Naveen Andrews, who is widely known starring in dramatic roles, said playing Mahesh Pradeep in Prime Video’s new sitcom “The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh” was “uncharted territory.”
“You discover there’s a certain kind of freedom, and it’s good to be challenged, which is why I did it in the first place,” Andrews told TheWrap in response to how the comedy series may have given him any new acting skills to add to his tool belt. “It’s good to go into uncharted territory, and hopefully a challenge to the extent where you’ve got to come through, something good might happen.”
Before “The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh,” was a man of drama, starring in heavier, grittier programs like Hulu’s “The Dropout,” ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” and his most popular role as Sayid Jarrah in “Lost.”
In addition to the show’s comedy foundation, it was also his character’s optimistic mentality that drew him to the role.
“First of all was the writing. It seemed to be anarchic and unpredictable in a way I hadn’t come across before,” Andrews explained. “And then the other thing was the role. I’ve never played a character that was so relentlessly optimistic, or almost irritatingly optimistic, someone who genuinely seemed to have no rancor or bitterness in his heart, which is not something that I’ve associated with the immigrant ethos or experience at all, certainly not mine.”
He went on to share that on top of being a father, working on the show ultimately gave him a new perspective on his own parents’ immigrant experience.
“There’s something Zen about [Mahesh], not just in terms about how he deals with relationships within his own family, where you know love is guaranteed and it’s reciprocal, but to so-called outsiders as well. I think we could all learn a bit from that,” Andrews said. “I also had a lot of empathy for what my parents went through, both as parents and and as as human beings in a foreign country. You know, I had no conception of what it was like for them. They both passed on … I would dearly have loved to have had that conversation with them. Partly also being a parent myself also helps, too.”
“The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh” creator Vijal Patel said he and Andrews discussed his love of the show when the actor expressed interest in joining the cast.
“I got a phone call one day — the script had been out, and we were early, early casting, and I got a phone call saying, ‘Hey, Naveen Andrews got the script, and he wants to play Mahesh Pradeep.’ And I’m like, ‘Naveen. Andrews. Sayid from ‘Lost’ and and Kip from ‘The English Patient?’ Like, what? Like, iconic!’ I’m like, ‘I just need to call him right now,’” Patel explained.
Patel continued: “He goes, ‘You know, mate,’ you know, because he’s British. He’s like, ‘Mate, I just Mahesh. Mahesh. I love him.’ I’m like, ‘Why?’ He goes, ‘Because he’s so optimistic.’ [Andrews’] experience as an immigrant in England was almost the opposite. He goes, ‘It was so hard, and it was so tough on my family. What I love is that it’s not easy for this family, but this character is like, “No, we are going to succeed, and we’re going to succeed with a smile on our face, not because I’m delusional, because that’s the way you overcome.”
Patel concluded, saying that Andrews used his own life events to bring out humor.
“He embodied this character immediately, because he saw the truth of the character. He didn’t have to find the comedy. The comedy just emanated from his portrayal. So that was a joy, and it’s been a joy to work with him. It’s a dream come true to have a cast of that caliber on our show.”
“The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh” is now streaming on Prime Video.
