CBS Picks up ‘Ghosts,’ a Single-Camera Comedy Starring Utkarsh Ambudkar and Rose McIver
- In the series based on the British version of the same name, the Indian American actor plays a thoroughly modern dude with a love of nerdom.
CBS has picked up “Ghosts,” its single-camera comedy pilot headlined by Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar. Written by Joe Port and Joe Wiseman, and based on the British series of the same name, “Ghosts” follows a young couple, Samantha (McIver) and Ryan (Ambudkar), “whose dreams come true when they inherit a beautiful country house, only to find it’s both falling apart and inhabited by many of the deceased previous residents,” according to a synopsis. Deadline says “Ambudkar’s Ryan, Sam’s husband, is a thoroughly modern dude with a love of nerdom and a talented chef.” The “Ghosts” pilot, greenlighted in February 2020, but delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, was shot in December.
Ambudkar was most recently seen in a starring role in the comedy feature “Brittany Runs a Marathon,” directed by Paul Downs Colaizzo. He also joined the second season of Mindy Kaling’s “Never Have I Ever” in a recurring role. Known for his roles on “The Mindy Project” and ABC’s “The Muppets” series, Ambudkar was also seen in “Pitch Perfect.” The Baltimore native began his career in the arts as a VJ on MTV Desi. On “The Mindy Project,” Ambudkar played Mindy Kaling’s brother. On the Showtime comedy “White Famous,” he was the agent with pinball energy propelling Jay Pharoah’s up-and-coming comic. In “Barbershop: The Next Cut,” he was a light-touch quick-wit barber, and in “Pitch Perfect,” he beatboxed and rapped.
His feature credits include “The Broken Hearts Gallery,” opposite Australian actress Geraldine Viswanathan; “We Are Freestyle Love Supreme,” and Disney’s live-action “Mulan,”where he plays the con-artist Skatch. He will also play a part in“Marry Me,” starring Jennifer Lopez as a pop superstar jilted at the altar.
At the Academy Awards last year, Ambudkar, also a rapper, gave a nod to his roots, as he joined Questlove for a performance recapping the show. And according to reactions on social media and news reports then, Ambudkar impressed many with his “half-time report,” although several weren’t aware of his body of work. Last year, Ambudkar released two albums, “Vanity and Petty,” as well as “EP Members Only” under the rap moniker UTK the INC. “It’s weird when I’m rapping under the guise of entertainment, but what I’m really doing is just unmasking and being really raw,” he told the New York Times in a 2019 interview. “I’ve been doing this 15 years, but in those moments I think, ‘I seek out new experiences, and I’m about to have one.’”Ambudkar is also a member of Freestyle Love Supreme, an improv-rap troupe started by Lin-Manuel Miranda with Thomas Kail and Anthony Veneziale.