Aneesh Sheth

Aneesh Sheth is an Indian-American actress and transgender activist born on January 5, 1982, in India, who relocated to the United States at a young age. Her parents were supportive of the theatrical arts, and Sheth began performing on stage at the age of seven.

Sheth's Broadway career includes a 2006 appearance in Bombay Dreams. Her screen work began with a recurring role as Kami Sutra in the NBC sitcom Outsourced, in which she appeared in two episodes. Sheth has described the role as a turning point, noting that it led her to the conclusion that she should not limit herself because of who she is.

In 2008, Sheth began her gender transition. Her involvement with The Trevor Project and The Stigma Project, both organizations focused on LGBTQ youth, preceded that decision. Hearing transgender people speak through that work led her to recognize her own identity as a trans woman. Her coming out was met with a range of responses from family and friends, resulting in the loss of some relationships while strengthening others.

Sheth was cast as Gillian in the third and final season of the Marvel series Jessica Jones. She has noted that her character's transgender identity is not addressed as a plot point within the show, which she described as a positive reflection of how trans people exist in the world beyond their identity narratives. A similar approach was taken with her character Amy in the film Red, White and Royal Blue, in which Amy's being trans is likewise not made a focal point of the story.