Karen Johal[1] (born 13 March 1991) is a British actress. 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 an national ad campaign for global messaging platform WhatsApp alongside British broadcaster Alex Scott.[11]

Early life

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. Clares 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 for 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 Ngyuen'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

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, UK.[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 Repetory 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 & 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]

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 March 7, 2022.[61][62][63][64]

After an initial audition for Executive Producer, Jason Sudeikis and the casting team at Theo Park,[65] Johal won the role. Season 3, aired on Apple TV+ on March 15, 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 May 31, 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]

Johal was cast in a short film for MTV Entertainment titled The Waves (2023) for Cornershop TV in aid of Women's History Month in March 2023.[72] The short film was directed by Bafta award winning director Sindha Agha[73] 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.[74] "For pain words are lacking", the focal point of the piece centered around the female body and relation to pain.[75]

In Spring 2023, Johal relocated to Hamburg, Germany to play Zarina in Ayad Akhtar's The Who and the What.[76] The production ran for six weeks at The English Theatre of Hamburg with an all British cast.[77]

The Who and the What directed by Clifford Dean was met with overall positive reviews from the German press.[78] Several media outlets made mention of Germany's previous productions of the play, for its controversial decision to cast white actors as Pakistanti American characters.[79] Akhtar's play has been produced all over the world with notable productions in Vienna, Austria, Denmark and New York.[80]

In June 2023, Johal was approached to star in WhatsApp's global campaign, A Private Message alongside British Broadcaster Alex Scott MBE.[81] The campaign was launched to help promote WhatsApp's new chat encryption services for safe messaging and mental health awareness.[82]

Personal life

Johal currently resides in the UK.[83]

Filmography

Film

Film appearances by Karen Johal
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

Television appearances by Karen Johal
Year Title Role Notes
2022 Ted Lasso Nicole Shelley Recurring Role
2022 Phoenix Rise Noreen Khan Recurring Role

Radio

Radio Appearances by Karen Johal
Year Title Role Station
2021 Midlands Masala with Gagan Grewal Guest BBC Sounds

References

  1. ↑ "Karen Johal | Actor". IMDb. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  2. ↑ Darwish, Meaghan (26 April 2023). "'Ted Lasso' Star Nick Mohammed Weighs In on Nate's Potential Romance". TV Insider. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  3. ↑ "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.
  4. ↑ Schwartz, Ryan (28 October 2020). "Jason Sudeikis' Ted Lasso Already Renewed for Season 3 at Apple TV+". TVLine. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  5. ↑ 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)
  6. ↑ Parkes, Thomas (27 July 2022). "Actress from Walsall takes on new children's TV drama role". www.expressandstar.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  7. ↑ Phoenix Rise, retrieved 31 July 2023
  8. ↑ "Alumni & Academy Archive | The American Academy of Dramatic Arts | The American Academy of Dramatic Arts". www.aada.edu. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  9. ↑ Paulson, Michael (17 June 2017). "Two Protesters Disrupt 'Julius Caesar' in Central Park (Published 2017)". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  10. ↑ www.carnegiehall.org https://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2017/10/07/AMY-ANDERSSON-MOMO-WONG-ORCHESTRA-MODERNE-NYC-0800PM. Retrieved 3 August 2023. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ↑ "WhatsApp teams up with Alex Scott to promote safe and private messaging". The Drum. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  12. ↑ Official, Michelle Sciarrotta-TAL (11 March 2023). "Karen Johal: Interview With A Stage & Screen Actor". TheatreArtLife. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  13. ↑ 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.
  14. ↑ "St. Clare's Catholic Primary School". www.stclare.bham.sch.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  15. ↑ Large, Heather (28 May 2023). "Hard work is paying off for Walsall-born actress". www.expressandstar.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  16. ↑ Large, Heather (29 March 2020). "Big Apple life for Karen: What it's like to be an actress in New York". www.expressandstar.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  17. ↑ "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.
  18. ↑ "The Academy Abroad: A Conversation with Karen Johal". The Academy Pages. 19 March 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  19. ↑ 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.
  20. ↑ Russo, Rebecca. "Playwrights Melisa Tien and Megan Cohen Develop New Works at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  21. ↑ 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.
  22. ↑ "Alan Cumming Surprises Audience at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts". www.aada.edu. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  23. ↑ "Douglas Carter Beane's New Musical Based on a Noël Coward Story Bows Today". www.playbill.com. 26 October 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  24. ↑ Mead, Rebecca (12 June 2017). "In Defense of the Trumpian "Julius Caesar"". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  25. ↑ "Why Donald Trump Was Low-Hanging Fruit for 'Julius Caesar'". Time. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  26. ↑ June 12, Maureen Lee Lenker; EDT, 2017 at 05:08 PM. "The Public Theater Responds to 'Julius Caesar' Controversy After NEA Diss". EW.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  27. ↑ Boyer, Peter. "Boyer's Ellis Island to be performed at Carnegie Hall – Peter Boyer: Propulsive Music". Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  28. ↑ "Amy Andersson, Conductor Momo Wong, Violin Orchestra Moderne NYC". lolitaritmanis. 18 October 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  29. ↑ "Orchestra Moderne NYC Is Ready To Tackle Social and Political Issues; First Stop—The Immigrant Experience". HuffPost. 30 September 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  30. ↑ "New York Classical Review". newyorkclassicalreview.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  31. ↑ Musbach, Julie. "Shakespeare's AS YOU LIKE IT Comes To The Latea NYC Theater". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  32. ↑ "As You Like It". Time Out New York. 7 June 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  33. ↑ "PLAY BALL: Mile Square Theatre Presents the 14th Annual 7th Inning Stretch — MAY 18, 19 & 20". hmag. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  34. ↑ Kwon, Juhui (27 October 2018), Frank's Plan (Short, Comedy), Wayne J. Miller, Karen Johal, Dean Cho, Default Films, retrieved 2 August 2023
  35. ↑ Aquilino, Nick (31 May 2019), Man on the Phone (Short, Crime), Anthony Notarile, Karen Johal, Emily Pinto, retrieved 2 August 2023
  36. ↑ 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)
  37. ↑ "Karen Johal". ALL ROADS MAGAZINE. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  38. ↑ "Checking Back In With Karen Johal". ALL ROADS MAGAZINE. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  39. ↑ "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.
  40. ↑ "How to Keep Your Mental Health Safe Whilst Working on Intense Subject Matters". www.spotlight.com. November 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  41. ↑ "Home". Let Me In. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  42. ↑ "Raine Allen-Miller – TK Maxx "Christmas to the Maxx" | Somesuch". somesuch.co. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  43. ↑ Shaw, Neil (4 November 2021). "TK Maxx channels Aerosmith for 2021 Christmas ad". WalesOnline. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  44. ↑ "Shiny New Boots Take Christmas to the Maxx in TK Maxx's Holiday Campaign | LBBOnline". www.lbbonline.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  45. ↑ "Sky Comedy Rep presents Parklife". Birmingham Rep. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  46. ↑ Wild, Stephi. "Sky Comedy Rep Hosts Festival of Comedic Short Plays This Weekend". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  47. ↑ "Theatre news: Birmingham Rep and Sky host comedy plays festival". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  48. ↑ "Rising stars of comedy writing take centre stage at Birmingham REP". www.whatsonlive.co.uk. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  49. ↑ "Rising stars of comedy writing take centre stage at Birmingham Rep hosted by Darren Harriott". West End Best Friend. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  50. ↑ "Launch for new BBC school drama set in Coventry". BBC News. 14 March 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  51. ↑ Balaga, Marta (17 October 2022). "'This is a Show about Second Chances,' Creators of 'Phoenix Rise' Say at MipJunior". Variety. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  52. ↑ "Phoenix Rise - Meet the characters and creators of the bold new school drama". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  53. ↑ Kaur, Jaspreet (14 June 2022). "New BBC high school drama Phoenix Rise being filmed in Coventry". CoventryLive. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  54. ↑ Sandwell, Celebrate (22 September 2022). "Karen from Yew Tree stars in BBC drama". Celebrate Sandwell. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  55. ↑ "Phoenix Rise review – like Grange Hill meets The Breakfast Club | Television | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  56. ↑ "BBC Children's unveils huge variety of new commissions for children and families across the UK". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  57. ↑ Suart, Paul (13 April 2023). "Hit Coventry-based TV show Phoenix Rise gets two more series". CoventryLive. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  58. ↑ Kaur, Jaspreet (21 December 2022). "Actors filming upcoming BBC kids drama at multimillion pound venue in Coventry". CoventryLive. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  59. ↑ 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.
  60. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (14 October 2019). "Jason Sudeikis Revives Ted Lasso for Apple TV Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  61. ↑ "Apple TV+ hit 'Ted Lasso' season 3 begins filming". AppleInsider. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  62. ↑ Hailu, Selome (6 June 2022). "'Ted Lasso' Season 3 Being Written as the Final Season, Says Brett Goldstein". Variety. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  63. ↑ London, Luxury; Gunn, Zoe (14 March 2023). "The Ted Lasso filming locations to visit in London". Luxury London. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  64. ↑ Gonzalez, Sandra (13 July 2021). "'Ted Lasso' broke a 'Glee' record with its Emmy nominations". CNN. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  65. ↑ "Ted Lasso Casting Director Theo Park Fulfills Each Role With the 'Ted Lasso Effect' | Below the Line". 24 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  66. ↑ "Ted Lasso - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  67. ↑ 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)
  68. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (13 September 2021). "'Ted Lasso' Stars, Writers Score Big Paydays for Season 3 (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  69. ↑ 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.
  70. ↑ Sepinwall, Alan (10 March 2023). "'Ted Lasso' Season 3 Coasts on Good Vibes and Little Else". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  71. ↑ Schneider, Jordan Moreau,Michael; Moreau, Jordan; Schneider, Michael (12 July 2023). "Emmys 2023: The Complete Nominations List". Variety. Retrieved 2 August 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  72. ↑ "MTV takes great pains". shots. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  73. ↑ "SINDHA AGHA". SINDHA AGHA. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  74. ↑ "Director, Sindha Agha, The Corner Shop & MTV: A tribute to women who feel pain (with help from Virgina Woolf)". Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  75. ↑ "MTV 'The Waves'... at DAVID". www.davidreviews.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  76. ↑ "THE WHO & THE WHAT". The English Theatre of Hamburg. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  77. ↑ NDR. "Krönung von Charles III. wird auch in Hamburger Theater ein Fest". www.ndr.de (in German). Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  78. ↑ Oehmsen, Heinrich (7 April 2023). ""The Who & The What" im English Theatre: "Du bist nicht mehr meine Tochter!"". www.abendblatt.de (in German). Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  79. ↑ ""The Who & The What" – The New Play at the English Theatre of Hamburg – Die Auswärtige Presse e.V." (in German). Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  80. ↑ Isherwood, Charles (17 June 2014). "The Shadow of the Patriarch (Published 2014)". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  81. ↑ "Alex Scott stars in WhatsApp campaign about privacy". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  82. ↑ "Alex Scott teams up with WhatsApp". www.themediaeye.com. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  83. ↑ "Karen Johal's journey from the U.K. & the importance of Educating Yourself!". OnStage Blog. 7 March 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
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