Usman Ally

{{Infobox person

| name = Usman Ally

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1982|08|27}}

| birth_place = Swaziland

| alma_mater = Lewis & Clark College (BA)
University of Florida (MFA)

| occupation = Actor

| death_date =

| death_place =

| death_cause =

| spouse = Malena Mai

| years_active =

}}

Usman Ally (born August 27, 1982) is a Pakistani-American film, stage and television actor. Marking his acting debut in 2008, Ally won an Obie Award in 2015 for his role in The Invisible Hand.{{cite web|title=2015 Obie Awards|work=Obie Awards|url=http://www.obieawards.com/events/year-2015/|access-date=1 April 2018|date=2015|archive-date=15 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815055350/http://www.obieawards.com/events/year-2015/|url-status=dead}}

He has appeared in several stage productions including The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, The Jungle Book and a production of Around the World in 80 Days. He is known for his on-screen roles such as Fernald the Hook-Handed Man in Netflix's adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events, which premiered in 2017 and Andy Malik in Suits.{{cite web|url=https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/series-of-unfortunate-events-netflix-cast|title=Every 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' Actor You Need to Know About|author=Sean Fitz-Gerald|date=January 13, 2017|work=Thrillist|access-date=January 9, 2019|archive-date=January 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110073945/https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/series-of-unfortunate-events-netflix-cast|url-status=live}}

Background

Ally was born in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) to Pakistani parents.{{cite web|url=http://blog.angryasianman.com/2017/01/angry-reader-of-week-usman-ally.html|title=Angry Reader of the Week: Usman Ally|work=Angry Asian Man|date=1 June 2017|access-date=1 April 2018|archive-date=1 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401212752/http://blog.angryasianman.com/2017/01/angry-reader-of-week-usman-ally.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/tv/ct-usman-ally-veep-tv-0616-20170614-story.html|title=Like so many others, Usman Ally goes from Chicago to 'Veep'|work=Chicago Tribune|date=14 June 2017|access-date=1 April 2018|first=Nina|last=Metz|archive-date=1 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401212905/http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/tv/ct-usman-ally-veep-tv-0616-20170614-story.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=http://www.awardsdaily.com/2017/06/23/usman-ally-interview/|title=Usman Ally On His 'Veep' Role As a Turning Point for Muslims on TV|work=Awards Daily|date=23 June 2017|access-date=1 April 2018|archive-date=27 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170627220327/http://www.awardsdaily.com/2017/06/23/usman-ally-interview/|url-status=live}} He grew up in Kenya, Botswana, Tanzania, and Pakistan.{{cite web|url=http://www.indiawest.com/entertainment/global/usman-ally-the-pakistani-american-actor-who-seems-to-be/article_2134ed30-af8f-11e7-bc28-d768ddf53bce.html|title=Usman Ally: The Pakistani American Actor Who Seems to Be Everywhere|work=India West|date=12 October 2017|access-date=1 April 2018|archive-date=1 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401144617/http://www.indiawest.com/entertainment/global/usman-ally-the-pakistani-american-actor-who-seems-to-be/article_2134ed30-af8f-11e7-bc28-d768ddf53bce.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/five-questions-with-usman-ally-star-of-nobodies_us_5924f75ce4b09c5b6bf92d12|title=Five Questions with Usman Ally, Star of 'Nobodies', 'Veep' and 'Series Of Unfortunate Events'|work=Huffington Post|date=24 May 2017|access-date=1 April 2018|archive-date=23 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180123193845/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/five-questions-with-usman-ally-star-of-nobodies_us_5924f75ce4b09c5b6bf92d12|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/28/theater/usman-ally-discusses-his-roles.html|title=Usman Ally Discusses his Roles|work=The New York Times|date=27 December 2014|access-date=1 April 2018|first=Alexis|last=Soloski|archive-date=1 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401150341/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/28/theater/usman-ally-discusses-his-roles.html|url-status=live}} According to Ally, his family regularly moved because his father was involved in international trade.{{cite web|url=https://www.wbez.org/shows/wbez...ally.../34c3e358-3fc4-4fd9-bdb8-f7ad3af367ba|title=Usman Ally on identity politics in ATC's 'Disgraced'|work=WBEZ|access-date=1 April 2018|archive-date=1 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401144742/https://www.wbez.org/shows/wbez...ally.../34c3e358-3fc4-4fd9-bdb8-f7ad3af367ba|url-status=live}}

At age 18, Ally moved to the United States and attended Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, majoring in theater and cultural anthropology.{{cite web|first=Ben|last=Waterhouse|work=Lewis & Clark|title=Character Builder|url=http://www.lclark.edu/live/news/31070-character-builder|access-date=17 March 2017|language=en|date=28 September 2015|archive-date=18 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318002058/http://www.lclark.edu/live/news/31070-character-builder|url-status=live}} While there, he was introduced to a group called Prisoners of Politics, and participated in slam poetry and hip hop performances. Soon after graduating from Lewis and Clark, he attended the University of Florida, where he graduated magna cum laude with a Master of Fine Arts in acting. He has lived in Portland, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable"

! Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

2008

| The Group

| Sunil

| Short film

2009

| Chicago Overcoat

| Pawnshop Owner

2011

| Our Fathers

| Ahmed

| Short film

2012

| Just Like a Woman

| Ousman

2013

| Star Trek Into Darkness

| U.S.S. Vengeance Officer

2015

| Misled

| Waseem

2016

| Love Meet Hope

| Andrew

2020

| The Hunt

| Crisis Mike

2020

| Superintelligence

| Sergei

2022

| Grimcutty

| Amir Chaudhry

| {{Cite web |last=Ganguly |first=Shrija |date=October 10, 2022 |title=Grimcutty review: The John Ross horror film on Hulu works despite a freakish monster and some loose strings |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/grimcutty-review-the-john-ross-horror-film-hulu-works-despite-freakish-monster-loose-strings |access-date=August 9, 2024 |website=Sportskeeda}}

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"

! Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

rowspan="2" | 2011

| The Chicago Code

| Abrahm

| Episode: "St. Valentine's Day Massacre"

Damages

| Nasim Marwat

| 4 episodes

2012

| Boss

| Joe Young

| 2 episodes

2013

| Blue Bloods

| Vendor

| Episode: "No Regrets"

rowspan="2" | 2014

| Mind Games

| Charles

| Episode: "Pilot"

Person of Interest

| Jamal Risha

| Episode: "Allegiance"

2014–2015

| Madam Secretary

| Zahed Javani

| 3 episodes

rowspan="3" | 2015

| Castle

| Bilal Jafari

| Episode: "Sleeper"

The Player

| Hamid

| Episode: "Pilot"

Brooklyn Animal Control

| Lawyer

| Episode 1.1

rowspan="4" | 2016

| Blindspot

| Hakim

| Episode: "Cease Forcing Enemy"

Helen & Grace

| Coach

| 2 episodes

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

| Vincent

| 3 episodes

The Librarians

| Security Lt. Becker

| Episode: "And the Fangs of Death"

2016–2017

| Veep

| Ambassador Al Jaffar

| 6 episodes

2017–2019

| A Series of Unfortunate Events

| Fernald the Hook-Handed Man

| Recurring role

2017

| Just Add Magic

| Mr. Morris

| 8 episodes

rowspan="2" | 2017–2018

| Nobodies

| Gavin

| Recurring role

Mike Tyson Mysteries

| Raji, Mahmoud, Price Abdul Al Farooq

| Voice, 2 episodes{{cite web |title=Usman Ally (visual voices guide) |url=http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Usman-Ally/ |access-date=August 9, 2024 |publisher=Behind The Voice Actors}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.

2017–2019

| Suits

| Andrew Malik

| 4 episodes

rowspan="2" | 2017

| Lifeline

| Nathan

| Main role

Curb Your Enthusiasm

| Morsi Driver

| Episode: "Never Wait for Seconds!"

rowspan="2" |2019

| Better Things

| Dr. Babu

| Episode: "No Limits"

On Becoming a God in Central Florida

| Stan Van Grundegaard

| Recurring role

2019-2020

|NCIS

|Victor Mir

|2 episodes

2020

| 68 Whiskey

| Captain Hazara

| Recurring role

2021

| Call Me Kat

| Dr. Kevin Khan

| Episode: "Therapy"

2021

| Young Justice

| Khalid Nassour, Muhammad Nassour

| Voice, recurring role (5 episodes)

2022

|God's Favorite Idiot

|Mohsin Raza

|16 episodes{{Cite web |last=Wiseman |first=Andreas |last2=Petski |first2=Denise |date=February 12, 2021 |title=Melissa McCarthy Netflix Comedy God’s Favorite Idiot Adds Yanic Truesdale, Steve Mallory, Usman Ally, More |url=https://deadline.com/2021/02/melissa-mccarthy-ben-falcone-netflix-gods-favorite-idiot-yanic-truesdale-1234692844/ |access-date=August 9, 2024 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}