Theatre alum Amita Rao is stealing scenes in breakout comedies ‘Adults’ and ‘Deli Boys’

By Debbie Farris

Amita Rao discovered her voice on the stages of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts. Now, she's bringing that same fearless energy to TV - and the industry is taking notice.

Rao, who graduated from VCU in 2020, plays scene-stealing roles on both Hulu's "Deli Boys" and FX's "Adults," shows that debuted in the spring of last year and proved to be a hit with audiences. The second season of "Deli Boys" was released in May this year, and "Adults" will air its second season starting in August.

Rao has particularly attracted attention as one of the lead actors on "Adults," a show created by former "Tonight Show" writers that follows a group of twenty-somethings navigating the wins, losses and humiliations of early adulthood in New York. Rao plays Issa, a loud and passionate character who "wants you to ask about" her armpit hair, according to the FX website. The show recently had a special premiere of its second season at the Tribeca Festival in New York.

For Rao, the journey to screen stardom started at VCU, not only in the theatre department but doing improv in a Richmond living room with her close collaborator, Chelsea Matkins, a fellow theatre student who graduated in 2021.

After graduation from VCU, Rao headed to Chicago to sharpen her craft, training in long-form improv at The Second City and joining a house team at The Annoyance Theatre, the stage that also launched Jason Sudeikis and Aidy Bryant, as reported on media platform DESIbltiz.

In 2022, the Centreville, Virginia, native's hard work paid off when she was selected for the NBC Universal/The Second City Bob Curry Fellowship and twice showcased for "Saturday Night Live."

Momentum kept building for Rao, and in 2024, she landed recurring roles on both "Deli Boys," where she plays Nandika, and "Adults." This year, she also joined the cast of the upcoming film "Wishful Thinking," with Lewis Pullman and Maya Hawke.

Rao has been candid about how much of herself she brings to the screen. Speaking about playing Issa in a DESIblitz story, she said, "I think Issa and I engage with the world and our relationships with a similar childlike joy. In that way, we both bring play, in the pure sense, to the forefront of whatever we're doing."

This reflects Rao during her time at VCUarts, where she and Matkins were nearly inseparable - performing in the VCU improv team Running AMok, sketch group Blue Collard Greens and co-founding the comedy duo Gag Reflex.

She credits the mentorship of Elizabeth Byland (affectionately known as "EB"), who is head of improv in VCUarts' Department of Theatre, with shaping their careers.

"The amount of people who have asked where we trained in Chicago. … I mean, people think we went to Second City or something, but no, we just had EB for years, and she's the best improv coach you could ever have," Rao said.

Byland has fond memories of her protegé.

"Teaching Amita Rao was such a joy for me," Byland said. "She just understood the assignment from day one and showed up with a ferocious work ethic, genuine curiosity, a craving for deep collaboration, and humility to keep learning and doing the damn thing."

"She brought that same ferocious, hungry spirit to everything she did. She led with kindness, and still does, treating her scene partners, classmates, faculty and crew with respect and generosity. In an industry that can feel so competitive and cold, Amita never forgot that you can be ambitious without sacrificing your humanity."

Rao's grounding in ensemble work, in saying yes to the bit and in trusting your scene partner - comes across in every chaotic, generous, big-hearted beat of Issa.

"My improv education continues to be the foundation of my art, the place I return to any time I am unsure and where my joy seems to spring from," Rao said. "I feel so deeply blessed to have had the privilege of Elizabeth Byland's mentorship."

Byland calls Rao's story a beautiful reminder of what can happen when you show up for yourself and for other people.

"It's when you keep saying YES to the work, YES to the opportunities that scare you, YES to collaboration, and YES to trusting yourself and following the joyful calling that's been inside you all along," Byland said. "I'm so proud of Amita, and I'm beyond thrilled that the rest of the world is finally getting to see what I've known all along - just how extraordinary she is, inside and out. I remember thinking to myself, 'Yep, this girl just gets it and she's gonna make it!'"

A longer version of this story was originally published on the School of the Arts website.