Brian George

A Passport Hard to Classify

Brian George was born in Jerusalem in 1952, but his story doesn't stop at that point on the map. His parents were Iraqi Jews who decided to move to London when he was just a little boy. Soon after, they crossed the pond again to settle permanently in Toronto. This mix of cultures gave him a privileged ear for accents, which he would later put to use in Hollywood.

But before the cameras, there was theater. He studied at the University of Toronto and honed his craft at the legendary comedy company Second City. There, he learned that timing matters more than the joke itself.

And the gamble paid off.

In 1991, he landed in the episode titled The Cafe from the series Seinfeld. His character was Babu Bhatt, and his mission was to open a multicuisine restaurant that ended up a disaster thanks to Jerry's advice. That index finger waving from side to side while he hurled insults is one of the most memorable images of 1990s television.

He reprised the role in 1993 and again in the series finale in 1998. George has always explained that the character was both his blessing and his curse. The industry quickly forgot that he was not Pakistani but an actor with a range far broader than that of an angry immigrant.

Nobody expected a fictional restaurant to end up in court.

The Refuge of the Voice-Over Booth

After that success, his phone never stopped ringing for roles as doctors, ambassadors and shopkeepers in dozens of productions. But the real money and professional stability were in animated voice-over work. In 2008, he lent his voice to Master Luminara Unduli in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

It wasn't an isolated job. His ability to adjust his tone got him into massive franchises like Batman and the video game Mass Effect. In the voice-over industry, he is considered one of the most valuable assets because he can record several voices in a single session.

But the money was in television.

In 2007, he joined the cast of The Big Bang Theory as Raj Koothrappali's father. He appeared in fifteen episodes over twelve years. He earned more for appearing on a computer screen via video call than many actors earn in a full season of Broadway theater.

His on-screen presence became steady but low-key. In 2021, he worked on the series The Resident, playing Dr. Isaac Feldman. He moves easily between hospital drama and over-the-top comedy without needing big gestures.

In 2024, he took part in the live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender produced by Netflix. He played the Great Sage on a shoot that used cutting-edge virtual production technology. The series' budget topped 15 million dollars per episode.