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The First Big Role is the Hardest

Som Chivukula

Since many high-tech workers in Silicon Valley are Indian, it would seem natural that a movie about the industry would feature at least one.

But in the fickle world of Hollywood, there are no guarantees.

In years past, roles meant for Indians would often be played by others. For example, in 1984, Alec Guinness, a British star, played an Indian professor in A Passage to India.

Since then, of course, times have changed and Hollywood has caught up -- though only to an extent. Now, an Indian American actor will play a major role in a medium-budget Hollywood production, loosely based on a novel by Po Bronson.

Anjul Nigam, until now a career secondary actor, will play one of the four male lead roles in The First $20 Million is Always the Hardest, produced by 20th Century Fox.

He shares top billing with Adam Garcia (the heartthrob from Coyote Ugly fame), Jake Busey (Gary's son) and Ethan Suplee (of the recent drug-drama Blow).

The movie, which may be released later this year, tells the story of four computer whizkids brought together to build a $99 computer. In Hollywood fashion, they have to overcome some opposition to be successful. Ironically, the film's budget is also $20 million.

Nigam plays Salman Fard, a techie who is excited to be part of the team project. But, he quickly adds, Fard is also socially inept.

But social ineptitude aside, Nigam, 35, said, "This is a big step forward for me. The (show) business is so unpredictable."

Nigam started his career nearly 13 years ago when he moved to Los Angeles from New York, where he graduated from NYU with a degree in acting.

"I didn't have a double major (like some other Indian actors) so the only option was to go into acting," he said with a chuckle.

Within two weeks of reaching Hollywood, Nigam landed a guest role on television's Growing Pains that featured Kirk Cameron.

"And then reality hit me!" Nigam observed. Though he made enough money to pay the bills for two months, other acting jobs were hard to come by.

Soon, Nigam began waiting tables -- which continued for the next four and a half years. Still he never gave up his acting aspirations.

"You have to find your inner strength and you have to say 'this is my passion, it's what I believe in,'" Nigam noted. "That's what I did."

Throughout, his only supporters were his parents and two older brothers.

"People will always question you to the point where you rethink your decisions," Nigam observed. "But no one supported me other than my family. I kept my spirits high and told myself it was part of the dues."

In the end, persistence paid off. In the mid-'90s Nigam found himself slowly being accepted into mainstream Hollywood.

In 1995, he played Rahman in the Showtime movie Silver Strand, which starred Gil Bellows of Ally McBeal fame. The film was a re-make of the 1982 hit An Officer and a Gentleman and Nigam played Bellows' best friend.

That role turned around his fledgling career.

"It put me on the map, in terms of TV movies," Nigam noted. Small roles on Nash Bridges and other television shows followed, in addition to supporting roles in such movies as NetForce, Death and Taxis and Speaking of Sex.

When he's not acting, Nigam finds himself speaking to college students inspiring them to follow their dreams.

"If you want to become an actor, you have to follow the 3Ps: patience, persistence and perseverance," he said. "You don't get into it for glamour."

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