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{{short description|American actor}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2012}}
{{Infobox person
|name=Dileep Rao
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|7|29}}
|birth_place= [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], U.S.
|occupation=Actor
|years_active= 2006–present
|education = [[University of California, San Diego]] {{small|([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])}}<br>[[American Conservatory Theater]] {{small|([[Master of Fine Arts|MFA]])}}
}}
'''Dileep A. Rao''' (born July 29, 1973) is an American actor who has appeared in feature films and television series. He starred in [[Sam Raimi]]'s horror film ''[[Drag Me to Hell]]'' (2009), [[James Cameron]]'s science fiction film ''[[Avatar (2009 film)|Avatar]]'' (2009), and [[Christopher Nolan]]'s thriller ''[[Inception]]'' (2010).

==Life and career==
Rao was born in [[Los Angeles]] to a physicist mother and an engineer father, both of Indian descent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aiasandiego.org/2010-design-awards-all-star-mc-presenters |title=AIA San Diego |publisher=AIA San Diego |date=May 13, 2010 |accessdate=January 21, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309062012/http://www.aiasandiego.org/2010-design-awards-all-star-mc-presenters |archivedate=March 9, 2012 |df=mdy }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/3968/whats-buzz.html |title=Indian set to fly high |work=Deccan Herald |location=India |accessdate=January 21, 2012}}</ref> He grew up in [[Yanbu, Saudi Arabia]], [[Denver]], Colorado, and [[Claremont, California]]. He has one sister who is a professor at the [[University of Michigan]]'s [[Ross School of Business]]. He graduated from [[Claremont High School (Claremont, California)|Claremont High School]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Bolinger|first=Brenda|title=On to fame and fortune (and prison): CHS alumni in the public spotlight|date=22 June 2012|url=https://www.claremont-courier.com/articles/news/t3445-chs|accessdate=7 May 2015}}</ref> and the [[University of California, San Diego]], with a B.A., later receiving an [[Master of Fine Arts|M.F.A.]] from the [[American Conservatory Theater]] in San Francisco where his class included [[Anna Belknap]] and [[Elizabeth Banks]].

Rao's first role after graduating was in the American premiere of ''[[Indian Ink (play)|Indian Ink]]'' by Tom Stoppard. Rao moved to Los Angeles and began working in regional theater including at the Berkeley Rep, [[South Coast Repertory]], and for the Manhattan Theater Club.

He competed on ''[[Jeopardy!]]'' on June 7, 2002, and won $34,400.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.j-archive.com/showplayer.php?player_id=2962|title=Dileep Rao|work=J-Archive|accessdate=July 20, 2010}}</ref> On June 8, 2008, Rao was randomly selected from over 1600 entrants to play the [[NPR]] [[Weekend Edition]] Sunday puzzle on air with [[Will Shortz]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91247404 |title=NPR Weekend Edition, June 8, 2008 |publisher=Npr.org |date=June 8, 2008 |accessdate=January 21, 2012}}</ref>

In 2009, he appeared in ''[[Avatar (2009 film)|Avatar]]'' and ''[[Drag Me to Hell]]''. He was nominated for several awards as part of the ensemble cast in [[Christopher Nolan]]'s 2010 film ''[[Inception]]''. He played a pharmacologist in the film.<ref>{{cite news|last=Anderson|first=John|title='Inception': To Dream, Perchance to Sleep|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703394204575367412265057270?mod=googlewsj|accessdate=March 19, 2012|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=July 5, 2010}}</ref>

== Filmography ==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center;"
! Year
! Film
! Role
! Notes
|-
|rowspan="2"|2009
|''[[Drag Me to Hell]]''
|Rham Jas
|
|-
|''[[Avatar (2009 film)|Avatar]]''
|Dr. Max Patel
|
|-
|2010
|''[[Inception]]''
|Yusuf
|
|-
|2014
|''[[Murder of a Cat]]''
|Doctor Mundhra
|
|-
|2015
|''[[Beeba Boys]]''
|Kash Sood
|
|-
|2022
|''[[Avatar 2]]''
|rowspan="2"|Dr. Max Patel
|Post-production
|-
|2024
|''[[Avatar 3]]''
| Filming
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center;"
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 2002
| ''[[Jeopardy!]]''
| Himself
| 2 episodes
|-
| 2006
| ''[[Standoff (TV series)|Standoff]]''
| Robert
| 1 episode
|-
| 2008
| ''[[Brothers & Sisters (2006 TV series)|Brothers & Sisters]]''
| Arlo Natterson
| 1 episode
|-
| 2012
| ''[[Childrens Hospital]]''
| Glenn Richard
| 1 episode
|-
| 2013
| ''[[Touch (American TV series)|Touch]]''
| Vikash Nayar
| 2 episodes
|-
| 2015
| ''[[Z Nation]]''
| Odegard
| 1 episode
|-
| 2017
| ''[[Mr. Robot]]''
| Sandesh Markesh
| 1 episode
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|2438307}}
*[http://www.bullz-eye.com/movies/interviews/2009/dileep_rao.htm Interview with Dileep Rao]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rao, Dileep}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Male actors from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American people of Telugu descent]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:Jeopardy! contestants]]
[[Category:University of California, San Diego alumni]]
[[Category:American Conservatory Theater alumni]]
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:American male actors of Indian descent]]

Dileep Rao - Revision history

>Rusted AutoParts at 03:05, 11 July 2021