Nitya Vidyasagar (born 1983) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

actress best known for her role as "Leela" on ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...

'' from 2008 to 2015.

Early life and education

Vidyasagar was born in

Muscat, Oman Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the Capital (political), capital and most populated city in Oman. It is the seat of the Muscat (governorate), Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the t ...

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. She attended the St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Maryland graduating in 2001. She received a BFA with Honors in Drama

Tisch School of the Arts The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic and media arts school of New York University. Founded on August 17, 1965, Tisch is a training ground for artists, scholars of the a ...

and a Minor in Music from the College of Arts and Sciences, New York University.India West profile
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Career

Vidyasagar is the first Indian American cast member of

. 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, but the show's writers plan to use parts of Vidyasagar's background in certain episodes. Leela is described as "a young Indian American who embraces her heritage and culture". Vidyasagar is primarily a stage actress. She trained at the

Stella Adler Studio of Acting The Stella Adler Studio of Acting (formerly Stella Adler Conservatory) is a prestigious acting school that was founded by actress and teacher Stella Adler.

Filmography

Film and Television

Theatre

References

External links

* Living people 1983 births People from Muscat, Oman Indian emigrants to the United States American film actresses American television actresses American stage actresses American people of Telugu descent American actresses of Indian descent Tisch School of the Arts alumni New York University alumni 21st-century American women 21st-century American actresses {{US-tv-actor-stub