
Poorna Jagannathan
Acting
Born 1972-12-22 · Tunis, Tunisia
Poorna Jagannathan (/ˈpɔːrnə ˌdʒɑːɡəˈnɑːθən/ POR-nə JAH-gə-NAH-thən; born December 22, 1972) is an American producer and actress of Indian descent. She is known for her portrayal of Safar Khan in the HBO drama miniseries The Night Of and for her role as Nalini Vishwakumar in the Netflix teen comedy series Never Have I Ever. Jagannathan also co-conceived, produced, and acted in the play Nirbhaya, considered "one of the most powerful and urgent pieces of human rights theatre ever made," and is regarded as a critical moment in India's history of women's empowerment. Jagannathan was named among the "Top 100 Most Impactful Asians" in America in 2021 and 2022 by Goldhouse. People magazine featured her in their 2024 "The Beautiful Issue", while Verve magazine named her among the top 50 most powerful women in India in 2014. Description above from the Wikipedia article Poorna Jagannathan, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known for

Never Have I Ever
2020 · TV

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999 · TV

Deli Boys
2025 · TV

Law & Order
1990 · TV

Gypsy
2017 · TV

The Night Of
2016 · TV

Better Call Saul
2015 · TV

The Blacklist
2013 · TV

Lanterns
Releases Aug 16, 2026

Defending Jacob
2020 · TV

Messiah
2020 · TV

NCIS: Los Angeles
2009 · TV

Law & Order: Criminal Intent
2001 · TV

Rizzoli & Isles
2010 · TV

Numb3rs
2005 · TV

Taken
2017 · TV

The Act
2019 · TV

The Wilds
2020 · TV

Room 104
2017 · TV

Sorry for Your Loss
2018 · TV

Starved
2005 · TV

Hot Ones Versus
2024 · TV

Made in Hollywood
2005 · TV