Kamran Shaikh - Hollywood came calling

In this episode, our guest, Kamran shares his journey from immigrating to the United States as a child to becoming a successful actor in popular TV shows. He discusses his early interest in the performing arts and how he studied movies and TV shows to understand the nuances of acting. Despite facing resistance from his family, Kamran pursued his passion and eventually landed roles in shows like Cobra Kai and Outer Banks. He talks about the challenges of balancing his acting career with his full-time job as an engineer and the importance of family in his life. Kamran also discusses the ongoing strike in the entertainment industry and his plans to explore opportunities in Pakistani dramas. Chapters: 02:00 - Kamran's immigration experience and early life in the US 04:00 - Interest in Pakistani dramas and meeting with a Pakistani actor 05:03 - First movie experience in the US and its impact 05:49 - Connection between Kamran's interest in film and engineering 07:24 - Singing at fashion show, audience reaction 08:02 - Feeling achievement and adrenaline from performing 08:50 - Strict upbringing and fear of Westernization 09:59 - Parents' fear of drugs and alcohol 10:53 - Parents' negative view of acting as disingenuous 11:31 - Parents' view of talent as a hobby 12:58 - Immigrant perspective on safe career choices 13:39 - Realization of talent after talent show 14:16 - Feeling like a lottery ticket that can't be cashed in 14:36 - Becoming an engineer and working for father's company 15:23 - Getting married and dealing with joint family dynamics 16:27 - Moving to Atlanta for a job at EMS Technologies 18:16 - Losing job during recession and struggling financially 18:57 - Finding a job at Deloitte as a business analyst 19:23 - Being approached about acting in Captain America Civil War 21:00 - Auditioning for the movie and getting hired on the spot 21:23 - Discussing the first day on set for the movie 21:50 - Realizing he can be a bad guy in acting 22:06 - Enjoying the acting experience and wanting more opportunities 23:02 - Chris Evans visits the set 23:14 - Daniel Brule's acting and languages 24:11 - Balancing acting and a full-time job 24:33 - Landing roles in Ozark, NCIS, and McGyver 26:01 - Low self-esteem and overcoming a car accident 27:40 - Ambiguous look allows for diverse roles 32:54 - Kamran's interest in exploring Pakistani dramas 33:35 - Mention of audition for a movie in Uruguay 34:44 - Filming experience in Outer Banks, Barbados 37:02 - Where to watch the show 37:07 - Other projects: Haunted Mansion, Indian independent movie 38:05 - Going to Pakistan for new opportunities Key Takeaways Kamran's interest in the performing arts began at a young age, and he studied movies and TV shows to understand the nuances of acting. Despite facing resistance from his family, Kamran pursued his passion for acting and found success in popular TV shows like Cobra Kai and Outer Banks. Balancing his acting career with his full-time job as an engineer has been a challenge, but Kamran has managed to make it work. Kamran is currently exploring opportunities in Pakistani dramas and plans to meet with industry professionals in Pakistan.