Californian born actor, writer and human rights activist, Kausar Mohammaed, has over the years proven herself to be a connoisseur of the arts. A Hollywood star and inspiring public figure, the actor is quickly making a name for herself as she continues to elevate and drive the current representation of Brown and LGBQT+ people within the entertainment industry. Establishing a love for film and writing at the young age of 12, the creative has, over a course of two decades, built a palace of honourable fame.
Cultivating a space for Brown and marginalised communities to flourish within the entertainment industry, the writer continues to serve as a key asset to the future of Hollywood movies. A CW series star, panel host and co-founder of racial and gender equality group SHIFT, Kausar is forever creating and exploring ways to expand the current structure of the TV and film industry. With a flair for compelling storytelling and a hunger to showcase and drive diversity and inclusion with every project she works on, Kausar is rapidly becoming a voice of a new generation.
Creating a kinship between herself and her widely spread audience, the actor is lauded for her performances in The CW series THE FLASH, the animated series JURASSIC WORLD: CAMP CRETACEOUS, and her most recent role in the new Hulu original horror-comedy short film APPENDAGE. Currently reaching an exciting turning point in her career, Kausar speaks to Wonderland about her most recent role in THE FLASH, what movies inspired her to take the leap into acting, Muslim representation across the film industry, and the perils of being a green energy-booster smoothie girlie.
Watch APPENDAGE…
Read the interview below…
Hey Kausar! How are you today?
I am rolling, taking in this stormy LA weather, but I’m here for it. Here for the cosy vibes and honestly, I’ll take any reason to keep a blanket around my shoulders all day.
What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
I’m a green/protein smoothie girl, through and through. Need it in the mornings after I work out or I will get HANGRY.
Were there any films or TV shows that you watched growing up that inspired you to take up acting?
So of course, watching Bollywood is a natural part of many South Asian folks’ households! I remember how fun they were, how they cut to the heartstrings, and the messages they had. I mean to me; Shah Rukh Khan was – and is – king! And then as I got older, The Office continues to be a show of excellence to me – just so so so funny with these big, grounded characters. I love that cast and it’s still one of my favourite shows.
You started TV hosting at 12 years old. What did that teach you?
Yes! I was doing TV hosting with a local news station, India Waves Television. My best friend and I at the time were taking part of their local dance competition and then were invited to join their “Youth Wing” that would go to community events and local screenings at theatres for coverage. At that young age, the amount of creative independence they gave us was incredible, we’d show up with cameras and an assignment but would have a lot of creative liberty to get it done in whatever way we wanted. It taught me behind the camera the aspects of things, thinking on your feet, and how when you’re doing things with friends it doesn’t have to feel like work.
One of your most notable roles is Dr. Meena Dhawan (Fast Track) on The CW’s show THE FLASH. What an incredible role, on a huge network! What was the experience like when it came out?
It was such a fun experience to be able to play a superhero in that regard. When I first booked the role and got to speak to showrunner Eric Wallace about it, he was so collaborative, open, and excited to bring Meena to screen that it made the whole introduction to the process incredibly rewarding. The whole cast was lovely as well. My character in the show asks Barry Allen, played by Grant Gustin, to be my “mentor” as I acclimate to my new superpowers. Sure, enough in real life I was so appreciative of Grant being like, speedsters slide like this, land like that. He really helped me out with acting like a speedster (that’s the name for the type of powers our characters had!) All the stunts and VFX stuff were new to me but looking back it sparked something in me about wanting to take on more physical roles.
What can you tell us about your role in the horror Appendage?
APPENDAGE is the story of a young fashion designer whose anxiety physically manifests. I play Esther, best friend to our main character Hannah (played by Hadley Robinson) and what I love about the film is that it really centres this best friendship between two women and lets that be the driving force, rather than the usual hetero love interest we see! Which has its place – but for me – my friends are everything. I would go to BAT for them (and more), so I was super excited to join the film and help bring that dynamic to life. Our brilliant director Anna Zlokovic has described our characters’ friendship as the heartbeat of the film. And we get to see that amongst some really powerful themes of exploring the literal horrors of anxiety. Also it has its funny moments too – we love horror comedy! It’s going to be on Hulu this Fall so check it out!
You’re also a part of The Get Brown, a South Asian sketch comedy troupe. How did that come about?
We are an all-South Asian sketch comedy team. But by this point, they’re pretty much family. It’s a group of six of us.While at Upright Citizen’s Brigade theatre, we were all used to separately being the only South Asians in the room, so we, in a sense, banded together and started creating our own recurring monthly show back in 2017. There was something so special about being in a group where – I didn’t have to explain the Ramadan joke I pitched. They just got it. And with us having that commonality, we were able to make really great comedies that applied universally. People really resonated with it. Now, we are currently pitching TV/Film projects together. So, keep an eye out for more of that!
How do you feel about Muslim reputation in the industry? Do you feel like it has progressed — or it’s still stagnant in ways?
I think Muslim representation has come far in the industry (thanks to the dedicated work of a lot of community organisers and artists) but we still have a while to go. To give an idea of it, Muslims make up 25% of the global population. But a study from the Pillars Fund, Riz Ahmed’s Left Handed Films and USC Annenberg, found that out of 8,885 TV characters studied, only 1% of them were Muslim. Stereotypically roles of Muslim have been seen as the terrorists or the “disempowered woman”, but our communities are so much more diverse than that! In fact, in America Muslims are the most diverse religion in America in terms of ethnicity. So, there will never be enough Muslim stories for me – I want the stories of our Black Muslim, Trans Muslim, Disabled Muslim stories. After centuries of not having our stories on screen in Hollywood, I want centuries of us centering these stories and celebrating the intersectionality of our community.
Do you find yourself wanting to be a part of that change?
Yes. It’s why I do what I do. When I create or show up in a role, I want people to know I’m Muslim but just see me as human. I feel like that’s my role as an artist, actor, writer – making people see me as human. Which might sound simple, but when you’re a part of a historically marginalised group, to be seen as human is revolutionary.
Lastly, what’s next for you? How do you see the evolution of your artistry?
These past couple years have really given me the opportunity to come back to myself as a writer – starting with THE SYED FAMILY XMAS EVE GAME NIGHT which world premiered at TIFF 2021. I’m currently in development with other various projects – I like horror and comedy (surprise) and everywhere the genre falls in between. So, I’m excited to see the ways in which these projects come to life – which should, inshallah, all be happening soon. Down the line, I will create my own production company to support other BIPOC, queer, Muslim, and filmmakers in getting their stories out to the world. I want to see our stories EVERYWHERE, unapologetically, and all over screens. Keep in touch! I’m @kausartheperson.
