{{short description|American actor}}

{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} {{Infobox person | name = Naren Weiss | image = NarenWeissbyJorgeLuna.jpg | alt = | caption = Weiss during a photoshoot in New York City in 2016 | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth-date and age|March 15, 1991}} | birth_place = Houston, Texas, U.S. | occupation = {{Flat list|Actor, playwright, model}} | years_active = 2010–present | known_for = {{ubl|''Vishwaroopam''|''Maya from Madurai''}} | height = 6 ft 3 in | website = }}

'''Naren Weiss''' (born March 15, 1991) is an actor, playwright, and former model. He played Osama bin Laden in Kamal Haasan's film on terrorism ''Vishwaroopam'', Dekker in the ABC series ''Deception'', and is known for his work in theatre in India and the United States.

==Early life== Born in Nassau Bay, 30 minutes outside of Houston, Weiss's family bounced around various places in the U.S. until, at the age of 12, the family migrated to Madras. While finishing his education, he found his love for the stage in several school and college productions, and went on to attend Madras Christian College and Brooklyn College. He is of mixed ethnicity and worked as a model during college, appearing in campaigns for Sprite, Bank of India, The Chennai Silks and on magazine covers like India Today.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thecoopercompany.biz/clients/naren-weiss/naren-weiss-2/|title=Cooper Company 2|work=The Cooper Company |accessdate=23 November 2016}}</ref> He was discovered by VJ Paloma Rao while performing onstage, leading to his becoming a VJ for Channel UFX. He comes from an athletic background, and turned down several scholarships to play basketball at the collegiate level to instead focus on acting.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alterbeat.com/oneofus-blog/naren-weiss|title=Acting like a Sport|accessdate=28 January 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://under25.club/acting-may-be-the-greatest-sport-of-all-naren-weiss/|title=Acting May Be The Greatest Sport of All|accessdate=28 January 2017}}</ref>

== Career == Naren Weiss began his career onstage in Chennai, acting and writing in plays for The Little Theatre, the Stray Factory, and The Hindu Metroplus Theater Fest. He found success as a young stage actor and received visibility from the Indian media, being called "enchantingly scraggly and gloriously flamboyant" (''The Hindu'') and "annoying perfection" (''The New Indian Express'').<ref name="The New Indian Express">{{cite web|url=http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article1384966.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203005044/http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article1384966.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 December 2013|title=Musketeers in the city|publisher=The New Indian Express|accessdate=2013-11-24}}</ref><ref name="Ultimate Aberration">{{cite web|url=http://venaied.blogspot.com/2010/11/great-indian-blogologues-digitally.html|title=The Great Indian Blogologues|accessdate=24 November 2013}}</ref>

He had a small role in ''Good Night Good Morning'', notably played Osama bin Laden in ''Vishwaroopam'', and had an unsuccessful audition run for the title role in ''Life of Pi''. He played a separate character named Pi years later in the Chinese film ''Love is a Broadway Hit'' directed by Peter Lee, a long-time friend and associate of ''Life of Pi'' director Ang Lee.<ref name="Deccan Chronicle">{{cite web|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/kollywood/220617/shuttling-between-worlds.html|title=Shuttling between worlds|date=20 June 2017|access-date=22 June 2017}}</ref>

He acted in the United States in 2014 in New York City. His performance as an Israeli immigrant in Meron Langsner's ''[https://www.nextstagepress.com/over-here/ Over Here]''<ref>{{cite web | url=https://newplayexchange.org/plays/3749/over-here | title=Over Here &#124; New Play Exchange }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://tuftsdaily.com/arts/2014/09/18/explores-friendship-911-conflict-middle-east/ | title='Over Here' explores friendship after 9/11, conflict in the Middle East }}</ref> was successful, and he had other roles at the Geffen Playhouse, Kennedy Center, Off-Broadway, and guest roles on American television shows such as ''Elementary'', ''The Brave'', ''Broad City'' and others.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/30/theater/singing-beach-review-tina-howe.html|title=Tina Howe's Singing Beach|date=July 30, 2017|accessdate=March 5, 2018|newspaper=The New York Times|last1=Soloski|first1=Alexis}}</ref> For his work on ''The Brave'', NBC submitted him for consideration in the Outstanding Guest Actor category for the 2018 Primetime Emmy Awards, although he did not receive a nomination.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thetealmango.com/entertainment/all-the-south-asian-talent-eligible-for-the-2018-emmy-nominations/|title=South Asian Talent Eligible for the 2018 Emmy Nominations|date=June 13, 2018|accessdate=August 3, 2018}}</ref>

He is one among a small number of playwrights from the Indian subcontinent writing in English,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.edexlive.com/home/2019/may/28/with-his-book-god-is-dead-this-talented-actor-has-also-proven-his-mettle-as-an-author-6296.html|title=With his book 'God is Dead', this talented actor has also proven his mettle as an author|date=May 28, 2019|accessdate=November 11, 2020}}</ref> and has had his work performed around the world; including at the prestigious Hindu Metroplus Theater Festival, National Arts Festival, Hollywood Fringe Festival, Alliance Francaise of Singapore, various global Short+Sweet Festivals, and across India.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.geffenplayhouse.org/people/naren-weiss/|title=Geffen Playhouse People|accessdate=November 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/1650?tab=press|title=The Abridged History of Modern Day India|accessdate=November 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/theatre/exploring-the-cliche/article4977667.ece|title=Exploring the Cliche|website=The Hindu |date=August 1, 2013|accessdate=November 11, 2020}}</ref>

His book ''Deepak and Raj: Two Indian Plays'' reached #1 on Amazon's playwriting list in 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/new-releases/digital-text/154712011/ref=zg_b_hnr_154712011_1|title=Amazon Hot New Releases|website=Amazon |date=June 27, 2020|accessdate=June 27, 2020}}</ref>

==Personal life== Naren Weiss speaks multiple languages, and was a translator for ''Madam Secretary''. He also taught playwriting at The City College of New York.

==Books== *''God is Dead: Ten Short Plays and Stories'' (2019) - contains the piece ''Maya from Madurai'' *''Deepak and Raj: Two Indian Plays'' (2020) *''A Halfway Celebrity Actor Without a Home: Some Poems'' (2021) - illustrations by Ujwal Nair *''A Marginally Better Place: Performance Manuscripts'' (2021) *''Something More than Broken Love'' (2021) - poetry, with illustrations by Ujwal Nair

==References== {{reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Weiss, Naren}} Category:Living people Category:1991 births Category:Writers from Houston Category:American male stage actors Category:American male models of Indian descent Category:American male actors of Indian descent Category:American male writers of Indian descent Category:American dramatists and playwrights of Indian descent Category:People from Houston County, Texas Category:Brooklyn College alumni Category:Madras Christian College alumni