Shaan Dasani

Born and raised in North Carolina, Shaan Dasani is a Los Angeles-based actor, producer, writer, director & speaker. He was recently featured as a trailblazer in The New York Times piece "The Trans Actors Challenging Outmoded Ideas of Masculinity", for his work in award-winning digital series These Thems and groundbreaking comedy series Razor Tongue, created by Emmy nominated actress and producer Rain Valdez. In 2019, Dasani was selected to participate in the prestigious ABC Discovers South Asian actor workshop. Recognized as a champion of social change, in 2018 the Bonobos brand picked Shaan as a representative for their #EvolveTheDefinition campaign, which sought to jumpstart a conversation around broadening ideas around masculinity. Other credits include commercials for Google and Wells Fargo, on television in CBS's Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and Netflix's Eat Your Words. You can also hear Shaan as the voice of "Jack" in the coming-of-age YA novel All Kinds of Other, by James Sie. Prior to launching into the acting world, Desani received his M.F.A. from Chapman University.  He has written, produced & directed over 30 short films, commercials and music videos and is a proud member of the Director's Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA. As a South Asian transgender man, Desani shares his story at various events including entertainment industry panels, activist forums, and in college and high school settings, allowing his unique and personal narrative to help humanize a community whose rights are often under attack. A champion of social change, he often brings in humor and universal themes into his work with a goal of creating a unique, undeniable emotional connection with his audience.