Nitya Vidyasagar

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In this Indian name, the name Vidyasagar is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Nitya.
Nitya Vidyasagar
Born
Nitya Vidyasagar

(1985-07-11) July 11, 1985 (age 36)
Muscat, Oman
OccupationActress
Years active2005-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[]

  1. ^ "VIDYASAGAR '01 SHINES ON THE SCREEN THANKS TO 'SUNNY DAYS'". St. Andrew's Episcopal School - MD. 11 August 2019.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b India West profile
  3. ^ Choudhury, Uttara (16 July 2016). "A Passage to Hollywood: How Indian Actors are Storming the US Entertainment Industry". The Wire.
  4. ^ Southern Courier article
  5. ^ Sesame Street Season 39 press kit
  6. ^ Sesame Street bio
  7. ^ IMDb profile
  8. ^ Isherwood, Charles (18 October 2012). "Funny, but Plotting Havoc Isn't Easy". The New York Times.
  9. ^ "Serendib | TheaterMania".
  10. ^ http://www.curtainup.com/ceciliaslastteapartynj.html
  11. ^ Gates, Anita (18 May 2008). "Trenton Tea Party". The New York Times.
  12. ^ Sommers, Michael (2 July 2011). "A 'Dream' Perfectly Suited for the Outdoors". The New York Times.
  13. ^ [1]

External links[]

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