Over the course of his 30 year career, Aasif Mandvi has learned that the dreaded phrase, “Jack of all trades, master of none,” is nothing more than a myth. As an actor, writer, producer, podcast host and much more, Aasif has no shortage of creative endeavors and has learned to embrace that multiplicity rather than fight it.

Born in Mumbai, India, Aasif moved with his family to the U.K. and grew up in north England. His creativity was evident from a young age, from drawing to writing poetry to even performing a radio play as encouraged by his parents. Joining a children’s theater company, Aasif describes how acting served as an escape for him and how the “no pressure” attitude from his parents gave way to a sense of freedom in his acting with no expectations attached.

After moving to America, Aasif studied drama in both high school and college and immediately secured a job with Disney. Upon moving to New York, Aasif felt that the lack of representation in the media left him without a career roadmap to follow from other actors that looked like him. While studying his craft, Aasif began to explore other ways he could get seen within the industry and wrote a one-man-show titled, “Sakina’s Restaurant” which was the first story of a south Asian immigrant family to be performed in New York City’s theater scene in Times Square. 

You’ve seen him in hit films and television series such as CBS’ “Evil,” “This Way Up,” “Million Dollar Arm,” “Blue Bloods,” “The Last Airbender,” CBS’ “Jericho,” “The Internship,” “The Proposal,” and a fan favorite correspondent on “The Daily Show” with John Stewart. Today, Aasif opens up about his character-building process. He shares with listeners how to work with material that you may be struggling to connect with, and reveals how he navigated the decision to stick with telling his own story early on, even when other opportunities began to present themselves.

These are the unforgettable stories that landed Aasif Mandvi right here.

Guest links:

• IMDB: Aasif Mandvi
• INSTAGRAM: @aasif
• TWITTER: @aasif
• PODCAST: Lost at the Smithsonian with Aasif Mandvi
• AUDIBLE: Sakina's Restaurant
• AMAZON: No Land's Man

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Show Links:

• WEBINAR: Back to Basics (Aug 27 @ 3pm PST)
• COURSE: You Booked, Now What?? (Sep 21)
• CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse
• COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role
• INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse
• INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition
• WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com
• ITUNES: Subscribe to That One Audition on iTunes
• SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify
• STITCHER: Subscribe to That One Audition on Stitcher

Credits:

• WRITER: Erin McCluskey
• SOUND DESIGN: Zachary Jameson
• WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
• ASSISTANT: Elle Powell
• SOCIAL OUTREACH: Bebe Katsenes