Fun Faith Fact!: Aasif often pokes fun at Islam and other religions on the Daily Show
On stage, screen, and TV, Aasif Mandvi has been drawing on his ethnicity and faith for years to fuel his humor. The Mumbai-born actor, who later emigrated to England (and recalls his early years at an all-boys school as his first impetus to explore issues of ethnic pride versus integration), got his first big break in his 1998 one-man show, Sakina's Restaurant, which was based on his family's immigrant experience. Following 9/11, the funnyman parlayed his experiences into political humor while still playing small roles on film and television (including Spider-Man 2 and Freedomland). But it's probably on "The Daily Show" that Mandvi has come into his own, uproariously tapping his ethnicity and faith to color his brand of Middle East reporting.