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| Real Name: | Iman Vellani |
| Profession: | Canadian actress |
| Birthplace: | Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan |
| Famous for: | Ms. Marvel |
| Age: | 20 |
Iman Vellani is a Canadian actress of Pakistani origin. She is known for portraying the title character Kamala Khan in the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel (2022), which marked her onscreen debut. Vellani is set to reprise the role in the film The Marvels (2023).
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Iman Vellani Biography
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| Born | September 3, 2002
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
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| Education | Unionville High School |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2019–present |
Early life
Born in Karachi, Pakistan, Vellani moved to Canada when she was a year old, and graduated from Unionville High School in Markham, Ontario. She is “from the Ismaili faith”. Vellani was selected as a TIFF Next Wave Committee member at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. Before being cast in Ms. Marvel (2022) at the end of her last year of high school, Vellani had planned to attend the Ontario College of Art & Design University with a focus on integrated media.
Career
In September 2020, Vellani was cast as the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero Kamala Khan for Marvel Studios and Disney+’s streaming television miniseries Ms. Marvel. Kamala Khan co-creator Sana Amanat, who is also serving as an executive producer on the television series, highlighted Vellani’s Zoom audition which revealed that she is an Avengers fangirl like Khan. Amanat said, “She showed me every corner of her room, and it was covered with Avengers. Then she said, ‘Oh, wait; I’m not done, opened up her closet, and there was more Marvel everywhere”.
In June 2022, Vellani appeared in A Fan’s Guide to Ms. Marvel, a documentary short featuring an exclusive look at the production of the series and interviews from the filmmaking team and her; it was released on Disney+ before the premiere of Ms. Marvel. On 8 June 2022, Ms. Marvel premiered on Disney+, marking her onscreen debut. Both, the series and Vellani’s portrayal of the title character received widespread praise. Kathryn Porter of Paste stated that Vellani “shines” in the role and that there was “no way to explain how great she is in this other than to say that she embodies the true spirit of Kamala Khan”. Mohammad Zaheer of BBC Culture called her “an adorable bundle of charisma” in a role “tailor-made for her”. Vellani is set to reprise her role as Khan in the upcoming film The Marvels, a sequel to the 2019 film Captain Marvel.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | PUSH | N/A | Director; short film |
| Requiem for a Pandemic | |||
| 2021 | I don’t wanna b alone 🙁 | Herself | |
| 2023 | The Marvels | Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | A Fan’s Guide to Ms. Marvel | Herself | Disney+ documentary short |
| Ms. Marvel | Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel | Lead role; Marvel / Disney+ original miniseries |
Theme park attractions
| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
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| 2022 | Avengers: Quantum Encounter | Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel | Disney Wish |
