Irrfan Khan

An important figure in Indian film and television since the early 1990s, actor Irrfan Khan brought complexity and depth to lead and supporting roles in Bollywood films like "The Warrior" (2001), "Rog" (2005) and "Billu" (2007) before making the leap to Western entertainment with memorable supporting roles in "A Mighty Heart" (2007), "Slumdog Millionaire" (2008) and the HBO series "In Treatment" (2008-2010). For over a decade, Khan toiled as a character actor on television series and in independent features, essaying men whose intense emotions often contrasted sharply with their reserved outer shells; after his breakthrough as a feudal mercenary who suffers a crisis of conscience in the award-winning "Warrior," he moved into more significant parts, eventually making the leap to leading man with the noir-influenced "Rog" (2005). His unconventional looks and heartfelt performances, which won critical notices around the globe, made an impact on the leading men of the day, who began to move away from the traditional Bollywood fluff and focus on grittier work to reap the same rewards. Khan's consistently solid performances also earned the attention of the West, and his turns as flinty men of authority and gravitas in "Heart," the Oscar-winning "Slumdog," and "In Treatment" made him one of his native country's most accomplished cultural exports.