ACTORS from Nepal

Top 4

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Nepalese Actors of all time. This list of famous Nepalese Actors is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Manisha Koirala (b. 1970)

With an HPI of 48.61, Manisha Koirala is the most famous Nepalese Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 46 different languages on wikipedia.

Manisha Koirala (pronounced [mʌnisa koirala]; born 16 August 1970) is a Nepalese actress who works in Indian films, predominantly in Hindi and Tamil. Born to the politically prominent Koirala family, she is the daughter of Prakash Koirala and the granddaughter of Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala. One of the most popular and highest-paid actresses of her time, she is the recipient of several accolades, including three Filmfare Awards, one Filmfare Awards South and one Filmfare OTT Awards . In 2001, the Government of Nepal awarded her with the Order of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu. Koirala made her acting debut with the Nepali film Pheri Bhetaula (1989), and later debuted in Indian cinema with the Hindi drama Saudagar (1991). Following a brief setback, she established herself with commercial successes in both Bollywood and Kollywood films, including Bombay (1995), Agni Sakshi (1996), Indian (1996), Gupt: The Hidden Truth (1997), Kachche Dhaage (1999), Mudhalvan (1999) and Company (2002). She also received critical recognition for playing a naive girl in 1942: A Love Story (1994), an ambitious wife in Akele Hum Akele Tum (1995), the daughter of deaf-mute parents in Khamoshi: The Musical (1996), a terrorist in Dil Se.. (1998) and a mistreated woman in Lajja (2001). Over the course of the next decade, she garnered praise for her performances in several unconventional and art-house films, such as the survival drama Escape From Taliban (2003), the Malayalam psychological drama Elektra (2010), and the anthology film I Am (2010). In 2012, Koirala took a break from acting after being diagnosed with last stage ovarian cancer and underwent an year-long treatment, making a successful recovery by mid-2014. She returned with the coming-of-age drama Dear Maya (2017), followed by her portrayal of actress Nargis in Sanju (2018). The same year Koirala featured in the Netflix production Lust Stories. She has since starred in the acclaimed period drama series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar (2024). In addition to acting in films, Koirala was appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund in 1999 for India and 2015 for Nepal, and was involved in the relief works after the April 2015 Nepal earthquake. She also contributed as an author to the novel Healed: How Cancer Gave Me a New Life; which is an account of her struggle with ovarian cancer. Koirala is frequently cited as one of the most beautiful actresses of her times.

2. Dichen Lachman (b. 1982)

With an HPI of 47.22, Dichen Lachman is the 2nd most famous Nepalese Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 31 different languages.

Dichen Lachman ( DEE-chən LAK-mən; born 22 February 1982) is an Australian actress and model. She is most known for her roles in Severance and the Jurassic Park franchise. She earned recognition starring as Katya Kinski in the soap opera Neighbours (2005–2007), Sierra in Joss Whedon's science fiction drama series Dollhouse (2009–2010). Lachman went on to portray Suren in the supernatural comedy-drama series Being Human (2012), Tani Tumrenjack in the military action-drama series Last Resort (2012–2013), Jiaying in the superhero drama series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2014–2020), Reileen Kawahara in the cyberpunk drama series Altered Carbon (2018–2020), Frankie in the crime drama series Animal Kingdom (2018–2021), and Gemma Scout/Ms.Casey in the thriller series Severance (2022–present). Lachman has appeared in numerous films, such as Aquamarine (2006), Bled (2009), Lust for Love (2014), Too Late (2015), Bad Therapy (2020), Joe Baby (2024), and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024). Since appearing in the film Jurassic World Dominion (2022), she has continued to play Soyona Santos, starting with the streaming series Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (2024).

3. Rekha Thapa (b. 1982)

With an HPI of 38.93, Rekha Thapa is the 3rd most famous Nepalese Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Rekha Thapa (Nepali: रेखा थापा) (born 21 August 1982) is a Nepalese is a renowned Nepalese actress, politician, filmmaker, and social activist, celebrated for her significant contributions to the Nepali film industry and her unwavering advocacy for women's empowerment. Over her two-decade-long career, she has appeared in over 200 films, many of which spotlight strong female protagonists and address pressing social issues. She won the CG Digital Film Awards for Best Actress, and in 2011 she also won the NEFTA Film Awards for Best Actress. Among her accolades are two National Film Awards for Best Actress: in 2006 for Himmat and in 2010 for Bato Muni Ko Phool, recognizing her impactful performances and contribution to Nepali cinema. Thapa is also well-known for speaking out on social and political issues, particularly women's rights. She is recognized for establishing herself in the Nepali cinema business at a time when every film was solely focused on male leads; as a result, she is frequently referred to as a "female hero" rather than a "heroine" of a film.

4. Amrita Acharia (b. 1987)

With an HPI of 37.55, Amrita Acharia is the 4th most famous Nepalese Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Amrita Acharia (Nepali: अमृता आचार्या, also spelled Acharya) is a British actress of Nepalese–Ukrainian origins. She is best known for her roles as Irri in the HBO series Game of Thrones and as Dr. Ruby Walker in the ITV series The Good Karma Hospital.