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"I just thought we were in this for all the wrong reasons."
―Teddy Kumar, to Helena Shaw[src]

Teddy Kumar was a teenage friend of Helena Shaw who met when Teddy was ten and tried to rob the woman. When Helena repeatedly hitting Teddy with a car door didn't remove the boy from her life, they teamed up instead.

However, their criminal lifestyle was upended in August 1969 after Helena returned to Morocco with half of an ancient dial which brought Indiana Jones and Jürgen Voller to Tangier in pursuit of it.

Biography[]

Teddy Kumar[3] was a street-wise kid from Morocco[2] who first met Helena Shaw while attempiting to rob her bag. They ended up agreeing to either both lose or both win[4] and Teddy became her sidekick, teaming up with Helena to make their own money.[1]

In 1969, Teddy took part in American archaeologist Indiana Jones and Helena's pursuit of the Antikythera, participating in a tuk-tuk chase involving the pair. He rode in the back of Shaw's tuk-tuk.[1][5]

Personality and traits[]

A sneaky clever youngster, Teddy Kumar knew about the directions of Tangier. He didn't suffer from ophidiophobia, so upon learning that the American archaeologist Indiana Jones suffered from such phobia, Teddy didn't waste an opportunity to taunt him by comparing the eels of the Aegean Sea to snakes.[1]

With a keen interest in aviation, Teddy absorbed flying lessons from pilots that visited Hotel L'Atlantique,[1] and sought to be viewed as an equal and a partner in Helena Shaw's schemes despite his youthfulness.[2]

Behind the scenes[]

Dial of Destiny Character Posters 03

Teddy Kumar's character poster for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Teddy Kumar was portrayed by Ethann Isidore in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, his first credited role in an English-language production.[5] The character's last name,[3] unused in the film itself,[1] was confirmed by his Pop! figure.[3]

That Teddy is French-Moroccan but has a surname more typically associated the Indian subcontinent may be relic of older versions of the Dial of Destiny story which had originally set The Tuk-tuk Chase in India before locations changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] Director/writer James Mangold has acknowledged that casting was adjusted when they had to move the production.[4]

Mangold contacted Isidore through a Zoom call, with producer Simon Emanuel deeming Isidore beyond his years, charming and cheeky naturally, so he agreed to meet him sometime afterwards in London, England. Isidore took the chance to tell Mangold he was a fan of his 2017 film Logan (which co-starred fellow Dial of Destiny cast member Boyd Holbrook). Isidore then received a phone call that informed him he had got the part.[4]

To get into character, Isidore walked the streets of Fes, Morocco, on location to take in the environment and step into Teddy's shoes. Indiana Jones actor Harrison Ford was a mentor to Isidore on set. The veteran actor gave Isidore some of the best advice he received during the production.[2]

Appearances[]

Sources[]

Notes and references[]

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