Angel Desai

Angel Desai, born Apsara Desai in Philadelphia, is an American actress who grew up in Binghamton, New York. Her father is Gujarati and her mother is Filipina, and both of her parents are physicians. She developed an interest in performance during her school years, participating in musical and acting activities before graduating from high school in 1990. She went on to earn a degree from Oberlin College and later received an MFA from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Acting Program in 1997.

Desai made her Broadway debut in 2006, playing Marta in the Tony Award-winning revival of Stephen Sondheim's Company, a production in which she performed "Another Hundred People." Her Off-Broadway work includes a 2003 production of The Winter's Tale, in which she appeared opposite David Strathairn, and a 2008 production of The Tempest starring Mandy Patinkin. Additional stage credits include David Schulner's An Infinite Ache, performed in New Haven, Connecticut, and participation in Shinsai: Theaters for Japan, a benefit production in which she performed "Four Black Dragons" and "Next" from Pacific Overtures by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman.

Her screen career began with the 2001 comedy film Black Knight, starring Martin Lawrence. She subsequently appeared in supporting roles in the films Heights and The War Within. On television, Desai has held recurring roles in The Education of Max Bickford, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Kings, Dollhouse, The Event, Jessica Jones, and Damages.

Beyond her acting work, Desai is a founding member of the Asian American Performers Action Coalition. She plays both violin and piano and performs as a jazz vocalist with the Angel Desai/Oscar Perez Quartet. She also volunteers with the 52nd Street Project, a non-profit organization based in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood.