Even if they don’t recognize the name, TV and movie buffs will likely recognize actor Iqbal Theba. He has acted in over 100 roles, including “Glee,” “Two and a Half Men,” and “Friends.”
Now, the Pakistani-American actor has taken his passion for storytelling to Disney Junior for his latest role. He plays a former detective in the animated show “Mira, Royal Detective.” The Indian culture-based series serves as eleven-minute examples of deductive reasoning and critical thinking for young children.
Iqbal Theba scores roles in fan favorites
Theba started his acting career and obtained his Screen Actor’s Guild card by appearing in ‘90s television commercials. He soon got his big break came in an appearance in the NBC television pilot “Death and Taxes.” While this series did not get picked up, his role led to a spot on “The George Carlin Show” and eventually many others.
Theba’s longest running recurring role was as Principal Figgins in the Fox television sitcom “Glee.” More specifically, he appeared in 58 episodes over six seasons and won a Screen Actor’s Guild award (2010) with his cast.
“When they were producing Glee they were looking for a Caucasian actor to play the part of Principal Figgins. They met several actors but weren’t too impressed by anyone,” Theba shares in an interview. “I met them and they liked what I did and I got the job.”
Theba has appeared in hit shows including “Friends” (1998) as Joey’s doctor, and in “The West Wing,” (2000) as the Indian Ambassador. He also played the UN Secretary General in the action film “Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon” (2011).
More recently, Theba played concert pianist Don Shirley’s personal assistant, Amit in “Green Book” (2018). He also appeared as Uncle Aaravind in the TV comedy “Never Have I Ever” (2020) and as Kenneth in the sci-fi film “Useless Humans” (2020).
Iqbal Theba pursues his passion for acting
Theba was born in Karachi, the capital of the Sindh province in Pakistan in 1963. “My parents are from Gujrat, India and I was born in Karachi. We speak Urdu and Gujrati at home,” Theba tweeted in response to an inquiry.
Theba then came to the United States to earn his Bachelors of Science in Construction Engineering Management from the University of Oklahoma.
“[I] hated my job in a Construction Company in Oklahoma City, so, [I] went back to the University of Oklahoma in 1986 and majored in Acting,” Theba said in an interview. “Spent a year in NYC and moved to LA in 1991. Waited on about a million tables in the process.”
Theba is active on Twitter and Facebook, where he uses his platform to raise funds for his native Pakistan. He also has two teen children, a son Mikale and a daughter Ranya, with his wife Humera.
Iqbal Theba stars in Disney Junior’s “Mira, Royal Detective”
The first Mira episode entitled “A Royal Detective Mystery” premiered February 19, 2021. Theba lent his voice to the character Detective Gupta, a former royal detective that Mira asks for help.
Mira, Royal Detective is an animated television show created for young children. The series draws inspiration from Indian culture and customs. The main character, Mira, is a young girl appointed royal detective by the queen of the fictional land of Jalpur.
Theba in this role contributes to a show that has featured other South Asian stars such as Jameela Jamil from “The Good Place” and Hannah Simone from “New Girl.”
“I love the story-telling aspect of acting. By telling stories we try to find out and define who we are and also what we aspire to be,” Theba says. “I get to love, hate, inspire, aspire and experience life to the fullest.”
Watch the episode on Disney Now or Disney+, among other streaming platforms.
