Biography

Salma is a versatile and accomplished Pakistani-American actor, singer and producer, who, in a previous life, was a rocket scientist.

She has performed across ABC, NBC, CBS, HBO, HBO Max (recurred on "That Damn Michael Che"), Hulu and MTV, and on and off Broadway and off West End. She is a two-time Helen Hayes Award recipient and 2020 AUDELCO nominee for Off-Broadway's "Bars and Measures." A member of British Equity and a dual US/UK citizen, she most recently was seen Off West End in the world premiere of Crystal Skillman's "Rain and Zoe Save the World" and starred in Broadway's multi-Tony winning "Life of Pi" as Mrs. Biology-Kumar/Zaida Khan.

Under Black Man Films (co-founder), her multi-award-winning short film, "Silent Partner," premiered at the Oscar-qualifying RSF Martha's Vineyard African-American Film Festival in 2021 and qualified for the 2023 Oscars (4 Oscar qualifiers, 21 overall selections, 8 awards/nom - including 4 BEST SHORT FILM). Her short, "Speak Up Brotha!" is on the festival circuit and premiered at the Oscar-qualifying Cleveland International Film Festival and won the Grand Jury Prize at Dances with Films:LA (7 Oscar qualifiers, 17 overall selections to date). She also co-founded the MENASA Artists Coalition in NYC and co-produced the group's first AEA-sponsored cabaret. As a theater producer, she has earned 30 Helen Hayes Nominations and 9 Awards. She is currently deep in post-production of the feature version of "Silent Partner" directed by Eric Branco.

Salma is also passionate about education and is always studying something new (most likely a language - spoken and computer-based - to add to her Urdu, Hindi, Spanish, German, Arabic and C skills). She holds degrees from Stanford, MIT and Harvard Business School.

She is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA, Actors' Equity Association and Equity (UK).
- IMDb mini biography by: Salma Qarnain

Sister is actress and voiceover artist Zehra Fazal.

Grandfather is S.F. Hasnain.

Born in Scotland and is of South Asian and Persian descent.