Nitya Vidyasagar

Nitya Vidyasagar
Born	July 11, 1983 (1983-07-11) (age 28) Muscat, Oman

Nitya Vidyasagar is an Indian-American actress best known for her role as "Leela" on Sesame Street.

Vidyasagar was born on July 11, 1983 in Muscat, Oman. She moved to India with her family when she was one year old and to the United States when she was 12. She received a BFA with Honors in Drama Tisch School of the Arts. NYU and a Minor in Music from the College of Arts and Sciences, New York University.^[1]

Vidyasagar is the first Indian-American cast member of Sesame Street. 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,^[2] but the show's writers plan to use parts of Vidyasagar's background in certain episodes.^[1] Leela is described as "a young Indian-American who embraces her heritage and culture."^[3]

Vidyasagar is primarily a stage actress. She trained at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.^[4] Her stage credits include:

• Jaquenetta Love's Labours Lost for the Shakespeare Theatre Company.^[5]
• Armanda (u/s) The Glorious Ones at the Lincoln Center Theatre.
• Anna: Serendib at the Ensemble Studio Theatre.
• Cecilia’s: Cecilia's Last Tea Party. Passage Theatre Company.
• Puck: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Flux Theatre Ensemble
• Janine: NINJA: The Musical. Desipina & Co
• Emma: Monetizing Emma ^[6] Planet Connections Festival.
• Anna: Coney Island Avenue. New York Theatre Workshop

Her Screen and Television work includes appearances in:

• Split Ends feature film. Back Pocket Prod (Dir. Dorothy Lyman)
• The television program on CBS "The Good Wife".^[7]
• Wall Street 2:Money Never Sleeps. Guest star 20th Century Fox (Dir. Oliver Stone)
• Sita Sings The Blues: Nina Paley Prod (Dir. Nina Paley)
• Sesame Street PBS Series Regular Leela.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} India West profile
2. ^ Southern Courier article
3. ^ Sesame Street Season 39 press kit
4. ^ Sesame Street bio
5. ^ Playbll
6. ^ [1]
7. ^ IMDb profile

Persondata
Name
Alternative names
Short description	American actor
Date of birth	July 11, 1983
Place of birth	Muscat, Oman
Date of death
Place of death