Before Supriya Ganesh stepped into the spotlight as Dr. Samira Mohan on Max’s breakout medical drama The Pitt, she was close to stepping away from acting entirely. Between long stretches of unemployment, demoralizing auditions, and the uncertainty brought on by the Hollywood strikes, she seriously considered returning to a life she once left behind—medicine.
But more than a career shift, Ganesh was also navigating another deeply personal transformation: coming out publicly as queer and embracing her she/they pronouns.
Speaking from San Diego, where she’s currently starring in the world premiere of House of India at the Old Globe Theatre, Ganesh reflects on the life-changing year that has defined both her personal truth and professional trajectory.
A Journey Through Gender and Culture
“I made the decision before I started this career in earnest to be as authentic as I possibly could,” Ganesh tells Variety “If I’m not being true to myself, especially in the work I do for other South Asian people, then what am I doing?”
Ganesh, who was born in the U.S. but spent her early childhood in India, says her understanding of gender began to shift as she became aware of how Western norms clashed with the more fluid expressions she witnessed growing up.
“In India, the existence of a third gender is acknowledged,” she says. “There’s more fluidity in how people present themselves. But when I came back to the U.S., I was struck by how rigid gender roles felt—especially for women of color.”
This cultural dissonance, combined with a deeper exploration of her own queerness, led Ganesh to publicly embrace the pronouns she/they. The decision was influenced in part by actor Lily Gladstone, who uses the same pronouns in acknowledgment of Indigenous gender diversity, including two-spirit and third-gender traditions.
“That was a moment where I felt really seen,” Ganesh says. “Even though I often present in a femme way, I don’t always feel like I fit into what I see as a very white-conceived version of femininity. This was my way of saying, ‘Hey, I’m queer. See me.’”
Coming Out in Public and Onscreen
Ganesh’s role as Dr. Samira Mohan on The Pitt has provided more than just career momentum—it’s also given her a platform to represent queer and brown women in a space where they are still vastly underrepresented.
“I want queer brown women to look at me and know that I’m someone they can relate to,” she says. “I want them to feel seen, like I did when I saw Lily Gladstone.”
Though her character isn’t explicitly queer—at least not yet—Ganesh hopes that future storylines might explore Samira’s personal life more deeply. “They touched on how lonely she was in Season 1,” she says. “In Season 2, I’d love to see whether she starts to connect more, maybe even explore a queer identity.”
While Ganesh can’t confirm what’s in store for Season 2—“I’m learning everything through the grapevine just like everyone else,” she says—she’s hopeful the show will continue breaking new ground in terms of inclusivity and authenticity.
Queer Joy as Resistance
For Ganesh, queerness is not just about identity—it’s also about joy, resistance, and visibility in an industry that has historically erased or sidelined queer stories, especially those involving people of color.
“In this generation—especially Gen Z, which I’m so proud to be part of—I think we’re seeing more queerness, more fluidity,” she says. “Yes, there’s a terrifying wave of legislation targeting our community, but socially, something beautiful is happening. We’re being louder, more open, more ourselves.”
That openness is also apparent in her latest stage role. In House of India, Ganesh plays a Tamil-American character navigating family, culture, and identity through the lens of a South Asian restaurant. “It’s written with such specificity,” she says. “There’s Tamil in it. The food they talk about is what my mom used to make. It’s a love letter to a part of me I’ve never seen onstage.”
The play’s all-AAPI cast and creative team have given her a rare opportunity to collaborate in a culturally safe and celebratory environment. “To be able to discuss South Indian identity in that space—it’s healing,” she says.
Staying True to Herself
Despite the pressures of Hollywood and the lingering doubts that almost drove her out of acting, Ganesh says she’s never been more certain of her path.
“I feel like everything I’ve been through—medical school, auditioning, striking, coming out—it all led me to this moment,” she says. “And when The Pitt came along, it was like something in the universe said, ‘You’re right where you need to be.’”
And now that she’s here, Ganesh wants to keep using her voice—not only to entertain, but to empower.
“I just hope more people feel freer to accept themselves,” she says. “Wherever they fall on the spectrum—of gender, of identity, of culture—there’s space for them. And if I can help show that just by existing as I am, then I think I’ve already done something meaningful.”
