# Iqbal Theba

Iqbal Theba (/ˈɪkbɑːl ˈteɪbə/ IK-bahl TAY-bə; born 20 December 1963) is a Pakistani actor, known for his recurring role as Principal Figgins in the show Glee.

## Early life

Theba was born in Karachi, Pakistan. He belongs to the Sindhi-speaking Theba tribe.
Theba attended the University of Oklahoma for civil engineering in 1981, but dropped out to pursue an acting career in New York. He has a BS degree in Construction Engineering Management. Theba returned to the University of Oklahoma in 1986 to get a theater degree, and moved to Los Angeles, California upon graduating.

## Career

Theba experienced an early career break with a role on the NBC television pilot Death and Taxes. While the pilot was not picked up to series, 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. He had a recurring role in ABC/CBS comedy sitcom Family Matters. His other credits include appearances on Nip/Tuck, Alias, Two and a Half Men, Bosch, Roseanne, Kitchen Confidential, Chuck, JAG, Arrested Development, Childrens Hospital, The Tick, The West Wing, Friends, Green Book (film) Sister Sister, Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, King of the Hill, Weeds, Community, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Theba also appeared in an episode of the sitcom Yes, Dear.
In 2009, 2010, and 2013, Theba guest starred in three episodes of NBC's Community as Gobi Nadir, the father of Abed Nadir (played by Danny Pudi). He also guest starred on CBS' NCIS in 2012.
He also was seen on the eighth episode of the eighth season of Hell's Kitchen, attending the 100th dinner service.
In 2017, Theba voiced Slav in season 2 of Voltron: Legendary Defender. Theba played General Umair Zaman, a Pakistani general who stages a military coup, on the HBO comedy series The Brink.

### Glee (2009–15)

Theba's longest-running role has been as Principal Figgins in the Fox television series Glee. Throughout the course of the six seasons, Theba appeared in 58 episodes.
Although Figgins was initially conceived as white, Theba was cast in the role. He said playing Figgins entails finding "the right mix of someone who is an authority figure but who is also very insecure about his own strengths as a person."
In 2012, Theba appeared on the first and ninth episodes of the second season of The Glee Project.

## Personal life

He is married and has two children: a son, Mikael, and a daughter, Ranya.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1993 | Indecent Proposal | Citizenship Student | |
| 1995 | Just Looking | VeeJee | |
| 1996 | Driven | Landlord | |
| 1998 | Sour Grapes | Dr. Alagappan | |
| 1998 | BASEketball | Factory Manager | |
| 2000 | Dancing at the Blue Iguana | Clerk | |
| 2001 | Guardian | Dr. Tuchman | |
| 2002 | Birdseye | Puneet Ristani | |
| 2006 | Blind Dating | Mr. Raja | |
| 2009 | Frankenhood | Mr. Samuels | |
| 2011 | Transformers: Dark of the Moon | UN Secretary General | |
| 2012 | Indian Spider-Man | Pappa Patel | Short film Direct-to-video |
| 2012 | Playing for Keeps | Param | |
| 2015 | The Escort | Richard | |
| 2016 | The Tiger Hunter | General Iqbal | |
| 2017 | Lego Scooby-Doo! Blowout Beach Bash | Dr. Najib | Voice, direct-to-video |
| 2017 | DriverX | Distinguished Man | |
| 2018 | Green Book | Amit | |
| 2019 | The Illegal | Babaji | |
| 2020 | Useless Humans | Kenneth | |
| 2022 | Land of Gold | Gurinder | Completed |
| TBA | Reminisce | Dr. Morris | Post-production |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1993 | L.A. Law | Chandra | Episode: "Vindaloo in the Villows" |
| 1994 | Living Single | The Pizza Man | Episode: "Five Card Stud" |
| 1994–1995 | The George Carlin Show | Various | 6 episodes |
| 1994 | The Innocent | Doctor #2 | Television film |
| 1994 | Mad About You | Cabbie | Episode: "The City" |
| 1995 | The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes | Sri Lankan | Television film |
| 1995 | Seinfeld | Cabbie | Uncredited Episode: "The Jimmy" |
| 1995–1997 | Married... with Children | Iqbal | 4 episodes |
| 1995–1997 | Family Matters | Zoohair Bhutto | 3 episodes |
| 1995 | Abandoned and Deceived | The Doctor | Television film |
| 1995 | Charlie Grace | Pakistani Clerk | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1995 | Dream On | Rudy the Newsstand Guy | Episodes: "Try Not to Remember" and "Tie Me Sister My Down, Sport" |
| 1996 | Sisters | Valentine | Episode: "A Little Snag" |
| 1996 | Ned and Stacey | Doctor | Episode: "Gut Feeling" |
| 1996 | Can't Hurry Love | Cabbie | Episode: "The Elizabeth Taylor Episode" |
| 1996 | Sister, Sister | Dr. Solokian | Episodes: "The Volunteers" and "The Piano Lesson" |
| 1996 | Yesterday's Target | Dr. Patel | Television film |
| 1996 | The Home Court | Noel | Episode: "Mike Solomon: Unplugged" |
| 1996 | Space: Above and Beyond | General Sarij | Episode: "Sugar Dirt" |
| 1996 | Homeboys in Outer Space | Habib | Episode: "There's No Space Like Home, or Return of the Jed Eye" |
| 1996 | New York Daze | The Cabbie | Episode: "Eric's Book" |
| 1996 | The Tomorrow Man | FBI Examiner | Television film |
| 1996 | Roseanne | Dr. Bakshi | Episodes: "Hoi Polloi Meets Hoiti Toiti" and "Roseambo" |
| 1997 | Ellen | Dalai Rajhavaari | Episode: "Hello, Dalai" |
| 1997 | Caroline in the City | Koothrappally the Cabbie | Episode: "Caroline and the Critics" |
| 1997–2001 | ER | Dr. Zagerby / Dr. Zogoiby | 4 episodes |
| 1997 | Total Security | Sangarapillai | Episode: "The Never Bending Story" |
| 1997 | Everybody Loves Raymond | Doctor Sundram | Episode: "Golf" |
| 1997 | Brooklyn South | Omar Rashmid | Episode: "Love Hurts" |
| 1998 | Fired Up | Driver | Episode: "Fire and Nice" |
| 1998 | Friends | Joey's Doctor | Episode: "The One Hundredth" |
| 1998 | JAG | Johnny Marvel | Episode: "Wedding Bell Blues" |
| 1998 | King of the Hill | Dr. Bhudamanjur | Voice, episode: "Next of Shin" |
| 1998 | Martial Law | Raj Patel | Episode: "Trackdown" |
| 1999 | Malcolm & Eddie | Dr. Halim Sahir | Episode: "Worst Impressions" |
| 1999 | Shasta McNasty | Meb | Episode: "Adult Education" |
| 2000 | The West Wing | Indian Ambassador | Episode: "Lord John Marbury" |
| 2000 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | East Indian Driver | Voice, episode: "The Prince and the Pauper" |
| 2000 | The Hughleys | Clerk | Episode: "Oh Thank Heaven for Seven-Eleven" |
| 2001 | The Huntress | Edouard Barsamian | Episode: "Undercover" |
| 2001 | Judging Amy | Mr. Pradip | Episode: "The Last Word" |
| 2001 | Yes, Dear | Instructor | Episode: "The Ticket" |
| 2001 | The Agency | Dr. Prabhakar | Episode: "Closure" |
| 2001 | The Tick | Dry Cleaner | Episode: "The License" |
| 2002 | Alias | General Arshad | Episode: "Passage: Part 2" |
| 2003 | The Division | Mohammed | Episode: "Hearts & Minds" |
| 2003 | Life with Bonnie | Iqbal | Episode: "Boomerang" |
| 2003 | The Lyon's Den | Professor | Episode: "The Quantum Theory" |
| 2004 | Arrested Development | Nazhgalia | Episode: "Shock and Aww" |
| 2004 | Life with Bonnie | Deepak | Episode: "Father and Son: A Table for Two" |
| 2004 | JAG | Captain Qamal Samad | Episode: "Trojan Horse" |
| 2004 | Dr. Vegas | Mr. Desai | Episode: "Advantage Play" |
| 2004 | Joan of Arcadia | East Indian Sunglasses Salesman God | Episode: "Wealth of Nations" |
| 2004 | Girlfriends | Dr. Norayan | Episode: "When Hearts Attacks" |
| 2005 | Eve | Bob | Episode: "Real Women Have Nerves" |
| 2005 | Las Vegas | Parviz Silani | Episode: "Double Down, Triple Threat" |
| 2005–2006 | Kitchen Confidential | Iqbal | Episodes: "French Fight" and "Teddy Takes Off" |
| 2005 | Just Legal | Dr. Gupta | Episode: "The Limit" |
| 2005 | Hot Properties | Fareed | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2006 | The War at Home | Middle-Eastern Man | Episode: "The West Palm Beach Story" |
| 2006 | Beyond | Imran Khan | Television film |
| 2007 | Weeds | Sanjay's Father | Episode: "Bill Sussman" |
| 2007 | Chuck | Peyman Alahi | Episode: "Chuck Versus the Wookiee" |
| 2009 | Two and a Half Men | Don | Episode: "I Think You Offended Don" |
| 2009–2010; 2013 | Community | Gobi Nadir | 3 episodes |
| 2009–2015 | Glee | Principal Figgins | 58 episodes Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2010) Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2011) Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2012) |
| 2009 | Nip/Tuck | Dr. Vijay Paresh | Episode: "Ricky Wells" |
| 2010 | Ghosts/Aliens | Neighbor | Television film |
| 2010 | Hell's Kitchen | Himself (Restaurant Patron) | Episode: "9 Chefs Compete: Part 2" |
| 2010 | Childrens Hospital | Sultan Abdul Aziz | Episode: "The Sultan's Finger - LIVE" |
| 2012 | NCIS | Ramesh Sungupta | Episode: "Housekeeping" |
| 2012 | The Glee Project | Principal Figgins | 2 episodes; uncredited |
| 2015 | The Brink | General Umair Zaman | 9 episodes |
| 2016 | School of Rock | Alex | Episode: "We Can Be Heroes, Sort Of" |
| 2017 | Jeff & Some Aliens | Swami | Voice, episode: "Jeff & Some Jeffs" |
| 2017–2018 | Voltron: Legendary Defender | Slav | Voice, 9 episodes |
| 2017 | Young & Hungry | Mr. Jain | Episode: "Young & Hold" |
| 2017 | Sigmund and the Sea Monsters | Sheriff Bob | Episode: "Dibs" |
| 2018 | Season and Renae | Faraz | Television film |
| 2018 | America 2.0 | Mr. Zanadri | Television miniseries Episode: "Don't Be Scared" |
| 2018 | Dream Corp LLC | Patient 75 | Episode: "Dust Bunnies" |
| 2019 | Bosch | Chemical Ali | Episode: "Salvation Mountain" |
| 2019 | The Blacklist | Bhavish Ratna | Episode: "The Hawaladar (No. 162)" |
| 2020 | Messiah | Danny Kirmani | 4 episodes |
| 2020 | Never Have I Ever | Uncle Aaravind | Episode: "...had to be on my best behavior" |
| 2021 | Mira, Royal Detective | Detective Gupta | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2025 | Deli Boys | Baba Dar | |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1997 | Blade Runner | Moraji |
| 2012 | Medal of Honor: Warfighter | Urdu Fighter |
| 2017 | Uncharted: The Lost Legacy | Additional Voices |