If you're just discovering Amita Suman now, you've come at an exciting time, as the Nepali-born actress is inducted into the Netflix [1] family. It's common for actors to join the streaming network's ranks and hang around long after their first role wraps up. In the case of Suman, we hope that's the case.
This particular role sees her join the cast of Netflix's brand new fantasy series, Shadow and Bone [2], which is bringing the beloved YA trilogy by Leigh Bardugo to life. The series will star Jessie Mei Li [3] in the lead role of Alina Starkov, an orphan who has unleashed a power that may set her country free. Suman is taking on the role of Inej Ghafa, an acrobatic, knife-wielding spy for the Dregs.
The news that Suman is joining the cast of Netflix's fantasy series is particularly exciting for fans of the books, as it confirms Shadow and Bone [4] will dive into the spinoff era, Six of Crows. As she takes on the role of Inej Ghafa, she's joined by Kit Young as Jesper Fahey and Freddy Carter, who's playing Kaz Brekker — and together, they form the fan-favourite trio from the popular duology.
Ahead, learn more about Amita Suman before Shadow and Bone drops onto Netflix on 23 April.
Amita Suman Was Born In Nepal
Suman was born in Nepal and migrated to the well-known city of Brighton, in East Sussex, when she was 7 years old, which is where she was raised.
She Trained at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts
Following high school, Suman attended the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, which has campuses in both South London and Manchester. She graduated in 2018 and joined performers such as Coronation Street's Mollie Gallagher and Sarah Parish as an alumnus.
Amita Suman Appeared In Doctor Who
Suman's first major television role after graduating from the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts was in Doctor Who [5] as a young version of Yasmin Khan's grandmother, Umbreen. The episode was titled "Demons of the Punjab" and was the sixth instalment in the 11th season of the hit series. In the episode, Yasmin returns to the country of Punjab as it's being torn apart, in search of her grandmother's history.
She Is No Stranger to the Fantasy Genre
Suman stepped into the shoes of Naya, a recurring character in The Outpost, a fantasy series that aired on The CW in America. The role was played by Medalion Rahimi (Before I Fall [6]) in season one, and Suman was recast for the second season. As the story goes, The Outpost tells the story of Talon (played by Jessica Green), who's the lone survivor of a brutal attack on her village. Cue an adventure that sees Talon set off on a journey to the edge of the civilised world to avenge her parent's murders.
Suman Had to Learn to Wield a Knife For Shadow and Bone
When speaking with Seventeen, Suman admitted that she didn't receive any formal knife training [7] ahead of filming for Shadow and Bone [8], which involved quite a few battle scenes. So, she took on the task herself and trained as best she could. Not only that, as she fumbled her way through learning to wield a knife as believably as her character, Inej, she came out the other end with a battle scar on her knuckles, which is, just quietly, pretty badass.