R. Madhavan was born on 1 June 1970 in Jamshedpur, India. He is also called Maddy, is a prominent regional Indian film actor, a game show host, a mobile game character, and an active PETA campaigner.

He started his career by acting in Hindi television serials and commercials. He currently works in regional film industries across India, mainly the Tamil film industry. So far, he has acted in Hindi, English, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Bengali. Madhavan is fondly known by his fans as the Chocolate Hero.

Madhavan's first break as a leading actor came in 2000 two years after he began his film career, with the film Alaipayuthey directed by Mani Ratnam, after which he became a pin-up boy because of his performance as Karthik. The film gave him a solid foundation to build his career. Several of his other films have become blockbusters in South India; due to this, he has also built up a prominent market for his films in Bollywood and overseas.

As a seasoned actor, Madhavan began to take on more varied roles, like in Aayitha Ezhuthu, another Mani Ratnam film, where he portrayed the gangster Inba. While filming Ramji Londonwale, he caught the eye of UTV, and became a game host in Deal Ya No Deal, but it lasted for only one series. Madhavan is a prominent figure in India's entertainment business.