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Iqbal Theba (pronounced IK-bal TAY-ba), born December 20, 1963, is a Pakistani-American actor. Theba is known for his recurring role as Principal Figgins on Glee.

Personal life[]

Theba was born (and raised in) Karachi, Pakistan[1] and he moved to the United States.[2] He attend the University of Oklahoma for engineering in 1981,[3] but dropped out to pursue an acting career in New York. He has a BS degree in Construction Engineering Management.[3] Theba returned to the University of Oklahoma to get a degree in acting in 1986.[3] He moved to Los Angeles, California in 1991 after obtaining the acting degree.[3]

He is married[4] and they have two children: a son[5] (b. 2002/2003)[6] and a daughter, Ranya (b. 2005/2006).[7][8]

Career[]

Theba became a familiar face in the 1990s when he appeared in various TV shows and commercials in the United States.

Theba's big break was a role on the NBC pilot Death and Taxes. The pilot was not picked up, but it led to a recurring role for Theba on The George Carlin Show. Theba also had brief recurring roles on Married... with Children and ER. His other credits include appearances in Nip/Tuck, Alias, Two and a Half Men, Roseanne, Kitchen Confidential, Chuck, JAG, Arrested Development, Children's Hospital, The West Wing, Sister Sister, Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, NCIS, Weeds and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Theba also appeared alongside future Glee co-star Mike O'Malley in an episode of the sitcom Yes, Dear.

Theba guest starred on NBC's Community and appears as Principal Figgins in the Fox television series Glee.

Filmography[]

Year Title Role Notes
1993 L.A. Law ("Vindaloo in the Villows")
Indecent Proposal Citizenship Student
1994 Mad About You Cabbie #1 ("The City")
The Innocent Doctor #2 TV movie
Living Single Pizza Man ("U.N.I.T.Y.")
The George Carlin Show Inzamamulhaq siddiqui / Cabbie (5 episodes)
1995 Dream On Rudy / Rudy The Newsstand Guy ("Tie Me Sister Lu Down, Sport" and "Try Not to Remember")
Charlie Grace Pakistani Clerk ("Pilot")
Abandoned and Deceived The Doctor TV movie
Seinfeld Cabbie ("The Jimmy" and uncredited)
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes Sri Lankan TV movie
Just Looking Veejay
Family Matters Zoohair Bhutto ("Odd Man In," "Fa La La La Laagghh!," and "Bugged"; 1995 - 1997)
Married with Children Iqbal (4 episodes)
1996 Roseanne Dr. Bakshi ("Roseambo" and "Hoi Polloi Meets Hoiti Toiti")
Driven Landlord
The Tomorrow Man FBI Examiner TV movie
Homeboys in Outer Space Habib ("There's No Space Like Home, or Return of the Jed Eye")
New York Daze The Cabbie ("Eric's Book")
Yesterday's Target Dr. Patel TV movie
Space: Above and Beyond General Siraj ("Sugar Dirt")
The Home Court Noel ("Mike Solomon: Unplugged")
Sister, Sister Mr. Solokian ("The Piano Lesson" and "The Volunteers")
Ned and Stacey Doctor ("Gut Feeling")
Can't Hurry Love Cabbie ("The Elizabeth Taylor Episode")
Sisters Orderly Valentine ("A Little Snag")
1997 Brooklyn South Omar Rashmid ("Love Hurts")
Blade Runner Moraji voice and video game
Everybody Loves Raymond Doctor Sundram ("Golf")
Total Security Sangarapillai ("The Never Bending Story")
Caroline in the City Koothrappally, the Cabbie ("Caroline and the Critics")
Ellen Dalai Rajhavaari ("Hello, Dalai")
ER Dr. Zagerby / Dr. Zogoiby (4 episodes; 1997 - 2001)
1998 Martial Law Raj Patel ("Trackdown")
King of the Hill Dr. Bhudamanjur ("Next of Shin" and voice)
Friends Joey's Doctor ("The One Hundredth")
BASEketball Factory Manager
Sour Grapes Dr. Alagappan
Fired Up Driver ("Fire and Nice")
JAG Johnny Marvel/Capt. Qamal Samad ("Wedding Bell Blues" and "Trojan Horse"; 1998/2004)
1999 Shasta McNasty Meb ("Adult Education")
Malcolm & Eddie Dr. Halim Sahir ("Worst Impressions")
2000 The Hughleys Clerk ("Oh Thank Heaven for Seven-Eleven")
Dancing at the Blue Iguana Clerk
The West Wing Indian Ambassador ("Lord John Marbury")
2001 The Tick Dry Cleaner ("The License")
The Agency ("Closure")
Yes, Dear Instructor ("The Ticket")
Judging Amy Mr. Pradip ("The Last Word")
Guardian Dr. Tuchman
The Huntress Edouard Barsamian ("Undercover")
2002 Alias General Arshad ("Passage: Part 2")
Birdseye Puneet Ristani
2003 The Division Mohammed ("Hearts & Minds")
The Lyon's Den Professor ("The Quantum Theory")
Life with Bonnie Deepak / Iqbal ("Father and Son: A Table for Two" and "Boomerang")
2004 Arrested Development Nazhgalia ("Shock and Aww")
Girlfriends Dr. Norayan ("When Hearts Attack")
Joan of Arcadia East Indian Sunglasses Salesman God ("Wealth of Nations")
Dr. Vegas Mr. Desai ("Advantage Play")
2005 Kitchen Confidential Iqbal / Iqubal ("Teddy Takes Off," "French Fight" and uncredited)
Hot Properties Fareed ("Pilot")
Just Legal Dr. Gupta ("The Limit")
Las Vegas Parviz Silani ("Double Down, Triple Threat")
Eve Bob ("Real Women Have Nerves")
2006 Blind Dating Mr. Raja
The War at Home Middle-Eastern Man ("The West Palm Beach Story")
Beyond Imran Khan TV movie
2007 Chuck Peyman Alahi ("Chuck Versus the Wookiee")
Weeds Sanjay's Father ("Bill Sussman")
2009 Glee: Director's Cut Pilot Episode Principal Figgins
Frankenhood Mr. Samuels
Nip/Tuck Dr. Vijay Paresh ("Ricky Wells")
Two and a Half Men Don ("I Think You Offended Don")
Community Gobi Nadir "Heroic Origins," "Basic Genealogy" and "Introduction to Film"; 2009 - 2013)
Glee Principal Figgins 2009 - 2015 (56 episodes)
2010 Childrens Hospital Sultan Abdul Aziz ("The Sultan's Finger: Live")
Ghosts/Aliens Neighbor TV movie
2011 Transformers: Dark of the Moon UN Secretary General
2012 Playing for Keeps Param
...Or Die short
The Glee Project Principal Figgins ("Romanticality," "Individuality 2" and uncredited)
NCIS Ramesh Sengupta ("Housekeeping")
2015 The Brink General Umair Zaman (7 episodes); post-production
The Tiger Hunter General Iqbal filming
The Escort Richard post-production; releases in 2015 or 2016
2020 Never Have I Ever Aravind ("...had to be on my best behavior")

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

References[]

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