Disney Channel fans will be familiar with the popular show Jessie, which aired from
2011 to 2015.
Actor Karan Brar played Ravi, capturing the hearts of viewers over the show's run.
Well, Karan Brar is all grown up now, and he’s making quite the name for himself in
Hollywood.
It's hard to imagine Jessie without Ravi, but the original concept for the show didn't
have the character in it.
When Karan Brar auditioned for the hit Disney show, it was for the role of Luke, which ended
up going to Cameron Boyce instead.
Losing the role wasn't the end for Brar, though.
The young actor's several auditions for the part were so impressive that the role of Ravi
was written especially for him.
Instead of being flattered, Brar was initially distraught.
He told Talk Nerdy With Us:
"I thought, wow I did such a bad job they kind of gave me a pity role."
Brar added that he was quickly assured by Jessie's executive producer that the role
was anything but, and that such characters are rarely written for people.
Jessie was an early part for Brar, whose only role before landing the role of Ravi was as
Chirag in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid films.
Brar told Bitmap Magazine:
"I started off not knowing anything about sitcom but with the help of everyone around
me, I was able to grow as an actor and produce work that I’m proud of."
Karan Brar was just 12 years old when the first episodes of Jessie debuted, and he pretty
much grew up on the show.
While being a child star can be difficult, thrusting a kid into the spotlight before
they're ready for it, Brar doesn't look at being a child star as a bad experience.
That being said, starring as Ravi on Jessie was definitely a unique experience that affected
Brar's upbringing.
He told Bitmap Magazine:
"I grew up just like any other kid, but [...] I also had to mature [at a] faster rate than
most of my peers."
Brar also explained that he was in, quote "a predominantly adult environment" on the
set of Jessie, which meant that he always had "to be professional" at a young age.
While Jessie wrapped in 2015, it wasn't the end of Ravi; Karan Brar went on to reprise
the role that made him famous in a spinoff called Bunk'd.
Brar played Ravi on the series from 2015 to 2018, although he also made an appearance
in a 2021 episode.
On Bunk'd, the Ross kids are uprooted from their New York City penthouse and sent to
the summer camp Camp Kikiwaka.
Playing the character of Ravi for so long could have easily gotten boring for Brar,
but he told Boys By Girls that he was excited to have the opportunity to keep telling Ravi's
story.
While Karan Brar may be best known for his role as Ravi on Jessie and its spin-off, Bunk'd,
the actor has appeared in a lot of other shows.
Some other places you might recognize Brar from are his guest arcs on the shows Pair
of Kings, Lab Rats: Bionic Island, The Night Shift, Champions, and Epic Night.
Brar also portrayed the role of Ravi in crossover events for some other Disney shows, appearing
in episodes of Disney Monstober, Austin & Ally, and Ultimate Spider-Man.
“I think we’re about to be human tikka masala”
You might first recognize Karan Brar's face from his role on Jessie, but he's been in
a lot of productions that you might not know about unless you pay really close attention.
That's because Brar has lent his voice to a number of shows and films, including Sofia
the First, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Solar Opposites, Cleopatra in Space, and Mira, Royal Detective.
Brar's voice roles provide a change of pace for the actor from his live-action roles,
but he told BSC Kids that both types of acting, quote, "are hard to do" in different ways.
One of the biggest roles Karan Brar landed after Jessie is that of Cadet Suresh in 2018's
Pacific Rim: Uprising.
Appearing in the science fiction film, a sequel to 2013's Pacific Rim, was quite a change
of genre for the Disney Channel star, but Brar crushed the role and showed just how
diverse his range is.
Playing a soldier also required Brar to be in peak physical shape, which he told Crush
Fanzine was the hardest part of the role.
He confessed:
"I have never worked on a project that had me working out the entire time and was this
stunt heavy.”
Brar was still playing Ravi on Bunk'd when he starred in Pacific Rim: Uprising, which
made filming a bit complicated.
He told Boys By Girls that working on both projects at the same time required him to
fly back and forth from Australia, but that he loved it.
He said:
"It's always what I imagined as a kid: travel the world, shoot a gigantic film, try to put
together this giant monster of a puzzle, and meet these amazing people from all around
the world."
Another big role that Karan Brar landed is that of Deli Mike Mundi in 2020's Hubie Halloween.
Brar starred alongside the legendary Adam Sandler in the Netflix flick.
Comedic fare is obviously right up Brar's alley after so many years on Disney sitcoms,
but the role in Hubie Halloween offered up a big twist for the actor as Mike isn't exactly
the nicest of characters.
“Welcome to your first highschool fight”
Brar relished exploring a different sort of character, telling Screen Rant:
"I just have never really played a villain before.
Villain for lack of a better term, so playing Mike was just the most fun.
[...] I actually just kind of commit to this role a little bit."
Brar added that Mike is a huge contrast from his typical "nerd" parts, but that he infused
some of his own, quote, "goofy and nerdy self" into the "really mean character."
He said:
"I thought that made for a really interesting dynamic."
Karan Brar may be on the younger side, but he's quite outspoken in his beliefs and is
a staunch supporter of the #MeToo movement.
The actor talked to Crush Fanzine about his stance on the movement and his support for
the women in the industry who spoke out about the horrifying treatment they face in Hollywood.
Brar called the women who have lent their voices to the movement, quote, "strong and
brave," and called on his fellow men in the performance industry "to listen."
He added that:
“It’s not only important for us as men to listen but also to check our privilege
and see how we contribute to the problem subconsciously.
And, if we do find ourselves contributing to the issue, then how can we change to contribute
to the solution."
The actor also vowed:
"[I will] try harder to ask more questions and listen more."
Ravi is one character that fans of Jessie will never forget, but Karan Brar also learned
a lot about himself from portraying him for so many years.
Namely, there's one big thing in particular that sticks out in the actor's mind from his
time on Jessie, which he opened up about in an interview with Talk Nerdy With Us.
He shared:
"In the workspace, it's 'never stop learning.
As an actor, it’s SO easy to get cocky and just assume [...] 'I’m on a TV show, so
everything’s perfect!'
But I think it’s important to remember as an actor that the people around you sometimes
have 20+ years of experience on you, so you should learn as much as you can so you can
understand how the machine works."
He added that it's not just the more senior actors on set who had something to teach him.
Brar then concluded that he and Ravi are, quote, "complete opposites," but that Ravi
taught him to be more confident.
Karan Brar was crushed when his best friend and roommate, Cameron Boyce, died in 2019
from epilepsy.
As Brar told Boys By Girls, the two first met when they both auditioned for the role
of Luke on Jessie.
The role went to Boyce, while Brar ended up playing Luke's brother, and the two spent
years working together on the show, forming a close bond.
Brar opened up about the devastating loss in an Instagram post, in which he called Boyce:
"The greatest thing to have ever happened to me."
He added:
"Wish I had more to say right now but I don't think words will come for a while."
Several months after Boyce's death, Brar got a tattoo on his arm to commemorate their friendship.
The image is based on a photograph of the two actors, and has text taken from a letter
Boyce once wrote to Brar that reads:
"Your partner in crime, Cam."
While Brar isn't the most prolific social media user, he does use the platforms to support
causes he believes in, such as voting and the Indian farmers' protest.
Brar used to post more on social media but, as he explained to Boys By Girls, he decided
to take a step back.
He said:
"I felt it was a job.
I felt I needed to cater to it.
I never fully indulged in it, but I felt the pressure to put out an image."
Brar now has a, quote, "healthier" approach to social media.
He admitted that his posts are a bit sporadic, but prefer when the posts he puts out there
are authentic to who he is.
As an Indian American actor, Karan Brar is all too aware of the fact that there's not
exactly a lot of diversity in Hollywood.
He revealed in an interview with Crush Fanzine:
"Not only are there a lack of roles out there for you but you're also having to deal with
the constant stereotypes people place over you."
It may not be easy, but Brar is determined to keep growing his career.
He refuses to allow people to hold him back.
Brar's hope is that the industry continues to become more diverse, pointing to his own
casting as Ravi on Jessie — Disney's first Indian series regular — as, quote, "a big
step," as he told upfrontNY.
He added:
"I feel like it is really cool that now they are [...] expanding their ethnic horizon."
That being said, Brar told Boys By Girls:
"I think it’s getting there, but it gets frustrating at times because it feels slow."
Still, the actor is optimistic.
He said:
"The fight seems tough right now but I do think the position is better than it was even
ten years ago.”
Karan Brar has enjoyed a lot of success in his career from a very young age.
Not everyone is fortunate enough to find their passion so early in life, let alone accomplish
so much before they even graduate from high school.
Brar has worked tirelessly to snag other parts over the years, admitting to Boys By Girls:
"I am an ambitious, hard-working, and caring person."
But, he sometimes takes things too far.
Describing himself as a workaholic, he said:
"I'm very dedicated to what I do, but to a fault sometimes.”
Brar says he inherited his workaholic tendencies from his mom and dad, but even they sometimes
need to urge him to take a break.
He refuses to be complacent, though, saying:
"I'm always trying to stay hungry."
Karan Brar has become incredibly successful since his years on Jessie.
Per Celebrity Net Worth, Brar has an estimated $2 million net worth — not too shabby, especially
for someone so young.
The former child star isn't content just to build his career and his fortune, though.
He told Boys By Girls:
“I'm a firm believer that when you get to the top of the hill, you don't want to be
alone when you get there, you want to send a rope down to help other people."
Brar is all about giving back, and does so in several different ways, such as through
GenerationOn.
He explained to Sweety High:
"GenerationOn is a global service movement, aimed [at] encouraging youth to take action
that changes the world through service."
Brar is also involved with the Thirst Project which provides clean water to developing countries.
The actor explained to Bitmap Magazine that his busy work schedule means he can't be,
quote, "hands-on" with the organization.
But, he adds:
"I try to do my best by educating people and spreading awareness."
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