijay Tendulkar written in Marathi and first performed in 1972. It was banned in India in 1974. It was produced and directed by Kamlakar Sarang. Synopsis Sakharam Binder, t ...

and Shakuntala. This was the first professional

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth descr ...

n theatre company in the USA. In the mid-1970s, Raz arrived in Hollywood: a career as an actor was unheard of at a time when roles for

n actors in Hollywood television shows and films were limited. According to Raz, “People, especially friends and relatives scoffed at the idea of my becoming an actor. They thought it was a passing fancy and would soon be over. But no, I had a dream and take what it may I journeyed on to make my dream a reality.” He went on to become the first ever South Asian actor to be signed on as a regular in a major TV series, '' St Elsewhere''. He was a cast member for the first two seasons of the medical drama, and after being let go continued to appear on a recurring basis. Raz has also appeared in over 200 plays, TV shows and films, including guest appearances on ''

The A-Team ''The A-Team'' is an American action-adventure television series that ran on NBC from January 1983 to March 1987 about former members of a fictitious United States Army Special Forces unit. The four members of the team were tried by court ma ...

'', ''

M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. Th ...

'' and '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. He co-starred with

Joe Odagiri , better known by his stage name , is a Japanese actor and musician. Personal life Joe Odagiri was born in Tsuyama, Okayama prefecture. Though he was accepted by Kochi University, he turned it down for an opportunity to study in the United States ...

and Chloe Snyder in

Atsushi Funahashi is a Japanese film director. Early life After graduating from the University of Tokyo, Funahashi studied directing at the School of Visual Arts. Career Funahashi directed ''Echoes'' in 2002. He returned with the 2005 road movie, ''Big River ...

's ''Big River'' in 2005. In addition to acting, Raz has had a career as a filmmaker, which began with ''The Gold Bracelet'', a movie about a Sikh man faced with the realities of post- 9/11. In 1978, Raz founded the production company K. R. Films Hollywood. Its debut, ''Lehren'' - a television weekly variety series for the Asian audience - was shown throughout the United States and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. In 1988, K. R. Studios was built in Granada Hills. Housing several buildings including the main studio, it has state-of-the-art equipment for film and television productions, as well as a multi-track recording facility for post production and recording needs. The studio is now home to many award-winning producers, writers and directors engaged in the production of commercials, TV programs, music videos and films.

Filmography

Films

* '' Suraag'' (1982) - Hindi Film * ''

Warning Sign A warning sign is a type of sign which indicates a potential hazard, obstacle, or condition requiring special attention. Some are traffic signs that indicate hazards on roads that may not be readily apparent to a driver. While warning traffi ...

'' (1985) * '' Terror Squad'' (1988) * ''

Pet Sematary ''Pet Sematary'' is a 1983 horror novel by American writer Stephen King. The novel was nominated for a World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1984, and adapted into two films: one in 1989 and another in 2019. In November 2013, PS Publishing r ...

'' (1989) * '' Big River'' (2005) * '' The Gold Bracelet'' (2006) * ''

The Black Prince Edward of Woodstock, known to history as the Black Prince (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376), was the eldest son of King Edward III of England, and the heir apparent to the English throne. He died before his father and so his son, Richard II, su ...

'' (2017)

Television

* '' St Elsewhere'' (1982–87) * ''

'' (1983) * ''

'' (1985) * '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987) * '' House MD'' (2010)

References

External links

* *http://www.santabanta.com/bollywood/129975/alex-reece-to-play-a-british-spy-in-sarabha--cry-for-freedom/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Raz, Kavi English male film actors English male television actors Indian emigrants to England 1953 births Living people British male actors of Indian descent