Iqbal Theba (pronounced IK-bal TAY-ba), born December 20, 1963, is a Pakistani-American actor. Theba is known for his recurring role as Principal Figgins on Glee.
Personal life[]
Theba was born (and raised in) Karachi, Pakistan[1] and he moved to the United States.[2] He attend the University of Oklahoma for engineering in 1981,[3] but dropped out to pursue an acting career in New York. He has a BS degree in Construction Engineering Management.[3] Theba returned to the University of Oklahoma to get a degree in acting in 1986.[3] He moved to Los Angeles, California in 1991 after obtaining the acting degree.[3]
He is married[4] and they have two children: a son[5] (b. 2002/2003)[6] and a daughter, Ranya (b. 2005/2006).[7][8]
Career[]
Theba became a familiar face in the 1990s when he appeared in various TV shows and commercials in the United States.
Theba's big break was a role on the NBC pilot Death and Taxes. The pilot was not picked up, but it led to a recurring role for Theba on The George Carlin Show. Theba also had brief recurring roles on Married... with Children and ER. His other credits include appearances in Nip/Tuck, Alias, Two and a Half Men, Roseanne, Kitchen Confidential, Chuck, JAG, Arrested Development, Children's Hospital, The West Wing, Sister Sister, Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, NCIS, Weeds and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Theba also appeared alongside future Glee co-star Mike O'Malley in an episode of the sitcom Yes, Dear.
Theba guest starred on NBC's Community and appears as Principal Figgins in the Fox television series Glee.
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | L.A. Law | ("Vindaloo in the Villows") | |
| Indecent Proposal | Citizenship Student | ||
| 1994 | Mad About You | Cabbie #1 | ("The City") |
| The Innocent | Doctor #2 | TV movie | |
| Living Single | Pizza Man | ("U.N.I.T.Y.") | |
| The George Carlin Show | Inzamamulhaq siddiqui / Cabbie | (5 episodes) | |
| 1995 | Dream On | Rudy / Rudy The Newsstand Guy | ("Tie Me Sister Lu Down, Sport" and "Try Not to Remember") |
| Charlie Grace | Pakistani Clerk | ("Pilot") | |
| Abandoned and Deceived | The Doctor | TV movie | |
| Seinfeld | Cabbie | ("The Jimmy" and uncredited) | |
| The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes | Sri Lankan | TV movie | |
| Just Looking | Veejay | ||
| Family Matters | Zoohair Bhutto | ("Odd Man In," "Fa La La La Laagghh!," and "Bugged"; 1995 - 1997) | |
| Married with Children | Iqbal | (4 episodes) | |
| 1996 | Roseanne | Dr. Bakshi | ("Roseambo" and "Hoi Polloi Meets Hoiti Toiti") |
| Driven | Landlord | ||
| The Tomorrow Man | FBI Examiner | TV movie | |
| Homeboys in Outer Space | Habib | ("There's No Space Like Home, or Return of the Jed Eye") | |
| New York Daze | The Cabbie | ("Eric's Book") | |
| Yesterday's Target | Dr. Patel | TV movie | |
| Space: Above and Beyond | General Siraj | ("Sugar Dirt") | |
| The Home Court | Noel | ("Mike Solomon: Unplugged") | |
| Sister, Sister | Mr. Solokian | ("The Piano Lesson" and "The Volunteers") | |
| Ned and Stacey | Doctor | ("Gut Feeling") | |
| Can't Hurry Love | Cabbie | ("The Elizabeth Taylor Episode") | |
| Sisters | Orderly Valentine | ("A Little Snag") | |
| 1997 | Brooklyn South | Omar Rashmid | ("Love Hurts") |
| Blade Runner | Moraji | voice and video game | |
| Everybody Loves Raymond | Doctor Sundram | ("Golf") | |
| Total Security | Sangarapillai | ("The Never Bending Story") | |
| Caroline in the City | Koothrappally, the Cabbie | ("Caroline and the Critics") | |
| Ellen | Dalai Rajhavaari | ("Hello, Dalai") | |
| ER | Dr. Zagerby / Dr. Zogoiby | (4 episodes; 1997 - 2001) | |
| 1998 | Martial Law | Raj Patel | ("Trackdown") |
| King of the Hill | Dr. Bhudamanjur | ("Next of Shin" and voice) | |
| Friends | Joey's Doctor | ("The One Hundredth") | |
| BASEketball | Factory Manager | ||
| Sour Grapes | Dr. Alagappan | ||
| Fired Up | Driver | ("Fire and Nice") | |
| JAG | Johnny Marvel/Capt. Qamal Samad | ("Wedding Bell Blues" and "Trojan Horse"; 1998/2004) | |
| 1999 | Shasta McNasty | Meb | ("Adult Education") |
| Malcolm & Eddie | Dr. Halim Sahir | ("Worst Impressions") | |
| 2000 | The Hughleys | Clerk | ("Oh Thank Heaven for Seven-Eleven") |
| Dancing at the Blue Iguana | Clerk | ||
| The West Wing | Indian Ambassador | ("Lord John Marbury") | |
| 2001 | The Tick | Dry Cleaner | ("The License") |
| The Agency | ("Closure") | ||
| Yes, Dear | Instructor | ("The Ticket") | |
| Judging Amy | Mr. Pradip | ("The Last Word") | |
| Guardian | Dr. Tuchman | ||
| The Huntress | Edouard Barsamian | ("Undercover") | |
| 2002 | Alias | General Arshad | ("Passage: Part 2") |
| Birdseye | Puneet Ristani | ||
| 2003 | The Division | Mohammed | ("Hearts & Minds") |
| The Lyon's Den | Professor | ("The Quantum Theory") | |
| Life with Bonnie | Deepak / Iqbal | ("Father and Son: A Table for Two" and "Boomerang") | |
| 2004 | Arrested Development | Nazhgalia | ("Shock and Aww") |
| Girlfriends | Dr. Norayan | ("When Hearts Attack") | |
| Joan of Arcadia | East Indian Sunglasses Salesman God | ("Wealth of Nations") | |
| Dr. Vegas | Mr. Desai | ("Advantage Play") | |
| 2005 | Kitchen Confidential | Iqbal / Iqubal | ("Teddy Takes Off," "French Fight" and uncredited) |
| Hot Properties | Fareed | ("Pilot") | |
| Just Legal | Dr. Gupta | ("The Limit") | |
| Las Vegas | Parviz Silani | ("Double Down, Triple Threat") | |
| Eve | Bob | ("Real Women Have Nerves") | |
| 2006 | Blind Dating | Mr. Raja | |
| The War at Home | Middle-Eastern Man | ("The West Palm Beach Story") | |
| Beyond | Imran Khan | TV movie | |
| 2007 | Chuck | Peyman Alahi | ("Chuck Versus the Wookiee") |
| Weeds | Sanjay's Father | ("Bill Sussman") | |
| 2009 | Glee: Director's Cut Pilot Episode | Principal Figgins | |
| Frankenhood | Mr. Samuels | ||
| Nip/Tuck | Dr. Vijay Paresh | ("Ricky Wells") | |
| Two and a Half Men | Don | ("I Think You Offended Don") | |
| Community | Gobi Nadir | "Heroic Origins," "Basic Genealogy" and "Introduction to Film"; 2009 - 2013) | |
| Glee | Principal Figgins | 2009 - 2015 (56 episodes) | |
| 2010 | Childrens Hospital | Sultan Abdul Aziz | ("The Sultan's Finger: Live") |
| Ghosts/Aliens | Neighbor | TV movie | |
| 2011 | Transformers: Dark of the Moon | UN Secretary General | |
| 2012 | Playing for Keeps | Param | |
| ...Or Die | short | ||
| The Glee Project | Principal Figgins | ("Romanticality," "Individuality 2" and uncredited) | |
| NCIS | Ramesh Sengupta | ("Housekeeping") | |
| 2015 | The Brink | General Umair Zaman | (7 episodes); post-production |
| The Tiger Hunter | General Iqbal | filming | |
| The Escort | Richard | post-production; releases in 2015 or 2016 | |
| 2020 | Never Have I Ever | Aravind | ("...had to be on my best behavior") |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- He is a Muslim.
- He made a cameo appearances on "Here I Go Again" and "We Found Love" by The Glee Project season 2 contenders.
- He ships Brittana. Source
- His favorite movie is 2001: A Space Odyssey.[9]
- His favorite Glee cast version songs are Total Eclipse of the Heart and Don't Stop Believin'. [10]
- His favorite Glee episodes are the Pilot[11] and Showmance.[12]
- ↑ I have this illogical, crazy passion for acting: Iqbal Theba January 2011.
- ↑ Iqbal Theba Biography
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Interview with Iqbal Theba aka PRINCIPAL FIGGINS! December 2009.
- ↑ Interview with the Best Thing About Glee, “Principal” Iqbal Theba September 2009.
- ↑ @mikeomalleys HimNhisWife wer sittin in the waiting room wen MeNmyWife wer going in 2 hav r son. he told us to "do it" to speed up the labor September 2013.
- ↑ Hugging my 10 yr old
- ↑ Is it too soon for my 7yr old to get a manicure? Or she should wait till she is 32? August 2013.
- ↑ @RanyaHabbouchy Happy Birthday, Ranya! My daughter's name is Ranya :-) .... hugs n kisses August 2013.
- ↑ Space Odyssey 2001
- ↑ Favorite Glee Song version
- ↑ Favorite Glee episode
- ↑ Favorite Episode