Saagar Shaikh
Saagar Shaikh | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1986 (age 38–39) Alief, Texas, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Texas at San Antonio |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Known for | Ms. Marvel, Deli Boys |
Saagar Shaikh (born 1986)[1] is an American actor best known for his roles as Aamir Khan on Ms. Marvel and Raj Dar on Deli Boys, for which he won the Breakthrough Actor Spotlight Award at the 2025 Astra TV Awards.
Life and career
Shaikh was born in Alief, Texas[2] and raised in Houston until age 14, when his family moved to San Antonio.[3] He is of Pakistani descent and was raised in a Muslim family.[1][4] He has two brothers.[5] His father worked at a gas station and eventually became the owner of three convenience stores.[6] Shaikh worked part-time at his father's convenience store when he was a teenager.[1] He graduated from Marshall High School in 2005 and received his bachelor's degree in business from University of Texas at San Antonio.[3]
Shaikh began to pivot to acting while in college after he secured an internship at a talent management company.[4] Against his parents' wishes, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting full-time after graduation.[4] Shaikh struggled to find acting roles due to limited opportunities for South Asian actors.[6] In 2015 he began to take post-production jobs to stay employed in the entertainment industry even though his primary interest was acting.[5] He worked in post-production roles for five years.[5] He also took classes and performed at UCB Theatre for several years.[5] Shaikh is a founding member of The Get Brown, a South Asian comedy troupe that formed at UCB in 2018.[7]
He gained prominence in the role of Aamir Khan on the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel.[3] He also appeared in the film The Marvels.[1] Shaikh also co-hosted the comedy podcast The Bollywood Boys with Shaan Baig, where they revisit classic and some contemporary Bollywood films.[8][9] He is a lead role in the 2025 Hulu comedy Deli Boys, created by Abdullah Saeed.[6]
Shaikh is married.[3]
Awards and nominations
- 2025 – Nominee, Gotham TV Award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Comedy Series (for Deli Boys)[10]
- 2025 – Winner, Astra TV Awards, Breakthrough Actor Spotlight Award (for Deli Boys)[11]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | The Marvels | Aamir Khan | [1] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Ms. Marvel | Aamir Khan | Recurring role | [2] |
| 2025 | Deli Boys | Raj Dar | Main role | [6] |
References
- ^ a b c d e Martinez, Kiko (2025-03-10). "UTSA grad shares why Pakistani-Americans will love Hulu's 'Deli Boys'". My San Antonio. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
- ^ a b Sharma, Ahmed (2022-06-17). "Muslim actor from Texas has prayers answered starring in MCU's Ms. Marvel". FOX 26 Houston. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
- ^ a b c d Martinez, Kiko. "Things to know about 'Marvels' star Saagar Shaikh". My San Antonio. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ a b c Martinez, Kiko. "San Antonio-tied actor Saagar Shaikh hits pinnacle of career with Disney+ series Ms. Marvel". San Antonio Current. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
- ^ a b c d "Speed Date with Saagar Shaikh". www.tmrwmagazine.com. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ a b c d Stevens, Matt (2025-03-05). "In 'Deli Boys,' Two Actors Find Dream Roles Playing No One's Hero". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
- ^ Babayan, Siran (2018-08-13). "The Get Brown at UCB Brings Down Stereotypes by Bringing Them Up on Its Terms". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ^ Tseng, Ada (2018-05-24). "How '90s Bollywood movies became cool again for two desis in the US". The World from PRX. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ^ Magazine, Brown Girl (2018-06-11). "Brown Boy Saagar Shaikh on Acting, Refusing to Play the Role of a Terrorist, and How he Dissects Bollywood Movies". Brown Girl Magazine. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
- ^ Goldsmith, Jill (2025-04-29). "'Adolescence', 'The Pitt', 'Dying For Sex', 'Matlock' Top Nominees For Gotham TV Awards". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
- ^ Davidson, Denton (2025-06-11). "'The Studio' dominates 2025 Astra TV Awards with 4 wins, including Best Comedy; 'Severance' takes Best Drama". Gold Derby. Retrieved 2025-07-22.