Brian George

Brian George has built the kind of wide-ranging career that makes him a familiar presence even when viewers do not immediately know his name. Born in Jerusalem on July 1, 1952, the British actor has worked across film, television, animation and video games, bringing a distinctive comic touch and vocal versatility to an unusually varied collection of characters. George studied at the University of Toronto, where he took part in theatre productions, before leaving without graduating and forming a theatre group. After that venture failed to take off, he joined The Second City and trained alongside performers including John Candy. The experience proved a good foundation for a career frequently shaped by sharp timing, eccentric personalities and memorable guest appearances. For many viewers, George is Babu Bhatt, the restaurateur he played across three episodes of Seinfeld. His television work also includes recurring appearances as Raj’s father on The Big Bang Theory, Julian Bashir’s father on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Ricky’s foster father on The Secret Life of the American Teenager. He has turned up everywhere from Ellen and Grey’s Anatomy to Desperate Housewives, The Mentalist and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. His film roles show a similar knack for making smaller parts register. He appeared as a United Nations secretary in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, played a short-tempered convenience-store owner in Ghost World and took supporting roles in Keeping the Faith, Bubble Boy, Inspector Gadget and Employee of the Month. George’s voice work is just as extensive. His credits include Guru Pathik in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Duff Killigan in Kim Possible, characters in Green Lantern: The Animated Series and Jedi Master Ki-Adi Mundi in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He has also performed in games including Mass Effect 3, Baldur’s Gate, Final Fantasy XIV and the Kingdom Hearts series. Across formats, his career is a study in dependable character acting: adaptable, precise and always ready to give a scene its own peculiar energy.