Age: 36
female
Shoba Narayan has quickly established herself as a highly sought-after actress, gaining respect and visibility for her work in film, television and theater. Narayan currently stars as the iconic Princess Jasmine in the long-running Disney hit, ALADDIN, which returned to Broadway this fall. She made her Broadway debut in 2016 opposite Josh Groban in the 12-time Tony-nominated musical NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812, notably becoming the first South Asian female in a principal role since BOMBAY DREAMS, which Playbill called "a personal milestone and a key moment on Broadway." Among her numerous stage credits, she starred as Eliza Hamilton in the national tour of the world phenomenon and Broadway smash hit HAMILTON from Lin-Manuel Miranda; and most recently appeared on Broadway in 2020 as Nessarose in WICKED. Film and television credits include the award-winning independent feature film GROWING UP SMITH directed by Frank Lotito, QUANTICO (Mark Gordon / ABC), HALAL IN THE FAMILY with Aasif Mandvi, GOSSIP GIRL (The CW), COIN HEIST (Netflix) and MISTRESS AMERICA directed by Noah Baumbach. Narayan is a Bharatanatyam (South Indian Classical) dancer and teacher, and has performed extensively throughout the US and India, including major prizes at several international dance competitions. She currently resides in New York.
Shoba Narayan
Lt. Commander Priya Desai
for Lt. Commander Priya Desai in The Sovereign
Suggested by mr95
She became the first Black female Secretary of Defense. What she did next changed the definition of the office forever. Dominique Ashworth has had a career that looks, on paper, like a series of impossible achievements: first Black woman to command a Joint Special Operations unit, first Black woman to serve as National Security Adviser, and now, at 38, the youngest and first Black female Secretary of Defense in US history. The series begins on her third day in office, when she receives intelligence that a covert operation she approved before taking office has gone catastrophically wrong and created a crisis that could destabilize three allied governments. The first season tracks her navigation of this crisis while simultaneously establishing herself in an office that has never seen her kind of presence. Seasons two and three expand the scope: a direct military confrontation with a major adversary that forces her to navigate the full weight of her office, and a domestic political crisis in which she becomes the target of both partisan opposition and a deeper conspiracy within the defense establishment itself. The show is a West Wing-style political drama with a thriller's pace, exploring the intersection of power, race, gender, and national security through a protagonist who refuses to be either a symbol or a cautionary tale. Season 1 — The Crisis Three days into office. A covert operation gone wrong. Dominique must fix a crisis she partially created while establishing herself in the most powerful office she has ever held. Season 2 — The Confrontation A direct military standoff with a major adversary. Dominique must navigate political pressure, military advice, and her own convictions simultaneously. Season 3 — The Conspiracy The defense establishment's hidden network emerges to undermine her. The show's most personal season — Dominique fighting for the office she proved she deserved.
