31 Facts About Sheetal Sheth

Sheetal Sheth is an American actress, author, producer, and activist of Indian descent.

Sheetal Sheth debuted in the film ABCD and has appeared in the films American Chai, I Can't Think Straight, and The World Unseen.

Sheetal Sheth has published op-eds in CNN, The Daily Beast, and Thrive Global.

Sheetal Sheth is the author of a series of picture books, beginning with the book Always Anjali.

Sheetal Sheth was born in Trenton, New Jersey, and is a first-generation Gujarati Indian American.

Sheetal Sheth's parents came to the United States from Gujarat, India in 1972.

Sheetal Sheth's parents were devout Jains, but they enrolled Sheth in the local Catholic school, which she attended until age 12 when her family moved to Trenton.

Sheetal Sheth attended Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where she was involved in student government, serving on the student advisory board.

Sheetal Sheth received the student government award for her contribution to the school, and was one of two students invited to speak at her commencement.

At Tisch, Sheetal Sheth studied classic literature, and some of her favorite works included Antigone and The Crucible.

Sheetal Sheth trained in method acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.

Sheetal Sheth spent a summer abroad in Amsterdam as part of the intensive International Theatre Workshop, studying under acting teachers such as Kristin Linklater.

Sheetal Sheth was selected to participate in the Tisch Scholars Program.

Sheetal Sheth made her film debut as the lead in the 1999 film ABCD, starring opposite Aasif Mandvi and Faran Tahir.

In 2005, Sheetal Sheth starred as Maya opposite Albert Brooks in Brooks' film Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World.

Sheetal Sheth performed in the ensemble The Trouble With Romance and starred in the thriller First Fear opposite Sean Patrick Flanery.

Sheetal Sheth's work brought her to the attention of the award-winning writer and director Shamim Sarif.

Sheetal Sheth starred opposite Lisa Ray in two lesbian themed films, I Can't Think Straight and The World Unseen, both written and directed by Sarif.

Sheetal Sheth won three Best Actress awards for her performance in The World Unseen.

Sheetal Sheth went on to perform in Why Am I Doing This and starred in Stalemate opposite Josh Randall and Burgess Jenkins, for which she was nominated for Best Actress at the 2011 Staten Island Film Festival.

In 2011, Sheetal Sheth starred opposite Mercedes Masohn and Angela Zahra in Three Veils, which portrays three Middle Eastern women living in the United States.

In 2012, Sheetal Sheth continued to choose a variety of challenging roles in independent films.

Sheetal Sheth again paired with Chen in Nice Girls Crew, which stars Michelle Krusiec, and starred in The Wisdom Tree, a film blending science fiction, new age, and mysticism.

Sheetal Sheth stepped behind the camera to co-produce Reign, a short film dramatizing how miscommunication can lead to war.

Sheetal Sheth starred in the film, which was written and directed by Kimberly Jentzen and shot by Oscar-nominated Cinematographer Jack Green.

Sheetal Sheth embarked on her acting career at a time when opportunities for South Asians, particularly Indian American women, in the industry were scarce.

Sheetal Sheth's experience taught her that her ethnicity would often influence casting decisions, a factor she had not anticipated given her background and perspective.

Sheetal Sheth was selected as the spokesperson for CHI haircare products and represented Reebok's New York sneaker in their 2008 international Freestyle campaign.

Sheetal Sheth was the first Indian American to appear in Maxim magazine.

Sheetal Sheth participates in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles as a Big Sister, and supports and promotes Women's Voices Now, an organization which encourage communities that are under-represented in American media, to make their voices heard.

In June 2019, Sheetal Sheth revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer.