From The Mummy’s Imhotep to Sir Theodore Hector: Tracing the career of Ranabaali’s villain

Director Rahul Sankrityan also reposted the first look of Arnold from Ranabaali and wrote on X, “Mummy was one of my all-time favorite films growing up. I loved every character in it, but above all, it was the villain who made me truly believe that monsters could exist.” “I never imagined destiny would bring me face to face with my childhood favorite villain,” he added.

“Working with you has been an absolute privilege. Beyond the incredible actor the world knows, you are the sweetest, kindest, and most patient artist I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Wishing you a very Happy Birthday, sir. May you be blessed with happiness, health, and many more memorable movies. Welcome to the madness called Indian Cinema. I cannot wait for our audiences to witness what you have created as HECTOR,” wrote Rahul.

Mummy was one of my all-time favorite films growing up. I loved every character in it, but above all, it was the villain who made me truly believe that monsters could exist.

Many years later, when I sat down to write one of my favorite villain characters ever- The Monster in… pic.twitter.com/8NXX90U4HX

— Rahul Sankrityan (@Rahul_Sankrityn) June 16, 2026

Arnold Vosloo, 63, is a South African of Dutch and German descent. He was born in Pretoria, and his parents were stage actors. Arnold followed suit by taking drama courses and performing on stage and screen. He moved to the US in the late 1980s. After acting in a short-lived theatre production, the actor made his Hollywood debut with Fritz Kiersch’s 1987 sci-fi action fantasy Gor.

He soon came to be known for his villainous turns, and had his long-awaited breakthrough with Stephen Sommers’ 1999 blockbuster action adventure movie The Mummy. He played Imhotep, an ancient Egyptian priest, who went tooth and nail with Brendan Fraser’s Rick O’Connell and Rachel Weisz’s Evelyn Carnahan. The film amassed $422.50 million at the worldwide box office. Arnold reprised the memorable role in Sommers’ 2001 sequel The Mummy Returns, which turned out to be an even bigger blockbuster, earning $436 million at the global box office.

Arnold Vosloo’s other claim to fame

Arnold Vosloo reunited with Stephen Sommers eight years after The Mummy Returns, when he played the antagonist Zartan in the sci-fi military action spectacle G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, headlined by Channing Tatum. The film amassed over $302 million at the worldwide box office. He reprised the role in the Jon M Chu’s sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation in 2013, which also earned over $375 million at the global box office.

Arnold Vosloo as Zartan in G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

Arnold also had a steady, successful stint on television, most notably playing terrorist leader Habib Marwan in season 4 of Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran’s popular action show 24. Notably, he was last seen as Jost Van Der Byl in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Amazon Prime Video’s political action thriller series headlined by John Krasinski.

Also Read: From Jab We Met to Main Vaapas Aaunga, Imtiaz Ali finally finds the home he fled

Arnold Vosloo has acknowledged his likeness with American actor Billy Zane, best known for playing Cal, the fiancé of Kate Winslet’s protagonist Rose in James Cameron’s 1997 seminal romantic movie Titanic. He admitted to talk show host Charlie Rose in 2005 that whenever anyone approaches and asks him if “he’s the guy from Titanic”, Arnold just submits and accepts with, “Of course, of course.”