"I think that’s rooted in racism and misogyny.”
Ambika Mod says she continues to be typecast in stereotypical brown roles despite leading Netflix’s acclaimed series One Day.
The actress explained that she is judged by her skin colour rather than her acting range.
Ambika said: “It’s just the industry and the way that our society works.
“You either get asked to audition for brown roles, which are usually the doctor, the dentist, the policewoman.”
She compared her experience to that of her One Day co-star Leo Woodall, who has since taken on lead roles in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and Apple TV’s Prime Target.
Ambika continued: “Even in the past year and a half, I have been asked to audition for the rookie cop who investigates the story of the two interesting white leads.”
She acknowledged that she is familiar with prejudice both on and off screen:
“I’ve read the most unsavoury things about myself on the internet, but I think that’s rooted in racism and misogyny.”
She has previously spoken about the pressure of representing the South Asian diaspora.
In a previous interview with Deadline, Ambika said:
“When people talked about my white co-star’s performance, they would often talk about his acting and the quality of his work, whereas with me, not all the time, it was about how amazing it was that I’m brown, and what a change-making casting choice it was.
“I would think, ‘What about my performance and my work?’”
One Day, based on David Nicholls’ novel, was a career-defining project for both Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall.
The Netflix hit follows two university students whose shared night together leads to a complicated, years-long connection. It became one of the platform’s most viewed shows globally in its release week.
Since then, Ambika has worked with Steven Soderbergh on the 2025 spy thriller Black Bag, alongside Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett and Pierce Brosnan.
She has also portrayed journalist Selma Desai in Disney’s thriller The Stolen Girl.
Ambika is also set to take to the stage in Porn Play, portraying a woman who is struggling to finish her PhD while battling a secret addiction to violent pornography.
Written by Sophia Chetin-Leuner and directed by Josie Rourke, it will be on at the Royal Court Theatre between November 6 and December 13, 2025.
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