From actor to director, Utkarsh Ambudkar of ‘Ghosts’ knows his worth

Ambudkar plays Jay Arondekar on Ghosts, a character whose wife inherits a mansion in Ulster County in New York, only to find upon moving in—and after his wife has a near-death experience—that the manor is crawling with ghosts from different eras of American history, each finding their way through the afterlife. The fan favorite sitcom has been airing on CBS since 2021, adapted from the BBC show of the same name, and is currently in its fifth season with a renewal for season six already on the books. 

While there was an element of surprise for Ambudkar when it came to his own career trajectory, it was never surprising to him that Ghosts became a show that captured the hearts of viewers. “I think Ghosts is one of the first kinds of shows that popped up after the pandemic where everybody sits and watches together and it doesn’t feel like they're being talked down to,” the actor says. Some may say it’s a long cry from the prestige television that gathers awards and accolades, but that’s actually a major part of why Ambudkar loves it. “When you go to Golden Globes or something like that, there's a Hollywood vibe that sometimes sees the sitcom as less than it really is,” he says. “But when I go to the airport, the grocery store, walk around my neighborhood—it’s clear that the community out there really loves us. We’re the people’s show.”

After five seasons, Ambudkar is stepping into a new role on Ghosts: director. “I watched my co-star Rose McIver (who plays his wife, Samantha) direct last season and was really inspired by her creativity and just her general ease and comfort in the role. I was also really emboldened by how much our crew on the show supports us, and I wanted a chance to do something new,” he shares about this new experience. Surprisingly, the episode Ambudkar directed is actually one that prominently features Jay, and airs Thursday. “I had to act in almost every scene that I directed, which I'm sure wasn't the goal of anyone involved for a first time director,” he admits.

From left, Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar as Samantha and Jay Arondekar.

CBS Entertainment

While it may have been difficult from the start, Ambudkar fell into directing seamlessly, likely thanks to his collaborative nature. “I didn’t want to impose anything as a director,” he says of his approach to the role. “‘What do you love doing? What questions do you want to be asking? I’ll support you.’ Having that conversation from the top down with every actor and every person in the crew was my goal.”

Being a multi-hyphenate has always come naturally to Ambudkar, stemming from the fact that he was used to creating opportunities for himself in an industry where they didn’t exist to begin with. “There was a time where, frankly, there were no opportunities that I wanted to pursue as a South Asian in Hollywood. So since I was 19, I've generated my own material, whether it's poetry, music, animation, scripts, comedy, standup. I’ve tried my hand at it all.” Now, at 42 years old, he has experience and credits in a little bit of everything.

Ask anyone where they’ve seen Ambudkar before and you could get a different answer every time. Some probably remember him from his role as Donald in Pitch Perfect (which he landed because he could beatbox), while others would mention the time he played Mindy Kaling’s younger brother in The Mindy Project (Kaling cast him after seeing him in Pitch Perfect). Older 90s kids might remember him as a VJ on the now defunct MTV Desi. If you’re more tuned in to the music or theater world, you might have seen him in the improvisational hip-hop group Freestyle Love Supreme, which he joined in 2005 alongside Broadway legends Lin Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs, and Christopher Jackson. You might have even heard his voice on the original Hamilton Mixtape as the originator of the role of Aaron Burr in Broadway’s Hamilton. Parents of young children could potentially recognize his voice from his role as Chikku in the Disney Jr. animated series Mira, Royal Detective. And comics lovers might have seen his comic book series The Guy in the Chair on bookstore shelves.

Utkarsh Ambudkar (left) as Jay Arondekar in the latest episode of "Ghosts."

CBS Entertainment

At the core of it all sits an artist who refuses to be put into the boxes that the industry often demands, especially for South Asian American creators. “The biggest issue with monetizing art is the desire to categorize and stereotype. Who are you? Are you comedic? Are you serious? If you've made us laugh once, then you can't make us cry. How do we conveniently place you,” Ambudkar explains. “I've never been able to do that to myself, and I've tried.” After being a part of the entertainment world for more than 20 years, he’s experienced all the ebbs and flows of acceptance and rejection, and the ways his professional environment mirrors the American political landscape.

“There was a moment where it was really sexy to love diversity in Hollywood, we had a good five years when people actually wanted to work with us,” he reminisces. “Then the pandemic happened, there were two strikes, and Hollywood got scared and homogenized all over again. It's become a hard shift back to conservative, where there is one type of person running the industry and being represented. It’s a blessing that I'm on Ghosts, because I don't know that I would be given an opportunity like that in today's climate.”

Two decades later, Ambudkar knows what he’s worth, and suggests the rest of us figure it out, too. ”Your value is not in a casting office. Your value is not in a headshot. Your value is not in an audition,” he says. “You are valuable without any of these people. Knowing this is a strength that will draw people closer to you. Just make sure when they come closer, you have something to offer.”