Amara Karan

Amara Karan (born Amara Karunakaran; 1 January 1984) is a British actress.

Biography Karan was born to Sri Lankan Tamil parents who had emigrated from Zambia to the United Kingdom two years before she was born. She was born in Wimbledon and attended Wimbledon High School.

Karan went on to study at St Catherine's College, Oxford and while there began acting in amateur plays including Sunday Morning at the Centre of the World at the Burton Taylor Theatre for which she received rave reviews and was also singled out for her performance in When We Are Married at the Old Fire Station theatre. During her time at Oxford, Karan wrote, directed, produced, and acted in a short film, By Myself, which came in second place in the 2002 Shoestring Shorts Competition.

Karan began her career as an investment banker (at Hawkpoint and CIBC World Markets) specialising in mergers and acquisitions, before studying for an MA degree in acting at The Arts Educational Schools London.

In 2007, Karan made her film debut as Rita in Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited (2007), which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and as Peaches in St Trinian's (2007). In 2008, Karan made her stage debut as Jessica in an RSC production of The Merchant of Venice and as Bianca in an RSC production of The Taming of the Shrew. With the latter, she made her West End debut at the Novello Theatre.

In 2008, Karan carried the Olympic Torch during its time in London.

In 2016, Karan co-starred on the HBO crime drama mini-series, The Night Of. In 2012, she co-starred in the film A Fantastic Fear of Everything.

Since 2016, Karan has been in a relationship with English actor Jamie de Courcey.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2007 The Darjeeling Limited Rita St Trinian's Peaches 2011 The Task Toni 2012 All in Good Time Vina A Fantastic Fear of Everything Sangeet 2013 Jadoo Shalini 2017 Those Four Walls Jasmine 2018 The Death and Life of John F. Donovan Mrs. Kureishi 2023 T.I.M. Rose 2024 House of Spoils Hiral Sen

Television

Radio Year Title Role Notes 2007 The Making of a Marchioness Lady Agatha Frances Hodgson Burnett for BBC Radio 4 2017 The Beard Thea Collins Timothy X Atack for BBC Radio 4

Theatre Year Title Role Venue(s) Production company 2008 The Taming of the Shrew Bianca The Courtyard Theatre Stratford-Upon-Avon, England Royal Shakespeare Company The Merchant of Venice Jessica The Courtyard Theatre Stratford-Upon-Avon, England Royal Shakespeare Company 2009 The Taming of the Shrew Bianca The Novello Theatre London, England Royal Shakespeare Company 2012 Much Ado About Nothing Hero The Courtyard Theatre Stratford-Upon-Avon, England 2022 Bloody Difficult Women Gina Miller Riverside Studios London, England

Video games Year Title Voice role 2017 Dark Souls III Sister Friede