Tan France, best known for his role as the stylish and upbeat fashion expert on Queer Eye, is taking on an entirely new role in his scripted television debut. France stars as Zubair, the leader of a rival cocaine gang, in the new Hulu comedy Deli Boys, which is creating waves for its bold portrayal of South Asian characters in unexpected roles.
The show, created by Abdullah Saeed, centers on two pampered Pakistani-American brothers, played by Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh, who must navigate the criminal empire left behind by their late father. Their father, a convenience store mogul, was secretly using his stores as a front for cocaine distribution, and after his passing, the brothers inherit his tangled criminal legacy. Zubair, France’s character, arrives from London in search of his missing cousin, throwing another wrench into the already chaotic lives of the brothers.
“I had, no joke, the best experience of my career doing this,” France said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly ahead of the show’s premiere. “This challenged me in ways that I never expected.”
For France, the role of Zubair marks a dramatic departure from his beloved Queer Eye persona. In addition to diving into a darker character, France also got to showcase some physicality in the role, including performing his own stunts. In one memorable scene, he engages in a fight with his costar, Poorna Jagannathan, where he shows off his boxing skills—a hobby he’s practiced since childhood.
“There’s a part where I throw her off the bed and I roll off the bed,” France recalled. “No one knows this, I didn’t want anyone to think I was weak: I really hurt my wrist. I had a bruised wrist for a few days when I went back to Queer Eye. I stacked a load of bracelets, so you can’t see it. But it was so worth it!”
France’s Deli Boys appearance has been a hit with both audiences and his Queer Eye castmates. During a recent stop on their “The Fab Five Live!” tour, France showed his co-stars his episode, leading to a moment of excitement. “They were all in the green room, hooting and hollering,” France said.
At the heart of Deli Boys is the emotional and complex relationship between the two brothers, inspired by Saeed’s own bond with his Pakistani-American siblings. Saeed notes that the central theme of the show is the deep love that underpins the brothers’ connection, even as they struggle with the criminal legacy left by their father.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VjeURFk5_s
“The thing that binds brothers, especially in immigrant families, is this deep love that is so fundamental it’s sort of forgotten about all the time,” Saeed told Entertainment Weekly. “That bond is there that will never break.”
France was particularly impressed by the world that Saeed created in Deli Boys, one that features multidimensional South Asian characters. “It gives a window into our world,” he said. “Not the mob boss world, just the fully formed characters—that we are funny, dramatic, angry, that we are full people. I’d never seen anything like that done before. I was really proud.”
Despite the show’s fresh and unique approach, getting Deli Boys made was no easy feat. Executive producer Jenni Konner shared that the project faced multiple hurdles along the way, including the pandemic and industry-wide strikes. Despite the challenges, Konner and her team persevered.
“We went everywhere,” Konner said. “Onyx [Collective, the company behind Hulu’s original content] loved it. No one else did, but we wound up getting really lucky.”
The roadblocks were worth it, she said, as Deli Boys has garnered strong attention and is proving to be a standout show. “It is very hard in this climate to get something made, but I think people respond to a really unique voice, and that’s what this is,” Konner added.
Michelle Nader, another executive producer, noted the difficulty of breaking new voices into the industry today. “There are fewer and fewer opportunities for great voices to break through,” she said. “I think that’s really what is going to be the key to building the business up again, is allowing these new voices in. People are just waiting for something fresh.”
As for France, he’s excited to introduce audiences to a completely different side of himself. He joked that casting directors should “have your people call my people” for more scripted roles. “Everyone expects Tan France to be walking, talking sunshine,” he said. “It’s so rare that you see me without a smile on my face. I am a very jolly person, which drives my castmates insane. I love that the audience will get to see this version of me and hopefully won’t realize it’s me for the first couple of scenes.”
France’s castmates were equally impressed with his performance. “When he walked in on set the first day and had his first lines, I looked at everybody, I was like, ‘He’s a star,’” Nader recalled. “I’m thrilled for people to see him this way.”
Konner echoed Nader’s sentiment, praising France for playing against type. “We know he’s very good at being Tan France, but he’s also very good at being this guy,” she said.
Saeed, too, marveled at France’s transformation into a menacing character. “He played against type,” Saeed said. “I mean, he’s scary. Imagine Tan France being scary.”
Deli Boys is now streaming on Hulu.
