Interview with actor Manoj Sood

You has often played the role of a doctor in his acting career; it happened in: Poisoned Love: The Stacey Castor Story; Salvation; My Name Is Robin; Grand Unified Theory. An elective affinity or would you have liked to be a doctor in another life?

I am not an expert on past lives so I cant speculate what I was in a past life but perhaps I misbehaved and my karmic punishment is being born in this life as an actor. 
My father, both my grandfathers and many of my uncles were doctors so there was pressure on me to be a doctor as well.  Instead I became an actor so perhaps me playing a doctor multiple times is my way of following my family footsteps…?

You worked on the Percy Jackson TV series, which was very successful in streaming. What was that experience like?   

I confess I read the novel only after I was offered the part. I was vey familiar with the story and I was intrigued that Disney would tackle a show like that. The production confirmed multiple times that I was fit enough to run up stairs multiple times as my scenes involved a lot of running.  I assured them I was fit enough to handle that so I was offered the part.  And run I did; up and down stairs and down hallways around 30 times that day.  I was very impressed with the finished product and I was honoured and thrilled to be part of it.

Also in your next casting your role is introduced as Dr. Rehman, can you anticipate anything about The Reunion?

My character in the reunion was quote similar to my roll in Little Mosque On The Prairie. However the Reunion was shelved during the pandemic and I have no idea if and when it will be resurrected.

Among the casts you have been a part of, is there a role you enjoyed playing more than others?

Two rolls really stood out. One was the role of Baber that I played in “Little Mosque On the Prairie”.  I was in the show for all 6 seasons so we had a writing team that wrote specifically for my comedic style.  That was a very inclusive process that helped define and maintain my character throughout its 6 seasons.  Another show was when I played a character named Sutish in a movie called, “Fathers and Sons”.  The entire film was improvised.  The only aspects that were sketched out were how each scene would begin and how it would end. How us, as the actors, got the characters through each scene was up to us and our improvisational skills. It was very fulfilling creatively and it was fun.

Is there a role you would have liked to play instead of the one you played in the movie or novel?

I would have to look back and really make up scenarios in my mind in order to answer those questions.  Looking forward however I would love to play an astronomer one day as astronomy is a passion of mine.

If I am not mistaken, you are also introduced as a screenwriter and producer. Are you working on any other projects besides the cast of The Reunion?

I have been writing a novel for sometime about a Penguin who falls off his iceberg and embarks upon an adventure around the world.  However, I was lacking real experience with real Penguins and I felt had hit a brick wall, creatively.  My plan was to got to Peru and drive down along the coast where many Penguin colonies can be found.  I had hoped to sit among them, study their behaviour and take photographs in the hopes that experience would re-ignite my creative juices.  But the pandemic put an end to that Idea.  I hope to do the trip to Peru this year.

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