Nitya Vidyasagar

Nitya Vidyasagar is an American actress best known for her role as 'Leela' on Sesame Street from 2008 to 2015. Born in Muscat, Oman to Indian Telugu parents, Vidyasagar grew up in India before moving to the United States in 1995. She attended St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Maryland and later graduated with Honors in Drama from Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. As the first Indian American cast member of Sesame Street, Vidyasagar portrayed Leela, a young Indian American character who embraced her heritage and culture. Besides her television role, Vidyasagar is primarily a stage actress and trained at the Stella Adler Studio.