Sanjit De Silva (born 31 October 1976) is a

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

n actor and director who is known for his roles in ''

The Company Men ''The Company Men'' is a 2010 American drama film, written and directed by John Wells. It features Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, Chris Cooper and Tommy Lee Jones. It premiered at the 26th Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2010 and had a ...

'' and '' American Desi''.

Early life

De Silva was born in

Colombo Colombo, ( ; , ; , ), is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is the ...

and graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

Career

De Silva appeared in his first television series, '' American Desi'', in the role of Chandu. In 2005 he appeared as a doctor in ''

Jonny Zero ''Jonny Zero'' is an American television action-crime drama series, created and written by R. Scott Gemmill and executive produced by John Wells, that premiered on Fox on January 14, 2005. The series principally stars Franky G as Jonny Calvo ...

'' and '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''. De Silva has also appeared in several

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, launching the ''Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire ...

franchise series, where he appeared as V.J. in season 5, episode 2: "Diamond Dogs" of Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Ali Mohammed in season 17, episode 15: "Melting Pot"

. In 2013, he directed his first film ''Time After'' where he received funds from

Kickstarter Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...

with over 200 backers for the film. In 2016, De Silva appeared in

Thomas Kail Thomas Kail (born January 20, 1977) is an American theatre director, television director and producer, known for directing the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of Lin-Manuel Miranda's musicals '' In the Heights'' and ''Hamilton'', garneri ...

's production of the world premiere of ''Dry Powder'' at

The Public Theater The Public Theater is an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: ...

in New York City opposite

Hank Azaria Henry Albert Azaria ( ; born April 25, 1964) is an American actor and producer. He is known for voicing many characters in the long-running animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' since 1989, including Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Superintendent Chalmer ...

Claire Danes Claire Catherine Danes (born April 12, 1979) is an American actress. Prolific in film and television since her teens, she is the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2012, ''Time (magazine), Time'' named he ...

and

John Krasinski John Burke Krasinski (; born October 20, 1979) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his role as Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom ''The Office'' (2005–2013), where he was also a producer and occasional director. He directed, co-w ...

. In Summer of 2016, De Silva performed at New York's

Shakespeare in the Park Shakespeare in the Park is a term for outdoor festivals featuring productions of William Shakespeare's plays. The term originated with the New York Shakespeare Festival in New York City's Central Park, originally created by Joseph Papp. This conc ...

in ''

Troilus and Cressida ''The Tragedy of Troilus and Cressida'', often shortened to ''Troilus and Cressida'' ( or ), is a play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1602. At Troy during the Trojan War, Troilus and Cressida begin a love affair. Cressida is forc ...

''. He also appeared in TV commercials on behalf of Shakespeare in the Park. He starred as Azeem Bhatti in the play An Ordinary Muslim, written by Hammaad Chaudry at the New York Theatre Workshop in 2018.

Personal life

De Silva is married to British-Indian actress Deepa Purohit and they have one child.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* *
De Silva's production company
*
Sanjit De Silva
at Internet Off-Broadway Database {{DEFAULTSORT:De Silva, Sanjit 21st-century Sri Lankan male actors 1976 births Living people Sri Lankan emigrants to the United States Sri Lankan male film actors Sri Lankan male television actors Male actors from Colombo