Leila is a recent graduate from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Drama. She studied both Meisner and Strasberg and recently appeared in Cherrywood directed by Caroline Neff of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

She also studied Classical Performance at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London– where she performed Shakespearean texts as well as devised pieces. While there she also trained in broadsword stage combat, in which she was certified with distinction by the BASSC. 

Aside from acting, she has a passion for books and poetry. Her favorite poet is Mary Oliver, who she believes captures the joy of the present in a way no one else has come close to. 

The role of Hedia - inspired by both the real life Leila Khaled and Shakespeare’s fictional Ophelia - in the on-going “My Dying City” workshop is her first project as a member of the Kangalee Arts Ensemble.