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Rizwan Manji

Canadian actor From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rizwan Manji
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Rizwan Manji (born October 17, 1974) is a Canadian actor, voice artist, ventriloquist, and comedian . He portrayed Ray Butani on Schitt's Creek, Tick Pickwick on The Magicians, Rajiv Gidwani in the NBC sitcom Outsourced, and Jamil in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) television series Peacemaker (2022–present).[1]

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Early life

Manji was born in Toronto, Ontario, to Indian parents who emigrated from Tanzania.[2] His family is Ismaili-Muslim of Gujarati Indian descent,[3] and he has said that his religion is very important to him.[4] When Manji was in grade one, he and his family moved to Calgary, Alberta, where he was raised.[5] He graduated from Crescent Heights High School.[1][6]

Manji's parents wanted him to go to university to earn a degree, but he wanted to be an actor.[7] He attended the University of Alberta, where his sister Rishma was enrolled.[7] The only class he enjoyed there was drama.[8] In 1992, Manji enrolled at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City.[9]

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Career

During the early years of Manji's career, he played small parts in various films and television shows, with recurring roles in Privileged, Better Off Ted and 24.[1]

From 2010 to 2011, Manji played Rajiv Gidwani on the NBC comedy Outsourced. He initially auditioned for the role of Gupta;[1] Parvesh Cheena got the part, but the producers cast Manji as the scheming assistant manager Rajiv.[10][11]

Manji played Ray Butani on the CBC comedy Schitt's Creek from 2015 to 2020, for which he was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award.[12]

He also appeared in seasons 2–5 of The Magicians, a fantasy television series on SyFy.

In 2019, he starred in the NBC comedy Perfect Harmony as Reverend Jax, a missionary who runs a church. The show, which starred Bradley Whitford, was cancelled after one season.

Manji has also appeared in a GEICO commercial as a customer in the checkout aisle who wins the "auction,"[13][14] and in commercials for Kmart, LendingTree, National Car Rental, The UPS Store,[14] and Beyond Meat.

Manji co-hosts a podcast titled The Brighter Side of News.[15]

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Personal life

Manji lives in Studio City, California, with his wife and three children.[1][16] He has spoken openly about issues facing South Asian and Muslim actors in Hollywood.[17]

Filmography

Film

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Television

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References

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