Amrit Kaur

Amrit Kaur, born on June 4, 1993, in Markham, Ontario, grew up in a Punjabi Sikh family whose parents had immigrated from India to Canada. Her interest in acting developed during high school, where she captained her school’s improv team. She pursued formal education in theatre, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design at York University in Toronto. Her artistic growth was significantly shaped by acting coach Michèle Lonsdale-Smith during her early twenties. She continues to train at Lonsdale Smith Acting Studios and is a company member of Gracemoon Arts Company.

Kaur achieved a breakthrough with her role as Bela Malhotra in Mindy Kaling’s HBO Max series “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” which premiered in November 2021 and was renewed for a second season. Her casting involved overcoming initial rejections for an O-1 Visa, a situation that saw the show’s producers, including Mindy Kaling, write letters advocating for her approval. This early career milestone showcased her persistence and the support she garnered within the industry. She has also appeared in various other American and Canadian television shows such as “Star Trek: Short Treks” (2018), “American Gothic” (2016), “Kim’s Convenience” (2016), “Hudson & Rex” (2019), and “Nurses” (2020), portraying diverse characters and expanding her acting repertoire.

Her film credits include the 2017 Canadian film “Brown Girl Begins,” where she played Pasha, and the 2018 romantic-comedy film “Little Italy” as Jessie. More recently, in 2024, Kaur received the Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Performance in a Drama Film for her role in “The Queen of My Dreams” (2023). This award win was notable for her acceptance speech, in which she advocated for artists’ freedom of speech and called for a ceasefire. As a founding member of Gracemoon Arts Company, she played a key role in establishing their Off-Broadway theatre in Bushwick, New York, in July 2024, aiming to produce work that promotes dialogue on humanitarian issues and supports community engagement.