In this episode of The SafeTea, actor Saagar Shaikh (Marvel’s Ms. Marvel, Hulu’s Deli Boys) takes us through the real behind-the-scenes of breaking into Hollywood as a brown, Muslim, first-gen creative. From TaskRabbit gigs to beard oil startups, getting fired by his own dad to landing his first audition tape that changed everything—this is the truth behind the “breakout.”
We talk about:
- Why representation without nuance isn’t enough
- His 10 year journey to landing his first Marvel role (with no credits to his name)
- The full-circle moment of playing a Muslim character who’s just... human
- Getting fired by your dad from his deli (and now making him proud on Deli Boys)
- The 4-week window that decides a show’s fate
- What happens after you get the gig... and then don’t work for 15 months
Follow Saagar: instagram.com/saagarshaikh
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YouTube: youtube.com/@theSafeTea
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