A veteran actor of Indian descent, Erick Avari specializes in portraying characters of many different nationalities. Born in Darjeeling, India, his father ran two local movie theaters, and his great-grandfather was a pioneer of Indian cinema. Avari earned his first credit as a teenager in the Satyajit Ray film "Kanchenjungha." Once in the United States, he established himself as a talented theater actor and began appearing in small film roles in the 1980s. He made more regular TV appearances in the '90s on shows like "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and an episode of "Seinfeld." He played the Pakistani Ambassador on "The West Wing," and in 1998, he began a three-episode stint on the sci-fi series "Stargate SG-1." His film roles also increased in stature, including a part in the adventure fantasy "The Mummy." Other recurring roles on TV have included a part on "L.A. Dragnet" and a role as Chandra Suresh on the popular cult show "Heroes." In 2009, he appeared as the character Omar on nine episodes of the long-running daytime soap "Days of Our Lives."