Aasif Mandvi

If you don't acknowledge differences, it's as bad as stereotyping or reducing someone.

Being American and being an outsider at the same time, it's a perspective I often bring to a character.

The pleasure from acting comes from having great writing to work with. If it's well written and the character is interesting, then, as an actor, that's the raw material I need.

I don't make much distinction between being a stand-up comic and acting Shakespeare - in fact, unless you're a good comedian, you're never going to be able to play Hamlet properly.

Shaft was a pop culture figure along t he lines of, I guess, Dirty Harry - except that he wasn't as much of a racist. So yeah, I was always a fan.

It is good to be in front of the lens to appreciate more being behind the lens.