Erick Avari was born on April 13, 1952 in Darjeeling, India. His credits include leading roles in films from Kevin Reynolds' cult classic La bête de guerre (1988) to commercial megahits such as Stargate - La porte des étoiles (1994), Independence Day (1996), La momie (1999) and La planète des singes (2001). His comedic skills have landed him starring roles in the Adam Sandler remake Les aventures de Mister Deeds (2002), Le concierge du Bradbury (1993) and Woody Allen's only television film Don't Drink the Water (1994). He is also featured in Revelation (2002), La prison de verre (2001) and has a starring role in Michael Meredith's Three Days of Rain (2002) and Dancing in Twilight (2005). His long theatrical background has garnered him critical acclaim for several roles at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre in New York City, including his portrayal of Vasquez in "'Tis Pity She's a Whore" and the Broadway hit, "The King and I".
Avari has had the pleasure of performing in some of the most prestigious regional theatres in the country, including The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Chicago's Goodman Theater and The Cleveland Playhouse, playing roles such as the King in "King Lear" and Joseph Smith in the Mabou Mines production of "The Morman Project". On television, in addition to his recurring role as Kasuf on Stargate SG-1 (1997), he has played notable roles on Heroes (2006), Cybill (1995), Cheers (1982), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), Arabesque (1984), New York Police Blues (1993) and several made-for-television films.
