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Sonal Shah | |
|---|---|
| Born | Wheaton, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, voice artist |
| Years active | 2004–present |
Sonal Shah is an Americanactress andvoice artist who may be best known for her recurring role as Dr. Sonja "Sunny" Dey on the seriesScrubs.
Shah was born and raised inWheaton, Illinois. Her parents, Bhadresh and Mrudula Shah, areGujaratiJains who moved fromMumbai,Maharashtra,India to theUnited States in 1970.[1][2][3]
Shah graduated fromWheaton Warrenville South High School. She was named the 1998DuPage County Fair Queen in July 1998.[4]
Shah graduated cum laude fromLoyola University inChicago with a major in theatre, minors inpsychology,biology andchemistry, and a concentration in pre-medicine. While a student at Loyola, Shah joined theAlpha Sigma Alpha sorority. "I sincerely planned to go to medical school," Shah told a Wheaton, Illinois newspaper in March 2009. "I love studying science, but I realized that my passion for performing outweighed my passion for wanting to be a doctor."[1]
After graduation, Shah became a staple in the Chicago Theatre Community and performed with The Tony Award Winning Goodman Theatre among others. She is a founding member of Rasaka Theatre Company, which explores South Asian plays and playwrights, and supplemented her acting education at The Moscow Art Theatre School at Harvard University.[5]
Shah moved toLos Angeles in 2006 and began appearing in commercials and sketch comedy. She also has acted withSecond City theatres in Chicago and Los Angeles.[1]
In 2009, Shah began appearing onScrubs as Dr. Sonja "Sunny" Dey, who is one of the young interns newly cast in the show's eighth season. In addition, Shah appeared in the show'swebisode seriesScrubs: Interns. Shah returns as a guest star on the ninth season ofScrubs, in the fifth episode.
Shah also has a role in the 2009 teen comedy filmRatko: The Dictator's Son, aNational Lampoon production.
| Year | Title | Production | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | World of Weird | Short film | Jenny |
| 2004 | Homecoming | Short film | Mona |
| 2006 | The PTA | Unsold pilot | Waif |
| 2007 | Robot Love | Short film | Silver Robot |
| 2009 | Ratko: The Dictator's Son | Layla | |
| 2009 | Scrubs: Interns | 12 episodes | Sunny |
| 2009 | Scrubs | 8 episodes | Sunny |
| 2011 | Losing Control Danger | ||
| 2011 | The Old Leave Behind | Short film | Jess |
| 2011 | Snooze, Charlie | Short film | Charlie |
| 2011 | Sati Shaves Her Head | Short film | Sati |
| 2011 | Ek Bar Phir, Ek Saath Phir | Short film | Aishwarya |
| 2012 | The First Date | Short film | Amanda |
| 2012 | Incident on Marmont Avenue | Short film | Becca |
| 2012 | ...Or Die | Short film | Parv's Friend |
| 2012 | Squad 85 | 3 episodes | Reporter |
| 2013 | Baby Mentalist | TV short | Reporter |
| 2013 | Back to School Night | Video short | Mrs. Patel |
| 2013 | Black Coffee | Short film | Ms. Flag |
| 2013 | Barrel 28 | Short film | Veronica |
| 2013 | Reunion | Short film | Beth |
| 2013 | Straight Out of the Closet | TV movie | Alecia |
| 2014 | Bro | Short film | Olivia |
| 2014 | Transparent | 1 episode | Female Student |
| 2014 | Spring Training | Short film | Kelly |
| 2015 | The Startup | 1 episode | Sophie |
| 2015 | Miss India America | Volunteer 1 | |
| 2015 | Grace and Sumitra | Unsold pilot | Sumitra |
| 2016 | Showcase: One Network's Search for White Diversity | Video short | Network Executive |
| 2016–2018 | The Powerpuff Girls | 3 episodes | Sapna (voice), Additional Voices |
| 2016 | New Girl | 1 episode | Flight Attendant |
| 2016 | The Day Of | Short film | Chandra |
| 2013 | Anarkali Blossoms | Short film | Satya |
| 2015 | Limitless Love | Short film | Dr. Vicky |
| 2016 | Princess Rehab | Short film | Jamie |
| 2017 | Mike Boy | Darsha | |
| 2020 | Definition Please | Dr. Ali |
Her Jain parents, Gujarati born and Mumbai raised, settled in the suburbs of Chicago where Shah was born and raised, she describes them as "the most wonderful people alive."
