Thushari Jayasekera

Thushari Jayasekera is a Sri Lankan-American actress, performer, and writer.[1]

Thushari Jayasekera
Thushari Jayasekera at the 6th Annual Taste Awards.
BornJanuary 1984
Sri Lanka
NationalityAmerican

Biography

Thushari is an American actress of South Asian origin. As a child, she moved with her parents to the United States. She was born in Sri Lanka and raised in the US state of California. (In a broader sense of ethnicity she belongs to the South Asian-East Indian Americans category with an American attitude with traditional cultural style.)Thushari was always drawn to performing and writing. She wrote skits and monologues for herself and friends to perform. She wrote and still writes poetry and questions serious situations in the world and writes little solutions. She has acted in independent films such as the Yal Devi, Man Without A Head, and in American & Sri Lankan-American Stage productions including a role as one of the female leads in the dramas Parasthawa & Doopatha presented by the Drama Circle of California(SLADCC).[2]

She has created several independent projects for public broadcast like the Original Recipe which is a variety show with skits, interviews, and music as well as Jelly Noose. Now Jelly Noose is a blog that delivers non-urgent news around town with a Sri Lankan American flavour.[3] She launched a mini-zine titled Apsara[4] which highlights information in the South Asian Community. Currently, she writes and performs original performance arts pieces using words, dance and movement. A well known piece is where she uses actual rain as a metaphor[5] She, also, writes poetry and short stories.[6] She is an announcer/emcee at festivals and events in Southern California and brings her personal style to hosting a show.[7] She is best known for her good acting work, volunteering, community outreach work and outspokenness.[8][9]

Her breakthrough role in prime-time television is that of Pinky on NBC Universal network's sitcom Outsourced 2010–2011. She is a Hollywood entertainment product.

Activities

She volunteered with Rain Bird Corporation to decorate their Rose Parade floats.[10] In 2003, her suggestion "Water Wonderland" was picked for the title of that year's award winning float. In November 2006, she visited Sri Lanka for the first time after living in the USA, and felt love for the land and the people. She was invited to entertain at a local "Housewives Association's Annual Christmas Event" where they help others come up in society. "Even though I was not a Mrs. yet, I was invited to be Mrs. Clause and announce/emcee at the event. I was recommended by a lady who has seen me act in a play in the U.S., I was really excited and it was so cool. Also, interacting with people who live life in Lanka helped me understand their condition a little better, I talked to anyone who would talk to me from the 3 wheeler drivers, security guards, students, soldiers on leave, store clerks, and the potential of the country is tremendous, only if they choose to exercise that potential..."[11] Also, through a friend of the family, she was invited to participate in a segment of the Iraj Show. She participates in rallies to create awareness for fair labour practices for unions.

Highlights
  • Featured in the Shine on Hollywood Magazine May 2013[12]
  • Invited and named an ambassador for Rainforest Rescue's Lanka Conservation programs April 2013[13]

Film and television
Key
Denotes films that have not yet been released
Year Title Role Notes
2009 Yal Devi Savithri Feature Length
2010 Almost Kings High school student
2010 Red Princess Blues Strawberry Mary Short film
2010 Hollywood Wasteland Birthday Party Guest TV series
2010-11 Outsourced Pinky
22 episodes, NBCUniv sitcom
2011 Isolation Diner Customer
2011 Oy Vey Ally
2013 Moonbound24: The Web Series BabyLoon
2013 Arrested Development Bus Passenger Episode 4.3, "Indian Takers" Netflix
2013 The Secret Lives of Dorks Girl in Diner
2013 Mr. Sophistication Comedy Club Patron / Party Guest
2013 The Visitor from Planet Omicron Indian News Anchor
2013 The Extra Female Pedestrian
2016 Man Without a Head Hummer at Barum Post-Production

Audiobooks
  • Love Marriage: A Novel 2012, Audible Inc.

Stage plays
  • 2009 Ramayana-adapted for the kids
  • 2008-Sketch Comedy
  • 2007-Doopatha
  • 2006-Dolige Sihinaya,
  • Stye of the Eye(Durang Durang) with the Actor's Collective at the Underground Theater,
  • Duty First
  • 2005-Parasthawa, Muwan Pellessa (stage drama in Los Angeles)

Presenter and cast of
  • Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies 2016)
  • Golden Raspberry Awards[14] (Razzies 2015)
  • Golden Raspberry Awards 2014
  • Golden Raspberry Awards 2013
  • Golden Raspberry Awards 2012-

-held 1 April 2012 (Razzie Awards 2013-2016 held on the day prior to the Oscars)

Web series/webisodes
  • Moonbound 24
  • Hollywood Wasteland
  • Double Cross

Performance art, sketch, animation, dance and movement

She creates her own performance arts pieces and creates experimental mini story projects online.

  • Girl on the Sidewalk
  • Laila Light
  • Buzz Killers
  • The Biachchi Show
  • Jelly Jam
  • Kundumani-Dance & Movement[15]
  • Tears in the Rain
  • Talk It Out

References
  1. "Thushari Jayasekera".
  2. Sri Lanka Arts And Drama Circle Of California
  3. Jelly Noose
  4. http://www.angelfire.com/film/livejelly/minizine.html
  5. http://www.angelfire.com/my/apsara/raindance.html
  6. Drachenlieb by Thushari Jayasekera
  7. A Golden Night of Excitement | slblogs.org
  10. Sri Lankan Tube: Raoul Rodriguez greets Lankans(from our archives)
  11. http://www.myspace.com/thushariapsara
  12. "Shinemay2013 7".
  13. http://www.rainforestrescue.org.au/blog/2013/04/05/american-actress-thushari-invited-to-be-a-rainforest-rescue-ambassador/
  14. . LA Weekly. 23 February 2015 http://www.laweekly.com/slideshow/backstage-at-las-anti-oscars-show-the-razzies-5405482/24. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. https://www.youtube.com/livejellyvision
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