Since his mother, father and sister were all doctors, it's no wonder Ramamurthy initially followed in their footsteps. However, while pursuing pre-med at Tufts University, he changed his focus after taking a drama class in order to satisfy his arts requirement. After graduation, he studied at London's Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and left with a comprehensive knowledge of the classics and his future wife — fellow thespian Olga Sosnovska — in tow. Due to his ethnicity, Ramamurthy was often invited to audition for what he deemed "stereotypical brown skin" roles: convenience-store employees and terrorists. But he refused to take these parts, opting instead to build his résumé slowly with meatier roles both on stage and in TV guest spots. Although
Heroes creator Tim Kring originally intended to cast a fiftysomething actor in the role of genetics professor Mohinder Suresh, he rewrote the character once he saw Ramamurthy read for the part. He continued to play the role of Suresh for four seasons until
Heroes was canceled in 2010, but his employment didn't last long: he joined the cast of the TV spy drama
Covert Affairs later that year. In his spare time, Ramamurthy is an avid tennis fan.
Sendhil Ramamurthy Fast Facts:
- Raised in San Antonio, TX.
- Studied history and pre-med in college, but started acting in his junior year after taking a drama class as an elective.
- Acted with the Royal Shakespeare Company in London.
- Auditioned for the part of genetics professor Mohinder Suresh on the TV series Heroes even though the part was for an older man; the role was changed after his audition.
- Is an avid tennis fan.
- Sendhil Ramamurthy Relationships:
- Olga Sosnovska - Wife
- Somayaji Ramamurthy - Father
- Sujatha - Sister
- College:
- Tufts University, Boston, MA (BA in History, 1996); Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, London (1999).