The Unlikely Ghost Whisperer: Utkarsh Ambudkar’s Remarkable Rise in Hollywood as Network TV Mainstay

When Utkarsh Ambudkar steps onto the set of CBS’ hit comedy “Ghosts” for its fifth season this fall, it will mark yet another milestone in a career that defied conventional Hollywood trajectories. As Jay Arondekar—the level-headed husband who can’t see the spirits his wife Sam (Rose McIver) interacts with daily—Ambudkar has found his most prominent and stable role to date, an achievement that comes after years of navigating an industry not always sure what to do with his talents.

“Playing Jay has been my biggest achievement yet,” Ambudkar confesses in a 2023 Deadline interview. The role showcases his comedic timing while allowing him to serve as the audience’s surrogate in a supernatural sitcom that has become one of network television’s most reliable hits in an era where broadcast comedy successes are increasingly rare.

Finding His Voice in Maryland

The son of Indian immigrants, Ambudkar grew up in Maryland during the 1980s and 90s when, as he puts it, South Asians were “still very much a new ethnicity to America.” Finding his place meant leaning into entertainment.

“I had to find a way to fit in. One way was to entertain my friends,” he recalls. His home life was steeped in pop culture—everything from American records to Bollywood films—creating a perfect incubator for his developing talents.

By high school, Ambudkar was already showing the dual passions that would define his career. At Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland, he threw himself into Shakespeare productions while simultaneously falling in love with what he calls “the second golden age of rap,” immersing himself in the music of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Tupac, and The Notorious B.I.G.

“I would get such a rush off of [performing],” he remembers of his high school theater days, where he would sometimes spontaneously improvise and add monologues during performances. “The audience would love it.”

The NYU Years

After high school, Ambudkar attended New York University’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, but quickly discovered the program wasn’t entirely prepared for someone with his background.

“They still didn’t really know what to do with an Indian, if I’m being honest,” he says. While studying acting formally, he simultaneously dove deeper into New York’s vibrant hip-hop scene, performing at open mics in the East Village and joining freestyle cyphers throughout the city.

It was during this period that Ambudkar’s path intersected with what would become one of musical theater’s most influential creative teams. He began assistant directing at the Hip Hop Theater Festival, where he encountered future theatrical luminaries including Tommy Kail, Christopher Jackson, and a young composer named Lin-Manuel Miranda.

“Little did I know that I’m walking into a room with [people who would go on to win] Tonys, Grammys, Oscar nominations, and Emmys,” Ambudkar marvels.

Pitch Perfect and Beyond

Ambudkar’s first major screen breakthrough came when he was cast as Donald in 2012’s surprise hit musical comedy “Pitch Perfect.” The role showcased both his acting and vocal abilities, establishing him as a versatile performer in a film that would go on to launch a franchise.

“I end up being featured on every song as a vocalist, which for a first movie or a second movie is pretty freaking cool,” he notes in the Deadline interview.

That exposure led directly to television work when Mindy Kaling, after seeing “Pitch Perfect,” cast him as her character’s brother Rishi in “The Mindy Project.”

“Mindy kind of broke me into television,” Ambudkar acknowledges gratefully.

Through the 2010s, Ambudkar steadily built his resume with roles in films like “Barbershop: The Next Cut,” “Blindspotting,” and Disney’s live-action “Mulan” (The Hollywood Reporter, 2020). He also maintained his connection to Miranda’s creative circle, becoming a regular performer with the improvisational hip-hop group Freestyle Love Supreme.

The Hamilton Detour

Despite his rising profile, Ambudkar is remarkably candid about a career-defining misstep. Few outside theater circles know that Miranda originally wrote the role of Aaron Burr in “Hamilton” with Ambudkar in mind. He played the character in early workshops before personal struggles intervened.

“My mistakes have been huge,” Ambudkar admits in the Deadline interview. “Lin put it in my hands and I let go of it.” The role ultimately went to Leslie Odom Jr., who would win a Tony Award for his performance.

Ambudkar, now sober for over nine years, views this chapter with hard-earned perspective: “They loved me enough until I could love myself, and that’s really special.”

Ambudkar has spoken about his sobriety journey in other interviews as well, telling Entertainment Weekly in 2022 that getting sober was “the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.”

Finding His Place on “Ghosts”

When “Ghosts” premiered in October 2021, it arrived with little fanfare but quickly developed into a word-of-mouth success. Adapted from the BBC series of the same name, the show follows a couple who inherits a mansion populated by ghosts from different historical periods (Variety, 2021).

The show’s premise could have positioned Jay as the skeptical husband who doubts his wife’s supernatural encounters. Instead, the writers made the inspired choice to have Jay fully believe Sam’s ability to see ghosts, despite not sharing it himself.

“What can you do with a character if he doesn’t believe his wife? He’s just always the antagonist and then the audience is like, ‘F*ck that guy,'” Ambudkar explains in the Deadline interview. “Now, he’s either along for the adventure and pushing the adventure forward. Jay is sort of the glue guy.”

This approach has made Jay an essential part of what makes “Ghosts” work. His character serves as both the audience surrogate and a vital component of the show’s emotional core.

“I’m there to facilitate, as much as I can, the ghosts’ stories and Sam’s story, and be the audience’s window into this world,” he says.

A Career in Full Bloom

As “Ghosts” prepares to enter its fifth season, Ambudkar’s career continues to diversify. In 2023, he appeared in the Disney+ musical film “World’s Best,” playing the deceased father of a math prodigy who aspires to become a rapper.

“It’s a family story about growth. I’m really proud of it,” he says of the project in the Deadline interview.

He’s also developed a reputation as a scene-stealing supporting player in projects like “Free Guy” opposite Ryan Reynolds and “Marry Me” with Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson (Variety, 2022).

But there’s one project from his filmography that Ambudkar wishes had received more attention—the 2019 indie film “Brittany Runs a Marathon,” in which he played Jern, the love interest to Jillian Bell’s title character.

“It’s such a feel-good movie,” he enthuses in the interview. “In the way that people respond to ‘Ghosts,’ I think the same people would love ‘Brittany Runs a Marathon.'”

Looking Ahead

With “Ghosts” showing no signs of slowing down—its fourth season finale left fans with a cliffhanger about which spirit might be “sucked off” to the afterlife (Entertainment Weekly, 2025)—Ambudkar has found something increasingly rare in modern entertainment: stability.

“I’m married with two kids and one on the way. My priorities are different,” he reflects in the Deadline interview, suggesting that the series’ success has aligned perfectly with his current life stage.

As the show heads into its fifth season this fall, speculation runs high about which ghostly resident might depart the mansion. “Anytime you lose a character, it feels like you’re losing a family member,” Ambudkar says. “I don’t know who’s getting sucked off. I really hope it’s not one of our main ghosts.”

Whether comedic rapper, scene-stealing supporting player, or network television star, Ambudkar has carved out a unique space in an industry that initially struggled to categorize him. Now, as “Ghosts” continues its successful run, he stands as a testament to perseverance, authenticity, and the power of finding the perfect role at the perfect time.

“When you see Rebecca Wisocky, Brandon Scott Jones and Devan Chandler Long,” Ambudkar says of his “Ghosts” castmates, “you’re like, ‘Oh!’ It was almost an immediate acceptance of like, ‘Wow, you’re here.’ It’s a successful show and these people are good and you found a spot to land.”

After years of searching, Utkarsh Ambudkar has finally found his haunt—and audiences couldn’t be happier.