Move over Tony Soprano — there’s a new crime boss in town, and she’s wearing heels.
Poorna Jagannathan is shaking up the crime-comedy genre in Hulu’s newest series Deli Boys, where she stars as the fierce and unforgettable Lucky Auntie — a role she calls “a mix of Tony Soprano and The Real Housewives of Orange County.”
Originally written for a man, Lucky Auntie was reimagined as a woman thanks to a bit of Hollywood inspiration. At Deadline’s Contenders TV event, Poorna revealed that creator Abdullah Saeed changed course after attending a talk by Geena Davis.
“Lucky Auntie was written as a guy, as was another character called Agent Mercer,” Poorna shared. “Abdullah, the writer, went to a Geena Davis talk, and she basically was like, ‘Look at your script — if you could turn two men into women and it works, do it.’ So that night, he went back, and it became Lucky Auntie instead of Lucky Uncle.”
And trust, this auntie does not play.
“What I love about this role is that Lucky has masculinity to her and a fieriness and a physicalness that I’ve never been able to play,” Poorna added. “It’s definitely not a role you’ve ever seen a South Asian woman play… she is stabbing someone with her left hand and shooting someone else with her right while taking somebody’s eye out with her heel. It’s on all possible fronts.”
But it’s not all violence and vengeance — Poorna also brings a softer side to the role, showing off her versatile range. Co-star Asif Ali praised her for finding that balance, saying, “She’s so badass and hardcore, but she also brought — since she’s playing an auntie — the other side, which is tender and soft.”
Poorna agrees. “She wipes food off their mouth and blood off their mouth; whatever needs to be wiped off, she will do it. She will keep feeding them even though she has to shoot like 10 people.”
All 10 episodes of Deli Boys are now streaming on Hulu — and Lucky Auntie is officially our new favorite antihero.
FYI: Poorna is wearing a Ports 1961 look, Christian Louboutin shoes, Mindi Mond earrings, and rings from Natasha Schweitzer and Type Jewelry.
