Nitya Vidyasagar
Nitya Vidyasagar | |
---|---|
Born | Nitya Vidyasagar July 11, 1985 |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 2005-present |
Nitya Vidyasagar (born July 11, 1985) is an Omani-born Indian-American actress best known for her role as "Leela" on Sesame Street from 2008 to 2016.
Early life and education[]
Vidyasagar was born in Muscat, Oman on July 11, 1985. She grew up in India and the United States and attended the St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Maryland graduating in 2001.[1] She received a BFA with Honors in Drama Tisch School of the Arts and a Minor in Music from the College of Arts and Sciences, New York University.[2]
Career[]
Vidyasagar is the first Indian-American cast member of Sesame Street.[3] Leela runs a laundromat next to Mr. Hooper's Store. Sesame Street producers were not looking for an Indian-American actress before they cast Vidyasagar,[4] but the show's writers plan to use parts of Vidyasagar's background in certain episodes.[2] Leela is described as "a young Indian-American who embraces her heritage and culture".[5]
Vidyasagar is primarily a stage actress. She trained at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.[6]
Filmography[]
Film and Television[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Three | Short | |
2008 | Sita Sings the Blues | Lav, Kush | Animated |
2008–16 | Sesame Street | Leela | Series Regular |
2009 | Split Ends | Mehar Manjri | Feature film |
2010 | The Good Wife | Frida Verma | Season 1 Episode 20: "Mock"[7] |
2010 | Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps | Secretary | |
2012 | Smash | Jill Abrams | Season 1 Episode 5: "Lets Be Bad" |
2015 | The Player | Medina Raqib | Season 1 Episode 1: "Pilot" |
2016 | Major Crimes | Amala | Season 5 Episode 1: "Present Tense" |
2017 | Blue Bloods | Dr. Nadia Khan | Season 8 Episode 9: "Pain Killers" |
2017 | Suits | Stephanie Patel | Recurring |
2017 | Raksha | Archana | Short |
2018 | SEAL Team | Meera Nelson | Season 1 Episode 12: "The Upside Down" |
2018 | Mammoth | Nitya | Short |
2019 | Velvet Buzzsaw | Gita | |
2019 | Troopers | Una | Recurring |
2019 | S.W.A.T. | Sergeant Wilson | Season 2 Episode 21: "Day of Dread" |
2019 | NCIS: Los Angeles | Natasha | Season 11 Episode 10: "Mother" |
Theatre[]
Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|
Modern Terrorism: Or They Who Want to Kill Us and How We Learn to Love Them | Yalda Abbasi | Second Stage Theater[8] |
The Glorious Ones | Armanda | Lincoln Center Theater |
Serendib[9] | Anna | Ensemble Studio Theatre |
Cecilia's Last Tea Party[10][11] | Cecilia | Passage Theatre Company |
A Midsummer Night's Dream[12] | Puck | Flux Theatre Ensemble |
NINJA: The Musical | Janine | Desipina & Co |
Monetizing Emma[13] | Emma | Planet Connections Festival |
Coney Island Avenue | Anna | New York Theatre Workshop |
References[]
- ^ "VIDYASAGAR '01 SHINES ON THE SCREEN THANKS TO 'SUNNY DAYS'". St. Andrew's Episcopal School - MD. 11 August 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b India West profile
- ^ Choudhury, Uttara (16 July 2016). "A Passage to Hollywood: How Indian Actors are Storming the US Entertainment Industry". The Wire.
- ^ Southern Courier article
- ^ Sesame Street Season 39 press kit
- ^ Sesame Street bio
- ^ IMDb profile
- ^ Isherwood, Charles (18 October 2012). "Funny, but Plotting Havoc Isn't Easy". The New York Times.
- ^ "Serendib | TheaterMania".
- ^ http://www.curtainup.com/ceciliaslastteapartynj.html
- ^ Gates, Anita (18 May 2008). "Trenton Tea Party". The New York Times.
- ^ Sommers, Michael (2 July 2011). "A 'Dream' Perfectly Suited for the Outdoors". The New York Times.
- ^ [1]
External links[]
- Living people
- 1985 births
- American actresses of Indian descent
- People from Muscat, Oman
- Omani actresses
- Tisch School of the Arts alumni
- American television actor stubs