Poorna Jagannathan is a renowned American actress and producer who is best known for her roles as Safar Khan in HBO’s ‘The Night Of’, and as Nalini Vishwakumar in Netflix series ‘Never Have I Ever’. Over the course of her illustrious career, Poorna has involved herself in numerous important events and moments both in front of and behind the camera. Her activism in this way has contributed to her being recognised as a credit to society and named among the top 50 most powerful women in India by Verve magazine.
Although now she is a well-known actress, Poorna started her career in advertising roles. She worked for companies such as Ogilvy and Deutsch, before establishing her own consultancy, Cowgirls and Indians. Poorna’s acting career may have begun late, but this did not hinder her in any way. Her early roles include ‘Delhi Belly’, a Bollywood film for which she received multiple awards. Poorna also starred in ‘The Night Of’, where she gained widespread recognition and critical praise for her performance. After being moved by the 2012 Delhi gang rape, Poorna initiated, produced, and acted in the play Nirbhaya. The play premiered at the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and won multiple awards, significantly impacting India’s women’s empowerment movement.
One of Poorna’s most notable achievements involves her role in Netflix’s ‘Never Have I Ever’. Her portrayal of an immigrant woman was regarded as ground breaking and a first for television. This series went on to win the Peoples Choice Awards for the first 3 seasons. Poorna was recognised for her career when she was named among the Top 100 Most Impactful Asians by Goldhouse for 2 years running. She has also recently starred in the Netflix comedy ‘The Out-Laws’ and Max’s film ‘Turtles All The Way Down’. Aside from acting, Poorna has been involved in podcasts. She voiced 3 episodes in the Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls series.
As a speaker, Poorna is highly sought after to speak on topics such as being a South Asian woman in Hollywood. She is an advocate and multicultural speaker because of her global upbringing, multilingual abilities, and commitment to social justice. With a diverse career across different cultures and mediums, Poorna has established herself as a true credit to society as well as a hugely talent actress. If you are looking for an inspirational multicultural speaker, hire Poorna Jagannathan today!
How to hire Poorna Jagannathan
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Poorna Jagannathan for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do not accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
Poorna Jagannathan's official speaking topics are listed below:
- Being a South Asian woman in Hollywood
- Beginning my career as an actor at 35
- Playing an immigrant mom
- Acting technique
- 2024 - Starred in the Max film Turtles All The Way Down
- 2024 - Completed roles in Apple TV+’s Wolfs and the feature film Goodrich
- 2023 - Appeared in Netflix's comedy The Out-Laws
- 2022 - Named among the "Top 100 Most Impactful Asians" by Goldhouse
- 2021 - Named among the "Top 100 Most Impactful Asians" by Goldhouse
- 2020 - Gained widespread recognition as Nalini Vishwakumar in Netflix’s Never Have I Ever
- 2019 - Starred in HBO’s anthology series Room 104
- 2017 - Played a lead role in A24’s film Share, which premiered at Sundance
- 2012 - Starred in the acclaimed HBO miniseries The Night Of
- 2011 - Won critical acclaim for her role in the Bollywood film Delhi Belly
- 2013 - Produced and acted in the award-winning play Nirbhaya, addressing sexual violence
