Vijay (actor)

Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar (born 22 June 1974) is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. Vijay has acted in over 65 films and is one of the most commercially successful actors in Tamil cinema with multiple films amongst the highest-grossing Tamil films of all time and is amongst the highest paid actors in India.

Born in Madras, Vijay made his debut as a child actor in the Tamil film Vetri in 1984. After a view roles as a child actor, he played the lead in the film Naalaiya Theerpu in 1992. Vijay continued doing lead roles for the next few years with mixed results, notable films amongst them included Poove Unakkaga, Love Today, Kadhalukku Mariyadhai, Thulladha Manamum Thullum and Kushi. In 1998, he was awarded Kalaimaamani by the Government of Tamil Nadu.

In 2003, he starred in Ghilli, which became the first Tamil film to gross over ₹500 million and with subsequent success of Thirupaachi and Pokkiri later, he established himself as one of the leading and commercially successful actors in Tamil cinema. Following a period of moderate success, Vijay acted in various critically and commercially successful films starting in the late 2010s including Thuppakki, Kaththi and Sarkar. He has won several awards as an actor.

Referred to as "Thalapathy" (transl. commander), Vijay has a significant fan following. In February 2024, Vijay announced his retirement from films and his entry into politics with the launch of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.