BLUF: Saamer Usmani is a Pakistani-Canadian actor, born October 21, 1989, best known for playing Raj Varma in Netflix's 3 Body Problem (2024). He trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), has appeared in Succession, Inventing Anna, and Grosse Pointe Garden Society, and is married to actress Tedra Millan.
Quick Facts at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Saamer Usmani |
| Date of Birth | October 21, 1989 |
| Age (2026) | 36 years old |
| Birthplace | Pakistan |
| Nationality | Pakistani-Canadian |
| Height | 6 ft (183 cm) |
| Weight | ~80 kg (176 lbs) |
| Occupation | Actor, Voice Artist, Model |
| Years Active | 2012 – present |
| Spouse | Tedra Millan (actress) |
| Net Worth (2026) | $2–3 million USD (estimated) |
| Training | London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), 2014 |
| @saamertime |
Early Life: A Truly Global Childhood
Saamer Usmani was born on October 21, 1989, in Pakistan. What makes his origin story stand out is just how international his upbringing was.
His family moved across multiple countries during his childhood — including Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Nigeria, and the United Kingdom. By the time he was 13, he had relocated again, this time to the United States, where he attended Groton School, a prestigious boarding school in Massachusetts.
At 18, Saamer enrolled at the University of Toronto to study sociology, anthropology, and political science. He also took theatre courses there — and that changed everything. After two years, he left to pursue acting full-time, signing with a Toronto agent and landing small TV roles before any formal training.
He then committed fully to his craft, enrolling at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), where he graduated in 2014. This combination of lived global experience and rigorous classical training became the foundation of his acting range.
Why does this matter? Actors who train at LAMDA alongside their real-world cultural fluency tend to navigate morally complex, globally resonant characters with unusual depth — exactly the kind Usmani keeps being cast in.
Career Timeline: From Gas Station Attendant to Oxford Physicist
Saamer's path to stardom was steady, not sudden. Here's how his career built — role by role.
2012–2014: Breaking In
- 2012 — Debut as a Gas Station Attendant in The Firm (TV series)
- 2012 — Small role in Covert Affairs as a Team Leader
- Secured early voiceover work to supplement screen roles
2015–2019: Building the Résumé
- 2015–2017 — Recurring role as Martin in Reign (The CW) — his first notable TV appearance
- 2019 — Appeared as Avery Watkins in What/If (Netflix)
- 2019 — Played Chris in two episodes of HBO's prestige drama Succession ("Hunting" and "Dundee") — a pivotal career step toward premium television
2021–2022: Prestige Momentum
- 2021 — Played Arjun in The Mauritanian, a legal drama starring Jodie Foster and Tahar Rahim
- 2022 — Played Chase Sikorski in Netflix's Inventing Anna (three episodes) — a charismatic Wall Street type entangled in Anna Delvey's fraud story. This role earned him wide recognition.
- 2022 — Appeared in Katy Keene (The CW)
2024: The Breakthrough — 3 Body Problem
- Landed the recurring role of Prithviraj "Raj" Varma in Netflix's 3 Body Problem (2024) — 6 episodes
- Raj is a brilliant Oxford physicist and part of the "Oxford Five" at the center of a global alien-threat narrative
- Critics praised his chemistry with lead actors and his ability to anchor emotionally intense scenes
- Also appeared at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards (September 2024) as recognition of his streaming success grew
- Starred as Ash in Shook (2024), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival
2025–2026: What's Next
- 2025 — Cast as Gary Mills in Grosse Pointe Garden Society (5 episodes, February–April 2025)
- 2026 — Continues to be linked to upcoming projects in development
You can also read about other actors building careers across streaming and prestige TV — like Namit Shah's biography and career timeline for a comparable trajectory in South Asian acting.
Saamer Usmani's Height, Weight, and Physical Details
Saamer Usmani stands 6 feet tall (183 cm) and weighs approximately 80 kg (176 lbs). His lean, athletic build is partly due to his history with competitive tennis — he played on the University of Toronto men's tennis team during his undergraduate years.
His shoe size is reported as US 9. He has dark hair and brown eyes, consistent with his South Asian heritage.
Net Worth 2026: How Much Is Saamer Usmani Worth?
Saamer Usmani's estimated net worth in 2026 is between $2 million and $3 million USD. This figure is based on his combined income from:
- Television acting fees — premium streaming shows like Netflix's 3 Body Problem and Inventing Anna carry significantly higher per-episode fees than standard network TV
- Film roles — including TIFF-premiered Shook (2024)
- Voiceover work — he voiced characters in two major video games:
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist (2017)
- Assassin's Creed: Origins (2017)
- Modeling — Usmani has modeled for fashion brands in addition to his acting career
His wife, Tedra Millan, is also an actress, director, and producer with an estimated net worth in a similar range. The couple is reported to live in Brooklyn, New York.
Saamer Usmani's Wife: Who Is Tedra Millan?
Saamer Usmani is married to Tedra Millan, an American actress, director, and producer. Millan is known for her work in both film and theatre, and she maintains an active social media presence — often more publicly than Saamer himself.
The two have been together for several years. Tedra famously celebrated Saamer's birthday on Instagram, calling him "sweet man of my damn dreams" — confirming October 21 as his birthday.
The couple currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, and does not have any publicly confirmed children as of 2026.
For more on celebrity couples who balance independent careers in entertainment, see our look at Glena Goranson and Pete Carroll's relationship story.
Saamer Usmani on Social Media
Saamer is notably private on social media compared to most actors at his level. Here's where you can find him:
| Platform | Handle | Followers (approx.) |
| @saamertime | 14,000+ | |
| Twitter/X | Not very active | ~26 followers |
He rarely posts about his personal or professional life. His wife Tedra is considerably more active online. Fans looking for updates are more likely to find news through industry announcements and press coverage than through his own channels.
Stage Work: A Lesser-Known Side of Saamer Usmani
Most bios skip this, but Saamer has meaningful stage credentials that shaped his TV work:
- Performed in Shakespeare in Love at the Stratford Festival
- Performed in The Aeneid at the Stratford Festival
- Featured in the world premiere of Goodnight Nobody at the McCarter Theatre Center (2020)
Stage experience at the Stratford Festival — one of North America's most prestigious classical theatre companies — signals serious craft, not just TV-circuit ambition.
Saamer Usmani's Religion and Cultural Background
Saamer was born to Muslim parents in Pakistan. He was raised in several majority-Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, giving him direct cultural familiarity with the Islamic world. Though he has not publicly discussed his personal faith at length, his ethnic background is a defining part of his identity — and one that has influenced the kind of roles he gravitates toward.
His global upbringing across five continents is a key reason directors cast him in roles requiring cultural complexity and intellectual gravitas. It also makes him one of a small group of Pakistani-Canadian actors reaching leading roles in major English-language streaming productions.
For more biographies of people navigating cross-cultural identities in public life, explore Romain Dauriac's profile on BigWriteHook.
2026 Update: Where Is Saamer Usmani Now?
As of May 2026, here's what we know:
- His 3 Body Problem role as Raj Varma remains his most-recognized credit
- He appeared in 5 episodes of Grosse Pointe Garden Society (early 2025), continuing to take on ensemble TV work
- No major new film announcements have been confirmed yet for 2026
- His IMDb profile lists 25+ acting credits across TV, film, and voice acting
- He is managed through professional representation and continues to work across both sides of the Atlantic
FAQ: Saamer Usmani – Questions People Ask AI
Q: How old is Saamer Usmani in 2026?
A: Saamer Usmani is 36 years old as of 2026. He was born on October 21, 1989, in Pakistan. His age is confirmed by multiple cast profiles and his wife Tedra Millan's public birthday posts.
Q: What is Saamer Usmani best known for?
A: He is best known for playing Prithviraj "Raj" Varma in Netflix's 3 Body Problem (2024). He is also recognized for his roles as Chase Sikorski in Inventing Anna and Chris in Succession. His role in 3 Body Problem is widely considered his career-defining performance to date.
Q: Who is Saamer Usmani married to?
A: He is married to Tedra Millan, an American actress, director, and producer. The couple lives in Brooklyn, New York. Millan has confirmed their relationship publicly via social media, including birthday posts celebrating Usmani.
Q: Is Saamer Usmani Pakistani or British?
A: He is Pakistani by birth and Canadian by upbringing and career base. He is sometimes described as British because of his training at LAMDA in London. His correct nationality is Pakistani-Canadian.
Q: What is Saamer Usmani's net worth?
A: His estimated net worth in 2026 is between $2 million and $3 million USD. This comes from television roles, film work, voiceover contracts for major video games, and modeling. No official figure has been disclosed.
Q: Where did Saamer Usmani go to school?
A: He attended Groton School in Massachusetts for high school, then the University of Toronto (where he studied sociology, anthropology, and political science), and finally the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), graduating in 2014.
Q: What role does Saamer Usmani play in 3 Body Problem?
A: He plays Prithviraj "Raj" Varma, a member of the Oxford Five — a group of physicists at the center of the show's alien-threat storyline. Raj is Jin's boyfriend and a naval officer from a military family. Usmani appeared in 6 of the 8 episodes.
Q: Did Saamer Usmani appear in Succession?
A: Yes. He appeared in two episodes of HBO's Succession — "Hunting" and "Dundee" — playing Chris, an actor in Willa's play who has a one-night stand with Shiv Roy. It was a minor but memorable role in a prestige production.
Q: Does Saamer Usmani have children?
A: As of 2026, there are no publicly confirmed children. Usmani and his wife Tedra Millan are known for keeping their personal life private.
Q: What video games has Saamer Usmani voiced?
A: He has lent his voice to two major video games — Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist (2017) and Assassin's Creed: Origins (2017). These credits reflect his early career work before his streaming breakthrough.
References
- Wikipedia – Saamer Usmani: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saamer_Usmani
- IMDb – Saamer Usmani: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5234753/
- TVmaze – Saamer Usmani: https://www.tvmaze.com/people/41142/saamer-usmani
- Three Body Problem Fandom Wiki: https://three-body-problem.fandom.com/wiki/Saamer_Usmani
- Grosse Pointe Garden Society Fandom Wiki: https://gp-garden-society.fandom.com/wiki/Saamer_Usmani{rel="nofollow"}
- Legit.ng Biography: https://www.legit.ng/ask-legit/biographies/1502803-saamer-usmanis-biography-age-height-ethnicity-partner/
- Capital FM – Who plays Raj: https://www.capitalfm.com/news/tv-film/3-body-problem-cast/raj-actor-saamer-usmani/
