Prasanna Puwanarajah (Tamil: பிரசன்னா புவனராஜா; born 1981) is a British actor, director, writer, and former junior medical doctor.
Prasanna Puwanarajah | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1981 (age 42–43) Ipswich, Suffolk, England |
| Alma mater | New College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2006–present |
Early life and education
editPuwanarajah was born at Ipswich Hospital in Suffolk to Tamil Sri Lankan parents from Sri Lanka, his mother a psychiatrist and his father a dentist. He spent his early childhood on Churchill Avenue in Ipswich before the family moved to Hampshire when he was four. He participated in school plays and spent a season with the National Youth Theatre, but thought of acting as more of a hobby than a career choice at the time.[1]
He trained in Medicine at New College, Oxford.[2] After working as a junior doctor in reconstructive surgery for over three years, Puwanarajah decided to take a year out. It was during this time he decided to become a full-time actor, describing it as "more of a strong pull towards something else" than a "push away from" his medical career.[3]
Personal life
editAs of 2019[update], Puwanarajah was living in north-west London.[4]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | The Stoning of Soraya M. | Guard | |
| 2009 | Clamp and Grind | — | Director, writer, producer; short film |
| 2010 | London Assurance | Servant | National Theatre Live |
| Hamlet | Guildenstern | ||
| 2011 | The Half-Light | — | Director, writer; short film |
| 2012 | Boy | — | Director; short film |
| Southbank Centre Goes Bollywood | Graham | Short film | |
| 2013 | Möbius | Saïd | |
| Diana | Martin Bashir | ||
| 2015 | The Gunman | Doctor | |
| 2016 | The Complete Walk: Richard III | First Murderer | Short film |
| The Baby Shower | Eric | Short film | |
| 2020 | Dara | Talib | National Theatre Live |
| 2023 | Malcolm | Joe | |
| TBA | Ballywalter | — | Director[5] |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | The Sarah Jane Adventures | Car Salesman | Episode: "The Mark of the Berserker: Part 2" |
| 2012 | Coming Up | — | Writer, episode: "Spoof or Die" |
| 2012–2014 | Silk | Dr Malik | 3 episodes |
| 2015 | Critical | Ramakrishna Chandramohan | Main role |
| The Vote | Tom Baird | Television film | |
| New Tricks | Sanjeev Da Silva | Episode: "Prodigal Sons" | |
| You, Me and the Apocalypse | Rajesh McNeil | Miniseries; main role | |
| 2016 | Cold Feet | Sam Harvey | 1 episode |
| 2017 | Doctor Foster | James Mohan | Series 2 (4 episodes)[6][7] |
| 2018 | Patrick Melrose | Johnny Hall | Miniseries[8] |
| 2018–2019 | Defending the Guilty | Ashley Jeevaratnam | Main role |
| 2019 | Mum | Kumar | Episode: "Monday" |
| World on Fire | Major Taylor | 2 episodes | |
| 2020 | Unprecedented: Real Time Theatre from a State of Isolation | — | Writer; 1 episode |
| 2021 | Line of Duty | Haran Nadaraja | Series 6 |
| Three Families | David Fortress | Part 2 | |
| 2022 | Ten Percent | Dan | 8 episodes |
| 2022 | The Crown | Martin Bashir | Supporting role (Season 5) |
| 2023 | Payback | DC Jibran Khan |
Stage
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Romeo & Juliet | Escalus | Battersea Arts Centre, London |
| 2008 | Something I Wrote in a Hurry | — | Director; Tabard Theatre, London |
| 2009 | On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco | — | Director; New End Theatre, London |
| Thyestes | Messenger | Arcola Theatre, London | |
| Twelfth Night | Priest | Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon / Duke of York's Theatre, London | |
| Amadeus | North Wall Theatre, Oxford | ||
| 2010 | London Assurance | Servant | Royal National Theatre, London |
| Hamlet | Guildenstern | Royal National Theatre, London | |
| The Wages of Thin | — | Director; Old Red Lion Theatre, London | |
| 2011 | Emperor and Galilean | Medon / Oribasius | Royal National Theatre, London[9] |
| 2011 | Nightwatchman | Writer Part of Double Feature at the Royal National Theatre, London | |
| 2013 | Moth | — | Directed; HighTide Festival, Aldeburgh / Bush Theatre, London[10] |
| 2013–2014 | Henry V | Montjoy | Noël Coward Theatre, London[11] |
| 2014 | Peddling | — | Director; HighTide Festival, Aldeburgh / Arcola Theatre, London / 59E59 Theaters, New York |
| Dara | Talib | Royal National Theatre, London | |
| 2015 | The Iliad and The Odyssey | Almeida Theatre, London | |
| Macbeth | Banquo | Young Vic, London | |
| 2017–2018 | The Reluctant Fundamentalist | — | Director; Yard Theatre, London[12] |
| 2018 | Absolute Hell | Nigel Childs | Royal National Theatre, London[13][14] |
| 2019 | Venice Preserv'd | — | Director; Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon[15][16] |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Ian Charleson Awards | Thyestes | Nominated | ||
References
edit- ^ Barnett, Laura (11 January 2015). "Second comings: the artists who found success the long way round". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ "Prasanna Puwanarajah". Nick Hern Books. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ Clarke, Andrew (23 April 2013). "Suffolk-born doctor now operates in a different theatre". East Anglia Daily Times. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ Watson, Faye (1 April 2019). "Prasanna Puwanarajah: The Edgware Road actor's journey from NHS to TV". The Resident. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ Dalton, Ben (28 January 2021). "First look at comedy 'Ballywalter' as filming wraps in Northern Ireland (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ Gordon, Naomi (14 September 2017). "Doctor Foster's Prasanna Puwanarajah: 'James and Gemma have a genuine connection'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ "Doctor Foster: James Mohan". BBC One. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ Kealey, Helena (11 May 2018). "Patrick Melrose star Prasanna Puwanarajah talks to Culture Whisper". Culture Whisperer. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ "Prasanna Puwanarajah". National Theatre. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ "Prasanna Puwanarajah". United Agents. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ "Henry V". Michael Grandage Company. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ Stewart, Greg (28 July 2017). "NYT Interview: Prasanna Puwanarajah Director of The Reluctant Fundamentalist". Theatre Weekly. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ Bowie-Sell, Daisy (24 April 2018). "Prasanna Puwanarajah: 'Britain wasn't ready for Absolute Hell when it first came out'". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ Saner, Emine (16 May 2018). "Prasanna Puwanarajah: 'I thought Planet Acting didn't need someone like me'". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ "Prasanna Puwanarajah Q&A". Royal Shakespeare Company. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ Hemming, Sarah (17 May 2019). "Why Prasanna Puwanarajah quit medicine for theatre". Financial Times. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
Further reading
edit- Mercurio, Jed; Puwanarajah, Prasanna (2021). Sleeper. Scribner UK. ISBN 9781471194986.