Utkarsh Ambudkar Biography: Wife, Age, Kids, Height, Net Worth, Movies & TV Shows, Rapper

Utkarsh Ambudkar is an American actor, rapper, and singer, widely recognized for his roles in films like Pitch Perfect and Free Guy, as well as his television work in The Mindy Project and Ghosts.

His improvisational rap skills and advocacy for diversity in entertainment have made him a notable figure in Hollywood.

Profile

• Full Name: Utkarsh Ambudkar
• Stage Name: UTK the INC
• Born: December 8, 1983
• Age: 41 years old
• Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, United States
• Nationality: American
• Occupation: American Actor, Rapper, Singer, Producer
• Height: 5 feet 10
• Parents: Suresh V. Ambudkar (father, Marathi), and Indu Ambudkar (née Bashyam, mother, Tamil)
• Siblings: 1, Neeti Ambudkar (sister)
• Spouse: Naomi Ambudkar (married September 9, 2019)
• Children: 3, Tiare Ambudkar (daughter, b. 2014), Bhumi Ambudkar (son, b. 2020), Leka Lesina Indu Ambudkar (daughter, b. June 2023)
• Relationship: Married
• Net Worth: $2 million to $5 million

Early Life and Education

Utkarsh Ambudkar was born on December 8, 1983, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Suresh V. Ambudkar and Indu Ambudkar, both research scientists at the National Institutes of Health who emigrated from India in the 1980s.

Of Indian descent (Marathi father, Tamil mother), he grew up in Gaithersburg, Maryland, with his sister, Neeti. As a brown-skinned child, he faced racism, including racial slurs from peers, which shaped his perspective on identity.

His creative spark emerged early through comedy roles in high school. He attended Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland, and later enrolled at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, graduating in 2004 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

He also studied at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, honing his performance skills. His early struggles with self-image and cultural identity led him to briefly stereotype himself as The Simpsons’ Apu for acceptance, a phase he later overcame.

Career

Ambudkar began his career as a VJ for MTV Desi and started acting at 16 with comedy roles. In 2005, he joined the hip-hop improv group Freestyle Love Supreme under the stage name UTK the INC, performing in their 2014 Pivot TV series and making his Broadway debut with the group’s self-titled show on October 2, 2019.

His acting debut came in 2006 with a role in The Electric Company, followed by minor parts in Rocket Science (2007) and Last Call (2008).

He gained recognition as Donald in Pitch Perfect (2012) and Rishi in The Mindy Project (2013–2016). His film roles include Basmati Blues (2017, opposite Brie Larson, marking him as the first South Asian lead in a Hollywood romantic comedy), Blindspotting (2018), Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019), The Broken Hearts Gallery (2020), Free Guy (2021), Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021), and World’s Best (2023).

On television, he appeared in White Famous (2017), Brockmire (2018), Harvey Street Kids (2018), Never Have I Ever (2020–2023), Mira, Royal Detective (2020, voicing Chikku), The Dropout (2022), and Ghosts (2021–present).

He played Skatch in a deleted scene of Disney’s Mulan (2020) and will portray King Bumi in Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. His viral improv rap at the 2020 Oscars, giving shout-outs to celebrities and addressing his South Asian heritage, boosted his fame.

As a rapper, he was part of the pop-rap trio The Beatards and released The Gold Tusk EP (2006), Members Only EP (2012), Vanity (2019), and Petty (2019). He also starred in Force Grey: Giant Hunters (2016) and Force Grey: Lost City of Omu (2017) as Hitch, a Dungeons & Dragons rogue.

Awards and Nominations

• Webby Award (2007): • Won People’s Choice Award for Animator vs. Animation II (Note: This award is incorrectly attributed to Ambudkar in some sources; it pertains to Alan Becker, a previous query subject).
• Independent Media Initiative (IMI) Award (2024): • Nominated for contributions to diversity in entertainment (specific project not detailed). Note: Ambudkar has not won major individual acting awards, but his Oscar rap performance (2020) and Freestyle Love Supreme Broadway run received significant acclaim.

Social Media

• Instagram Handle: @utktheinc
• Twitter Handle: @utktheinc

Personal Life

Utkarsh lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Naomi Ambudkar (@Hibiskiss on Instagram), a costumier in the entertainment industry. They married on September 9, 2019, in dual traditional and modern ceremonies.

They have three children: Tiare (daughter, b. 2014), Bhumi (son, b. 2020), and Leka Lesina Indu (daughter, b. June 2023). He briefly dated actress Sora Connor in 2013, whom he met on Pitch Perfect, and was linked to Hana Mae Lee in 2012, though they separated that year.

Ambudkar struggled with alcoholism and marijuana use in the early 2010s, which cost him the role of Aaron Burr in early Hamilton readings due to unprofessional behavior. Sober since 2014, he has openly discussed his recovery and cultural identity challenges, including racism faced as a South Asian.

He is a Christian, advocates for diversity, and supports mental health and education initiatives. His role model is Michael Jordan, and he enjoys engaging with fans, often sharing lighthearted family anecdotes. No major controversies are associated with him post-recovery.

Filmography

• Rocket Science (2007) – Minor role
• Last Call (2008) – Nikash
• Pitch Perfect (2012) – Donald
• Basmati Blues (2017) – Rajit
• Blindspotting (2018) – Rin
• Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019) – Jern
• The Broken Hearts Gallery (2020) – Max Vora
• Mulan (2020) – Skatch (deleted scene)
• Godmothered (2020) – Grant
• Free Guy (2021) – Mouser
• Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021) – Todd
• Marry Me (2022) – Coach Manny
• The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild (2022) – Orson (voice)
• World’s Best (2023) – Suresh
• The Electric Company (2006) – Guest role
• The Mindy Project (2013–2016) – Rishi Lahiri
• The Muppets (2016) – Pache
• White Famous (2017) – Malcolm
• Brockmire (2018) – Raj
• Harvey Street Kids (2018) – Fredo (voice)
• Mira, Royal Detective (2020) – Chikku (voice)
• Never Have I Ever (2020–2023) – Manish Kulkarni
• The Dropout (2022) – Rakesh Madhava
• Ghosts (2021–present) – Jay Arondekar
• Avatar: The Last Airbender (upcoming) – King Bumi

Discography

• The Gold Tusk EP (2006) – With The Beatards
• Members Only EP (2012) – With The Beatards
• Vanity (2019) – Solo
• Petty (2019) – Solo

Net Worth

Utkarsh Ambudkar’s net worth is estimated at $2 million to $5 million. His income derives from acting (Pitch Perfect, Free Guy, Ghosts), music releases (Vanity, Petty), and his Broadway work with Freestyle Love Supreme.

Additional revenue comes from YouTube comedy sketches (CollegeHumor, Key & Peele) and social media endorsements.