Nitya Vidyasagar (born 1983) is an American actress best known for her role as "Leela" on Sesame Street from 2008 to 2015.
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Nitya Vidyasagar | |
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Born | Nitya Vidyasagar 1983[1] Muscat, Oman |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 2005–present |
Known for | Sesame Street |
Vidyasagar was born in Muscat, Oman to Indian Telugu parents and grew up in India at Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bangalore, before moving to the United States in 1995 at the age of 12.[1] She attended the St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Maryland graduating in 2001.[2][3] 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.[4]
Vidyasagar is the first Indian American cast member of Sesame Street.[5] 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,[6] but the show's writers plan to use parts of Vidyasagar's background in certain episodes.[4] Leela is described as "a young Indian American who embraces her heritage and culture".[7]
Vidyasagar is primarily a stage actress. She trained at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.[8]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2005 | Three | Short | |
2008 | Sita Sings the Blues | Lav, Kush | Animated |
2008–2015 | Sesame Street | Leela | Series Regular |
2009 | Split Ends | Mehar Manjri | Feature film |
2010 | The Good Wife | Frida Verma | Season 1 Episode 20: "Mock" |
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" |
2022 | The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window | Hillary | Episode 4[9] |
2022 | Station 19 | Tabitha Salzman | Season 5 Episode 12: "In My Tree" |
2022 | All Rise | Zoya Hameed |
Title | Role | Notes |
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Modern Terrorism: Or They Who Want to Kill Us and How We Learn to Love Them | Yalda Abbasi | Second Stage Theater[10] |
The Glorious Ones | Armanda | Lincoln Center Theater |
Serendib[11] | Anna | Ensemble Studio Theatre |
Cecilia's Last Tea Party[12][13] | Cecilia | Passage Theatre Company |
A Midsummer Night's Dream[14] | Puck | Flux Theatre Ensemble |
NINJA: The Musical | Janine | Desipina & Co |
Monetizing Emma[15] | Emma | Planet Connections Festival |
Coney Island Avenue | Anna | New York Theatre Workshop |
General | |
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National libraries |
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