Anoop Desai

Desai was born in Cary, North Carolina and grew up in Cary. His family moved to nearby Chapel Hill in 1998. Desai's father, Manoj Desai, graduated from IIT Kanpur and came to the US in 1977. His mother, Nalini Desai, grew up in Navsari, Gujarat.{{cite news|url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/2009/mar/19anoop-desai-in-american-idol-top-10.htm|title=Anoop Desai in American Idol top 10|first=Arthur J|last=Pais|date=March 19, 2009|work=Rediff.com}} The family is of Indian descent.

In the 1990s, Desai appeared on the WRAL-TV (NC Triangle) television children's show, CentralXpress.com, and played the character "Raj". The show won multiple awards, including seven regional Emmys, two national Iris awards, and a national Gabriel Award.[http://www.wral.com/entertainment/blogpost/4811492/ Anoop Before Idol] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090526101822/http://www.wral.com/entertainment/blogpost/4811492/ |date=May 26, 2009 }}

Desai attended Carnage Middle School and Phillips Middle School, then later went on to attend East Chapel Hill High School, graduating in 2004. He was awarded a four-year academic merit scholarship to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was the Haywood W. Hinkle Carolina scholar from 2004 to 2008.[http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/apr05/schol041505.html UNC News Release]

After being accepted to the UNC, Desai joined the UNC Clef Hangers, a long-standing male a cappella group founded in 1977.{{cite web|url=http://www.clefhangers.com |title=The UNC Clef Hangers :: Carolina's Oldest A Cappella Group |publisher=Clefhangers.com |access-date=January 10, 2010}} Desai served as the group's music director during his junior year and as the group's president his senior year. Desai's performance as a soloist on the song "She Has No Time" was recognized with the BOCA 2007 (Best of College A Cappella).[http://www.clefhangers.com/albums.asp UNC Clef Hangers Album Details] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211210336/http://www.clefhangers.com/albums.asp |date=February 11, 2009 }}

Desai graduated from UNC in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and American studies.[http://media.herald-dispatch.com/blog/idol/2009/03/anoop-desai-i-dont-want-to-typecast.html The Herald Dispatch] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090314014255/http://media.herald-dispatch.com/blog/idol/2009/03/anoop-desai-i-dont-want-to-typecast.html |date=March 14, 2009 }} He was awarded the 2008 Peter C. Baxter Memorial Prize in American Studies, as one who exemplified "intellectual excellence, personal warmth and creativity.[http://uncnews.unc.edu/news/students/67-unc-students-receive-academic-service-leadership-awards.html UNC Student News] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090323053108/http://uncnews.unc.edu/news/students/67-unc-students-receive-academic-service-leadership-awards.html |date=March 23, 2009 }}

Desai rose to national fame with his participation in the eighth season of American Idol. Motivated by the death of his friend Eve Carson,{{cite web|title=Lil Rounds and Anoop Desai - Anoop desai|url=http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/anoop_desai|access-date=January 10, 2010|publisher=American Idol}} Desai auditioned for American Idol on August 8, 2008, in Kansas City, Missouri, and was selected as a semifinalist following his "Hollywood Week" performances. Although he was not one of the three finalists chosen out of his semifinal performance group, he returned as a "Wild Card." On that broadcast, Simon Cowell announced that Desai would continue on as a finalist as part of the first ever Top 13 in Idol history.

Desai's first finals performance of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" was panned by the judges, with Simon Cowell saying that it was "very lightweight" and that he regretted choosing Desai for the Top 13. But Desai won the judges over again the next week, when he sang Willie Nelson's classic country ballad "Always On My Mind" for "Grand Ole Opry Week." Even Cowell was impressed enough to retract his earlier remarks. Desai's rendition of Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" three weeks later also garnered praise from the judges.

Despite celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres and Keith Urban said they favored Desai to win,{{Cite web|url=https://theboot.com/keith-urban-on-piano-serenades-and-idol-worship/|title=Keith Urban on Piano Serenades and 'Idol' Worship|last=Betts|first=Stephen L.|website=The Boot|date=April 17, 2009 |language=en|access-date=April 2, 2020}} he was voted off as part of a double elimination Top 7 week. He returned for the season finale to perform "I'm Yours" with fellow Idol contestant Alexis Grace and singer Jason Mraz.

{{refbegin}}

• {{note|1|Note 1}} Desai was initially eliminated, as he did not receive enough votes to advance immediately to the Top 12. However, on the March 4 results show, the American Idol judges selected him as one of the 8 Wild Card contenders.
• {{note|2|Note 2}} Desai was selected as one of the finalists. His selection marked the first time in the show's history that 13 finalists were chosen.
• {{note|3|Note 3}} When Ryan Seacrest announced the results in the particular night, Desai was in the bottom three, but declared safe second when Megan Joy was eliminated.
• {{note|4|Note 4}} When Ryan Seacrest announced the results in the particular night, Desai was in the bottom three, but declared safe second when Scott MacIntyre was eliminated.
• {{note|5|Note 5}} Desai was saved first from elimination.
• {{note|6|Note 6}} Due to the judges using their one save to save Matt Giraud, the Top 7 remained intact for another week, in which there was a double elimination.

{{refend}}

File:Anoop Desai.jpg

After appearing on American Idol, Desai appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, The Mo'Nique Show,{{cite web|url=http://anoopdesai.com/news/article/1039 |title=Anoop Desai Official News - Updated Daily with Videos, Photos, Interviews, Links and News Stories |access-date=January 20, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707145240/http://anoopdesai.com/news/article/1039 |archive-date=July 7, 2011 }} Access Hollywood, Today, and local radio stations across the nation. He also performed with Amos Lee in Atlanta, Georgia. Desai was part of the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009 with his fellow Top 10 contestants; the tour visited fifty cities in the United States and Canada from July 5 to September 15, 2009.

In 2010, Desai released his first solo single, "My Name," and his debut album, All Is Fair.{{cite web |url=http://www.iheartradio.com/new2/discover/index.html |title=IHeartRadio.com 750+ Radio Stations, Videos & More |website=www.iheartradio.com |access-date=January 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090519101436/http://www.iheartradio.com/new2/discover/index.html |archive-date=May 19, 2009 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=http://www.iheartradio.com/new2/featured/f/2878 |title=Archived copy |website=www.iheartradio.com |access-date=January 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100905045140/http://www.iheartradio.com/new2/featured/f/2878 |archive-date=September 5, 2010 |url-status=dead}}{{cite news| url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/idolchatter/post/2010/01/anoop-desai-preparing-debut-set/1 | work=USA Today | title=Anoop Desai preparing debut set | date=January 22, 2010}} Desai's second single, "All Is Fair (Crazy Love)," was selected by Clear Channel Music and he as an iHeartRadio "artist to watch" for September 2010 with this single as the featured track.{{cite web|url=http://anoopdesai.com/news/article/450 |title=Anoop Desai Official News - Updated Daily with Videos, Photos, Interviews, Links and News Stories |access-date=April 25, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707144919/http://anoopdesai.com/news/article/450 |archive-date=July 7, 2011 }}

In 2012, Desai began writing and performing R&B leaning pop music under the pseudonym TOTEM.{{cite web| url=https://www.yahoo.com/music/the-artists-formerly-known-as-idols-new-names-234233370.html| title=The Artists Formerly Known As Idols: New Names, Same Talent| last=Parker| first=Lyndsey| publisher=Yahoo! Music| date=June 29, 2016 |access-date=March 4, 2019}} The first TOTEM songs were released anonymously and independently on small blogs before being picked up by the likes of FADER,{{Cite web |title=The FADER - TOTEM |url=https://www.thefader.com/artist/totem |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=The FADER |language=en}} Billboard,{{Cite magazine |title=TOTEM |url=https://www.billboard.com/author/totem/ |access-date=2023-12-18 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}} and Complex.{{Cite web |last=Tanners |first=Jon |title=Totem - "lo-fi" |url=https://www.complex.com/pigeons-and-planes/a/jon-tanners/totem-lo-fi |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=Complex |language=en-us}} Eventually, TOTEM garnered significant success on marquee playlists like Spotify's "New Music Friday" and "Pop Rising", and Apple Music's "Best of the Week" and "A-List Pop." In 2016, he headlined the BMI stage at Lollapalooza.

His music, including the singles "Bubblegum" and "Aftertaste," combined with music he has written for other artists, have been streamed tens of millions of times.{{Cite web |title=Spotify |url=https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Nmzni4mLSbgpRyDim6yYG?si=5tQpL49WQ0CH1xMKJDmWag |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=open.spotify.com}}{{Cite web |title=Spotify |url=https://open.spotify.com/track/0uUOYmOu7V6v18XLkVtjDF?si=0ca93b02cdfc4ba9 |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=open.spotify.com}}

In 2018, Desai was offered a role in the developmental Lab of the then Broadway-bound production of The Secret Garden.{{Cite web |last=McPhee |first=Ryan |date=May 9, 2018 |title=Playbill |url=https://playbill.com/article/sierra-boggess-matt-doyle-more-set-for-lab-presentation-of-broadway-bound-the-secret-garden}} In 2019, Desai made his Off-Broadway debut at MCC Theater in the world-premiere of The Wrong Man, a musical written by fellow pop songwriter Ross Golan.{{Cite web |last=Olivia |first=Clement |date=August 20, 2019 |title=Playbill.com |url=https://playbill.com/article/full-cast-unveiled-for-ross-golan-musical-the-wrong-man}}

In 2020, Desai made his professional on-screen debut on the fifth season of Billions. Later TV guest appearances include Little Voice, Russian Doll, and Evil. In 2021, Desai began portraying the Djinn in the fourth season of What We Do in the Shadows to wide acclaim.{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Anne Victoria |date=2022-09-01 |title=What We Do in the Shadows' Anoop Desai Understood the Assignment |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/what-we-do-in-the-shadows-anoop-desai-djinn-season-4.html |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=Vulture |language=en}} He continues to reprise the role. Desai is next expected to play a major role as Raj Masihajjar in Under the Bridge.

In 2023, Desai made his feature film debut in The Adults.{{Cite web |title=The Adults - Encounters 2023 |url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/2023/programme/202302847.html |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=www.berlinale.de |language=en}} His next feature film role will be in the upcoming film Babygirl.

{{Reflist}}

• [http://anoopdesai.com/ Anoop Desai Official Website]
• [http://www.inthespotlight-online.com/single-post/2015/02/26/In-the-Spotlight-with-Anoop-Desai In the Spotlight with Anoop Desai]

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Category:1986 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American singers

Category:American Idol participants

Category:American male singers of Indian descent

Category:Singers from North Carolina

Category:Musicians from Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Category:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni

Category:People from Cary, North Carolina

Category:21st-century American male singers

Category:American male television actors

Category:American male actors of Indian descent

Category:Actors from North Carolina

Category:21st-century American male actors