# Sarayu Rao
**Sarayu Rao** (born 1975), also known professionally as **Sarayu Blue**, is an American actress best known for her starring role as the cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Sydney Napur in the TNT medical drama *Monday Mornings*, for recurring comedy roles on *Sons of Tucson* and *Outsourced*, and for leading the NBC sitcom *I Feel Bad*.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1975, Madison, Wisconsin, USA[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/sarayu_rao) |
| Other name | Sarayu Blue; married to Jonathan Blue, creative development director at ReKon Productions[2](https://www.edna.cz/herci/sarayu-rao/) |
| Education | BA in Theater Arts, University of Iowa (minor in Spanish); MFA in acting, American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco[3](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=15741) • [2](https://www.edna.cz/herci/sarayu-rao/) |
| Signature TV role | Dr. Sydney Napur, attending cardiothoracic surgeon, *Monday Mornings* (TNT, 2013)[3](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=15741) • [4](https://tana.org/uploads/patrika/pdf/Patrika_2014_April_1624336707.pdf) |
| Lead sitcom role | Emet in NBC's *I Feel Bad* (2018), canceled after one season[2](https://www.edna.cz/herci/sarayu-rao/) |
| Notable films | *Lions for Lambs* (2007), *Blockers* (2018), *To All the Boys: Always and Forever* (2021), *Hollywood Stargirl* (2022), *A Million Miles Away* (2023)[2](https://www.edna.cz/herci/sarayu-rao/) • [1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/sarayu_rao) |
| Family background | Daughter of Telugu literature scholars Velcheru Narayanarao and Nidadavolu Malathi[5](https://www.tana.org/uploads/patrika/pdf/Patrika_2014_February_1624336453.pdf) |
## Early life and education
Rao was born in [Madison, Wisconsin](https://www.edgepedia.org/madison-wisconsin), into a Telugu family from India[2](https://www.edna.cz/herci/sarayu-rao/). Her parents, Velcheru Narayanarao and Nidadavolu Malathi, are prominent scholars of Telugu literature, and her mother writes short stories and articles in Telugu and English[5](https://www.tana.org/uploads/patrika/pdf/Patrika_2014_February_1624336453.pdf) • [2](https://www.edna.cz/herci/sarayu-rao/). She attended West High School in Madison[2](https://www.edna.cz/herci/sarayu-rao/).
Acting began in high school. Rao has said that a lucky audition at fifteen for the school musical *Pippin* showed her that performing made sense to her, and she went on to appear in high-school productions of *Pippin*, *Bye Bye Birdie*, and *Oklahoma*[6](https://pop-culturalist.com/exclusive-interview-pop-culturalist-chats-with-medical-polices-sarayu-blue/) • [3](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=15741). She continued performing in college, earning a BA in Theater Arts from the [University of Iowa](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-iowa) with a minor in Spanish, and then an MFA in acting from the [American Conservatory Theater](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-conservatory-theater) in San Francisco, completing the degree in 2005[3](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=15741) • [2](https://www.edna.cz/herci/sarayu-rao/).
## Stage work
Before her television career, Rao performed at regional theaters across the United States. Her stage roles included Varya in *The Cherry Orchard* at Yale Repertory Theatre, Belle in ACT's *A Christmas Carol*, and Livia in *The Tamer Tamed* at Shakespeare Santa Cruz[3](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=15741).
## Television career
**Recurring and guest roles.** After moving to Los Angeles, Rao accumulated a long list of television credits. She played Lalita Gupta in the first season of *The Big Bang Theory*, and held recurring roles as Angela in the Fox sitcom *Sons of Tucson*, Vimi in NBC's *Outsourced*, and Dr. Susan DePaul on CBS's *NCIS: Los Angeles* across seasons 2, 3, and 6[3](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=15741). Her guest appearances include *In Plain Sight*, *Fairly Legal*, *Franklin & Bash*, *Harry's Law*, *Hawthorne*, *Life*, *Grey's Anatomy*, *Bones*, *Veep*, and *The Bridge*[3](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=15741) • [7](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/sarayu-blue/credits/3030902497/).
**Monday Mornings.** In 2012 Rao was cast as Dr. Sydney Napur in *Monday Mornings*, David E. Kelley's TNT medical drama based on the book by neurosurgeon [Sanjay Gupta](https://www.edgepedia.org/sanjay-gupta)[2](https://www.edna.cz/herci/sarayu-rao/) • [4](https://tana.org/uploads/patrika/pdf/Patrika_2014_April_1624336707.pdf). The character, called Sydney Saxena in the source novel, was written as an Indian-American surgeon described as an "Olympic multi-tasker" married to her career, and Rao described her as a ball of frenzied energy[4](https://tana.org/uploads/patrika/pdf/Patrika_2014_April_1624336707.pdf).
**I Feel Bad.** In 2018 Rao became the lead of the NBC comedy *I Feel Bad*, playing Emet. She has called booking the central character a monumental moment, a rare opportunity for a South Asian American woman to audition for and win a lead part that was not specifically written for one, and has described the experience as a [Cinderella](https://www.edgepedia.org/cinderella) story[2](https://www.edna.cz/herci/sarayu-rao/) • [6](https://pop-culturalist.com/exclusive-interview-pop-culturalist-chats-with-medical-polices-sarayu-blue/). The series was canceled after its first season[2](https://www.edna.cz/herci/sarayu-rao/).
**Later television.** Rao appeared in the Netflix comedy *Medical Police* (2020) and the CBS comedy *The Unicorn*, and in 2024 played Hilary Starr in the Amazon series *[Expats](https://www.edgepedia.org/expats-tv-series)* alongside [Nicole Kidman](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicole-kidman)[8](https://telltaletv.com/2020/01/sarayu-blue-talks-medical-police-the-unicorn-and-diversity-on-television-exclusive-interview/) • [2](https://www.edna.cz/herci/sarayu-rao/). Her credits also include *Never Have I Ever*, *XO, Kitty*, *History of the World, Part II*, *The Shrink Next Door*, and *Station 19*[7](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/sarayu-blue/credits/3030902497/).
## Film career
Rao's first significant film role came in *Lions for Lambs* (2007), directed by [Robert Redford](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-redford), in which she appeared alongside Redford, Tom Cruise, and [Meryl Streep](https://www.edgepedia.org/meryl-streep)[2](https://www.edna.cz/herci/sarayu-rao/). She had earlier appeared in the [Dimple Kapadia](https://www.edgepedia.org/dimple-kapadia) drama *Leela* (2002)[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/sarayu_rao).
Her later film work has leaned toward comedy and family films. She played Marcie in the [Universal Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/universal-pictures) comedy *Blockers* (2018) opposite [John Cena](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-cena), Carolyn in *Happiest Season* (2020), and Trina Rothschild, the neighbor the girls' father falls for, in the Netflix film *To All the Boys: Always and Forever* (2021)[2](https://www.edna.cz/herci/sarayu-rao/) • [1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/sarayu_rao). She played Alex in *Hollywood Stargirl* (2022), the highest-rated title on her Rotten Tomatoes record at 94 percent, and portrayed astronaut [Kalpana Chawla](https://www.edgepedia.org/kalpana-chawla) in the 2023 biographical film *A Million Miles Away*[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/sarayu_rao).
## Representation and influences
Rao has spoken about the scarcity of South Asian American leads on American television. She has cited the actress [Sarita Choudhury](https://www.edgepedia.org/sarita-choudhury), whom she saw in *[Mississippi Masala](https://www.edgepedia.org/mississippi-masala)*, as one of the first Indian American actresses she had seen in lead roles in American movies, and as someone who paved the way for performers working now[6](https://pop-culturalist.com/exclusive-interview-pop-culturalist-chats-with-medical-polices-sarayu-blue/). In interviews with Telugu American community publications, she has been profiled as an example of an Indian American actor building a Hollywood career, playing both Indian and non-Indian characters[5](https://www.tana.org/uploads/patrika/pdf/Patrika_2014_February_1624336453.pdf).
## References
1. [Sarayu Blue Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/sarayu_rao)
2. [Sarayu Rao, Edna.cz](https://www.edna.cz/herci/sarayu-rao/)
3. [Sarayu Rao, TVSA](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=15741)
4. [TANA Patrika, April 2014, interview with Sarayu Rao](https://tana.org/uploads/patrika/pdf/Patrika_2014_April_1624336707.pdf)
5. [TANA Patrika, February 2014, "Telugu Doc in Hollywood"](https://www.tana.org/uploads/patrika/pdf/Patrika_2014_February_1624336453.pdf)
6. [Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Medical Police's Sarayu Blue](https://pop-culturalist.com/exclusive-interview-pop-culturalist-chats-with-medical-polices-sarayu-blue/)
7. [Sarayu Blue List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/sarayu-blue/credits/3030902497/)
8. [Sarayu Blue Talks 'Medical Police,' 'The Unicorn,' and Diversity on Television, Tell-Tale TV](https://telltaletv.com/2020/01/sarayu-blue-talks-medical-police-the-unicorn-and-diversity-on-television-exclusive-interview/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames R to Ri*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license