American Journey

Desai was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but grew up in Binghamton, New York. Her parents are physicians; her father is Indian and her mother is Filipina. Desai is a professional actress. She has performed in many Off-Broadway productions, including The Winter’s Tale (2003), playing opposite David Strathairn, and The Tempest (2008), starring Mandy Patinkin. Her Broadway debut was playing Marta in the Tony Award winning 2006 revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Company, in which her rendition of the show-stopping “Another Hundred People” met with critical praise. Other stage performances include David Schulner's An Infinite Ache in New Haven, Connecticut, and as part of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan, a benefit production performing "Four Black Dragons" and "Next" from Pacific Overtures by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman. The 2001 comedy feature film Black Knight starring Martin Lawrence was Desai’s cinema debut. She has since had supporting roles in such films as Heights and The War Within. Desai's television cre