Charithra Surya Chandran (/tʃəˈriːθrə ˈtʃændræn/;[1][2] born 17 January 1997) is an English actress. She is known for her roles in the Amazon spy thriller series Alex Rider (2021) and the Netflix period drama Bridgerton (2022).[3][4]
Charithra Chandran | |
|---|---|
| Born | Charithra Surya Chandran 17 January 1997 |
| Alma mater | New College, Oxford |
| Years active | 2020–present |
Early life and education
editCharithra was born in Perth, Scotland,[5] the daughter of Indian Tamil medical professionals.
Her parents separated when she was two, and she left for India with her father where she stayed with her grandparents in Tamil Nadu. Upon returning to the UK when she was four, she went to school in Liverpool. She then boarded at Moreton Hall Preparatory School in Suffolk from six to eleven before settling down with her mother in Oxford for her teenage years whilst her father lived in Wales.[6][7]
Charithra completed sixth form at Oxford High School. She then went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from New College, Oxford in 2019.
She participated in a number of productions during university and joined the National Youth Theatre.[8][9] She worked part-time for the New Policy Institute after taking a gap year, during which she did drama as a hobby before deciding to make it her career, turning down a job offer from BCG.[10]
Career
editIn 2021, Charithra joined the main cast of the spy thriller series Alex Rider as Sabina Pleasance for its second series on IMDb TV.[11] Having auditioned before the first series aired,[12] Charithra starred as Edwina in the second series, based on the novel The Viscount Who Loved Me, of the Shondaland-produced Netflix period drama Bridgerton alongside Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley in 2022.[13][14]
In June 2022, Charithra voiced the courtesan Camille for BBC Radio 3 in an audio adaptation of Pam Gems' stage play, Camille, based on the novel La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas fils.[15] This production was shortlisted for the 2023 BBC Audio Drama Awards, Best Adaptation.[16] This was followed by a further voice role as Mia in Meet Cute's September 2022 audio series A Mid-Semester Night's Dream. The series is a retelling of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream in which a group of graduate students discover a magical print of the play.[17]
In 2024, she made her West End debut as Eileen in Rosie Day's Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon.[18] The same year, she starred in the Amazon Prime comedy film How to Date Billy Walsh as Amelia.[19]
It was announced that Charithra will lead and associate produce Song of the Sun God, a six-part drama series based on the novel of the same name by Shankari Chandran.[20]
In August 2024, it was announced that Charithra would play Miss Wednesday in the live-action adaptation of the manga One Piece.[21]
Filmography
edit| † | Denotes productions that have not yet been released |
Film
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Eternals | Bollywood Dancer | ||
| 2022 | The Talents | Bekkie | Short film | |
| Class S | Cherry | |||
| 2024 | How to Date Billy Walsh | Amelia Brown | ||
| Maya: Birth of a Superhero | Teen Maya | Short film |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Alex Rider | Sabina Pleasance | Main role (series 2) |
| 2022 | Bridgerton | Edwina Sharma | Main role (series 2) |
| 2023 | Star Wars: Visions | Annisoukaline "Anni" Kalfus | Voice role; Episode: "I Am Your Mother" |
| 2024 | Dune: Prophecy | Young Francesca | Recurring role[22] |
| 2025 | One Piece † | Nefertari Vivi / Miss Wednesday | Main role (season 2)[23] |
| TBA | Pillow Talk † | Stella | Main role; web series |
| Song of the Sun God † | Leela | Main role; associate producer[20] | |
| Arzu † | Arzu | Lead role |
Audio
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Meet Cute | Mia | Podcast series; 6 episodes | |
| Camille | Camille | BBC Radio 3 | [24] | |
| A Mid-Semester Night's Dream | Mia | Podcast series | [25] |
Music videos
edit| Year | Title | Artist(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | "Mosquito" | PinkPantheress | [26] |
Stage
edit| Year | Title | Role | Director | Venue | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon | Girl | Georgie Staight | Garrick Theatre | [27] |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | National Television Awards | Rising Star | Bridgerton | Nominated | [28] |
| Glamour Awards | Won | [29] |
References
edit- ^ "The Cast of Bridgerton Guess Regency Trivia". BuzzFeed UK. 28 March 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
- ^ "Bridgerton's Charithra Chandran's Guide to a Foolproof Night-Out Look | Beauty Secrets". Vogue. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
- ^ Ahluwalia, Navi (22 December 2021). "Charithra Chandran Opens Up About Her First Professional TV Role, in Amazon's Alex Rider". Popsugar. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ Newbold, Alice (1 March 2022). "At the Dior Show With Bridgerton's New Heroine". Vogue. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ Wickes, Jade (4 January 2022). "Charithra Chandran on entering the world of Bridgerton". The Face. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ Bailey, Sarah (19 March 2022). "Charithra Chandran: 'Friends have said I only got the Bridgerton role because I'm brown – that hurts". The Telegraph. Retrieved 25 March 2022.(subscription required)
- ^ Taylor, Kelly-Anne (20 March 2022). "Charithra Chandran: 'No one would think there would be two Indian women playing period drama leads'". Radio Times. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
- ^ Fearn, Rebecca (8 April 2021). "Everything You Need To Know About Bridgerton S2 Star Charithra Chandran". Bustle. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
- ^ "Charithra Chandran". Jonathan Arun Group. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ "Team: Charithra Chandran". New Policy Institute. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ Lang, Jamie (1 February 2021). "'Alex Rider' Season 2 Casting Details Announced – Global Bulletin". Variety. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
- ^ Nordstrom, Leigh (7 April 2022). "Charithra Chandran on Her Bridgerton 'Carnival of Joy'". WWD. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (1 April 2021). "'Bridgerton': Charithra Chandran To Play Edwina, Rupert Young Also Cast In Season 2 Of Netflix Series". Deadline. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ Harvey, Olivia (2 April 2021). "The 'Bridgerton' Season 2 Cast Just Added Another Leading Lady". Hello Giggles. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ Camille - Drama on 3 BBC Radio 3
- ^ BBC Audio Drama Awards 2023
- ^ White, Peter (22 June 2022). "'Bridgerton's Charithra Chandran To Star In Meet Cute's 'A Mid-Semester Night's Dream'". Deadline. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman (26 February 2024). "'Bridgerton' Star Charithra Chandran to Produce Reality Show Based on the 'Kama Sutra' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "Amazon announce comedy film How To Date Billy Walsh". British Comedy Guide. 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
- ^ a b Goldbart, Max (29 September 2022). "'Bridgerton' Star Charithra Chandran To Lead Olivia Hetreed Drama 'Song Of The Sun God'". Deadline. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (23 August 2024). "'One Piece' Season 2 Casts 'Bridgerton' Actress Charithra Chandran as Miss Wednesday". Variety. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "Dune Prophecy First Look Pic: Charithra Chandran Plays Young Tabu In Sci-Fi Prequel Series". Times Now. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (23 August 2024). "'One Piece' Season 2 Casts 'Bridgerton' Actress Charithra Chandran as Miss Wednesday". Variety. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "BBC Radio 3 - Drama on 3, Camille". BBC. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
- ^ White, Peter (22 June 2022). "'Bridgerton's Charithra Chandran To Star In Meet Cute's 'A Mid-Semester Night's Dream'". Deadline. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
- ^ Bell, Sadie (29 September 2023). "PinkPantheress Shops with Yara Shahidi, Charithra Chandran, India Amarteifio in Adorable 'Mosquito' Video". People. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ Wyver, Kate (18 March 2024). "Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon review – Bridgerton's Charithra Chandran glows and rages". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ Morris, Lauren (24 May 2022). "NTA 2022 longlist revealed as David Tennant and Sex Education nominated". Radio Times. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ Smith, Josh (8 November 2022). "Bridgerton's Charithra Chandran: 'I'm a proud Indian woman, but I'm also more than that'". Glamour UK. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
