"TYRANT" Casting News - "The Americans'" ANNET MAHENDRU

Casting alert, Comrades...

Nina may have bid her final dasvidanya on THE AMERICANS, but ANNET MAHENDRU will be back on FX very soon. (#NinaLives)

Annet Mahendru has been cast in a recurring role on the third season of TYRANT. Mahendru will play "Nafisa Al-Qadi," the wife of "Sheik Al-Qadi," the spiritual and political leader of Ma'an, who is caught between the violent tactics of the Caliphate and his distrust of the Al-Fayeeds. Nafisa is more politically hardline than her husband, and also happens to be the sister of a high-ranking Caliphate sympathizer.

Tyrant is the story of an unassuming American family drawn into the inner workings of a turbulent Middle Eastern nation. Bassam "Barry" Al-Fayeed (Adam Rayner), the youngest son of a war-torn country's controversial dictator, returns to his homeland after a self-imposed 20-year exile in America, only to be forced back into the treacherous familial and national politics of his youth. When his brother, Jamal (Ashraf Barhom), assumes the presidency, Barry becomes a powerful force within the government, fueled by visions of bringing humanitarian freedoms to his homeland. Upon realizing that Jamal lacks any sense of justice or morality, Barry colluded with members of the U.S. government on a failed attempt at overthrowing his tyrannical reign and was arrested on charges of treason. Having been betrayed by the West, Jamal now sets his sights on the East, developing an alliance with China that he hopes will make Abbudin a global power. But Barry continues to be a thorn in Jamal's side, becoming a symbol of freedom for the increasingly vocal insurgency.

Executive Producers: Howard Gordon, Chris Keyser, Gideon Raff and Avi Nir.

Tyrant is produced by Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions.

The 10-episode third season of TYRANT will premiere this Summer on FX.

ANNET MAHENDRU

Actress Annet Mahendru was born to an East Indian father (a journalist and professor) and Russian mother (a businesswoman and artist). Mahendru finished high school in New York and received a Bachelor of Arts in English from St. John's University. After school, drawn by her passion for acting, she took classes at the HB studio, and performed in plays and independent films. While pursuing a Master's degree in Global Affairs at NYU, Mahendru reached a crossroads in her life. Dropping out of NYU, she moved to the west coast in pursuit of another degree, this one in Storytelling. A longtime fan of improvisation, she began studying at the Groundlings School and took on several comedy projects thereafter. Mahendru also studied at the Imagined Life in Hollywood.

Mahendru recently wrapped production on the highly anticipated return of The X-Files. She will play "Sveta" alongside David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.

Mahendru can soon be seen in the short she starred in and produced, Kill Until Killed. The film finished after five consecutive shoot days. Mahendru plays "Lisa Tina" alongside Charlie Schlatter, Michael Borne, Ryan Masson and Cornell Womack.

Mahendru's mesmerizing performance as "Nina," a KGB officer on the FX series The Americans, earned her a 2014 Critics' Choice Awards nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

Mahendru can be heard in the DreamWorks Animation comedy Penguins Of Madagascar. Mahendru voiced "Eva," the snow owl analyst and North Wind agent. Based on the penguins in Madagascar, the film was released in 2014.

Mahendru also stars in the independent film Sally Pacholok from ELProductions. Mahendru plays Sally Pacholok, a feisty ER nurse that takes on the medical establishment when she uncovers an epidemic of misdiagnoses. The film was named "Best Feature" at the Washington D.C. Independent Film Festival.

Mahendru's other television credits include guest roles on 2 Broke Girls, Mike & Molly, Big Time Rush and The Blacklist. She has also appeared in the feature films Escape From Tomorrow and Love Gloria.