Shelley Desai, a character actor who was popular for generations on TV and in movies, died on February 10 in Los Angeles. He was 90 years old.
The family announced the death, but did not specify the cause of death.
Desai went on to have a decades-long career starring in dozens of shows and movies, gaining recognition for recurring roles on FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and TNT’s Men of a Certain Age.
Born in Bombay on December 3, 1935, Desai arrived in the United States in the 1960s to pursue graduate school in engineering. Those plans changed when he found a path to acting. He performed on stages in Chicago, then moved to New York and eventually settled in Los Angeles.
By the early 1970s, Desai had entered the professional theater world, working both off-Broadway and on Broadway. He appeared in the 1970 Broadway production of “Gandhi,” directed by Jose Quintero, which gained notoriety after it closed after one performance. She returned to Broadway in 1981 in A Talent for Murder, co-starring Claudette Colbert and Nancy Addison.
His screen career began with a bit role in the 1974 rock musical Phantom of the Paradise, directed by Brian De Palma. From there, Desai became a regular on television, making guest appearances on shows from various eras, including St. Elsewhere, Hill Street Blues, The A-Team, Moonlighting, Thirty Something, Emergency Room, Friends, NYPD Blue, Ugly Betty, Basketball, and History of the World: Part II.
He lent his voice to the animated series “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?” Appeared in several episodes of “Curb Your Enthusiasm”. Sci-fi buffs may remember his role on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” where he played Vithal, a blue-skinned Borian barber, in a 1991 episode titled “Data Day.”
Desai rose to fame when he played Carlos in 14 episodes of “Men of a Certain Age” from 2009 to 2011. He is also known for playing the tough landlord Fan on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, where he frequently sparred with characters played by Charlie Day and Danny DeVito.
His film work includes “Thelma & Louise,” “Toys,” “Clifford,” “Midnight Clear,” and “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2.” Desai remained active in his later years and shot a commercial just before his death.
He is survived by his wife, Phyllis; stepdaughters April and Dawn; and grandchildren Sean, Sophia and Dylan.
