Actress Alice Amter Talks “Failure to Launch” & Historic TV Academy Nomination

Actress Alice Amter, known for her iconic role in The Big Bang Theory, recently discussed the highly anticipated pilot ‘Failure to Launch’ at a groundbreaking moment for television.

The pilot’s nomination for Best Comedy Series at the 2025 TV Academy Foundation College Awards is a significant milestone, as it is the first East Indian family-based multi-cam sitcom.

The series’ heartfelt and humorous approach to modern family dynamics combines tradition, culture, and personal aspirations in the context of an East Indian family’s life in America.

Failure to Launch, filmed in the traditional multi-cam format, follows a multi-generational East Indian family’s journey through generational divides and cultural expectations. Amter plays the matriarch, who delivers a performance full of wit and charm. Her sons are portrayed by Dileep Rao (Avatar) and Jay Mandyam (who also serves as the creator).

The show, which features Josh Brener (Silicon Valley) and Nate Reichert (Sabrina, The Teenage Witch), has a mix of laughs and emotional depth. A group of talented international filmmakers, mainly of East Indian descent, created this project for their USC thesis. The show Failure to Launch resonates with different audiences while examining universal family, career, and identity themes. The nomination for Best Comedy Series has caused a lot of buzz in the industry, making it more likely that the pilot will be picked up by a major network or streaming service.

1. LandonBuford.com: Failure to Launch has been nominated for Best Comedy Series at the TV Academy Foundation College Awards. What drew you to this project, and how does being part of a show receiving such recognition feel?

Alice Amter: It was very simple. They contacted my agent and offered me the role. When we filmed the pilot, all of us had the feeling that it felt like a TV show already on air/in production on account of the level of professionalism by cast and crew alike…I’m thrilled about the nomination. It shows great promise for a pick-up by a network or a streamer, as well as for the future careers of the producers/creators. I thoroughly support it.

2.LandonBuford.com: You play the matriarch of a multi-generational East Indian family. How did you approach bringing this character to life, and what aspects of her personality resonate most with you?

Alice Amter: Again, very easy; it’s a character that kind of lives inside me and insists on coming out every once in a while. Like with Mrs. Koothrappali on The Big Bang Theory or Auntie #1 in Never Have I Ever, etc.… The difference here was that I wasn’t a side character or limited physically by being on video chat… Reva is the lead female character; the set was her home, her kitchen, etc., and that gave me tremendous freedom as an actress to spread my theatrical wings out to their fullest, to use the space and inhabit it with my character. It was a great feeling.

3. LandonBuford.com: The show balances humor with heartfelt moments. How do you think Failure to Launch captures the complexities of cultural identity and generational differences within immigrant families?

Alice Amter: That sounds like a question for Jay Mandyam, the writer, but I think it’s basically the old versus the new. Traditionalism vs. Modernism. But the difference here is
it’s done with humor – it’s entertaining, and that’s the most important aspect.

4. Having worked on The Big Bang Theory, you’re no stranger to successful sitcoms. How does Failure to Launch compare to other sitcoms you’ve worked on, and what makes it stand out?

Alice Amter:  The Big Bang Theory was by far the most successful sitcom I have worked on, and I learned a tremendous amount over the eight or nine-year period that I was on that show, so the bar is set very high. I will be forever grateful to the mastery of Chuck Lorre for having me be a part of it. I also thoroughly enjoyed my time on Hot in Cleveland, working with Betty White & Jane Leeves…..But I honestly do believe that Failure To Launch has the potential to be a hit sitcom, too, with a few tweaks here and there (normal for a pilot). Receiving this nomination without any studio or production backing or involvement speaks volumes to the level of talent of all those involved. Sometimes, a pilot is lucky
enough to be given the whole nine yards, be studio funded, with a distribution platform and a team of staff writers etc, but it’s still no guarantee the show will be successful. We did this without any of that – we are the little engine that could. 

5. LandonBuford.com: Failure to Launch is the first East Indian family-based multicam sitcom pilot. Why do you think it’s taken so long for a show like this to emerge, and what do you hope it brings to television?

Alice Amter: In a way, I feel like I’m the trailblazer because when I got to Hollywood in the
‘90s and started auditioning. I remember the category didn’t even exist…..then after that, I remember I would show up to auditions in a sari, and there were like just a few of us….maybe the same 3 or 4 actresses at the callback….then it expanded bit by bit over time, and I was cast as the first East Indian Doctor on ‘E.R’ opposite George Clooney. After 9/11, there were a lot of Middle Eastern roles. And then, of course, in 2007, I was cast as Mrs Koothrappali in The Big Bang Theory, and the seed was officially planted in the zeitgeist. Some people
say I was the Blueprint. 

6. LandonBuford.com: The show features a predominantly East Indian creative team. How vital is authentic representation in front of and behind the camera?

Alice Amter: I think it depends … On this show, we had a mixture of people from all over, which worked well. It’s entertainment, after all – you hire talent, experience, and creativity
first. Comedic talent is not ethnically specific. In a sitcom, the funny is
paramount. 

7. LandonBuford.com: Multicam sitcoms have a unique way of bringing families together through laughter. How do you think Failure to Launch will connect with audiences, both
within and outside the East Indian community?

Alice Amter: I believe a show must have mass appeal to be successful. It can be niche but
with universal appeal. I believe Failure To Launch does that, and I think audiences
from all cultures will enjoy watching it.

8. LandonBuford.com:  With the industry buzzing about the show’s potential, what do you hope for its future? Would you be excited about a full-season pick-up on a major network or
streaming platform?

Alice Amter: OMG, to be picked up by a network, streamer, or both would be amazing for
everyone involved. And for me, to play this character for the public week after
week for a decade or more would be a personal milestone and a total joy. I think
it would be a commercial and critical success, as already evidenced by this
nomination. 

9. LandonBuford.com: As an actress with a diverse portfolio, what challenges and opportunities do you see in Hollywood today regarding diverse storytelling?

Alice Amter: Whatever the subject matter, people need to be entertained, or they simply
won’t watch. When greenlighting shows it is important to remember this since it is
ultimately the audience who decides.

10. LandonBuford.com:  Looking ahead, are there any other projects you’re excited about, or do you see yourself continuing to explore more comedic roles like this one?

Alice Amter: This would be great, but honestly, I’ve no idea. I love the classic dramatic
storytelling that Taylor Sheridan does….he’s a real maestro and someone I’d love
to work with. But like Elvis Presley…..I’m just an entertainer. �