Alfie Fuller

Alfie Fuller

HULU

series

THE DELI BOYS

Photography Ben Duggan

Fashion Editor Deborah Ferguson

Alfie Fuller is living the dream she knew she’d achieve at age five. A master of both stage and screen, the Obie award-winning actress most recently stars in Hulu’s newest comedy series, Deli Boys. Fuller is magnetic and scene-stealing as Prarie, a kooky and lovable shaman, as well as romantic interest to Saagar Shaikh’s Raj. She is also known for her work in Amazon Prime’s hit series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as Dinah.

Today, Alfie Fuller chats to us about her recent role in Deli Boys, her inspirations, and her acting career thus far.

Vest/Jacket, Bag, Jewelry: CHANEL S25

Vest/Jacket, Shorts, Jewelry & Heels: CHANEL S25

Deli Boys puts an interesting twist on the idea of the “American Dream.” What did the “American Dream” mean to you growing up, and what does it mean to you now?

I’m going to be honest with you, because I grew up in an expansive community of multi-generational, educated, successful, empowered Black people, the ‘American Dream’ meant absolutely nothing to me. The phrase wasn’t even a notion in my mind or a part of my community’s lexicon. I grew up surrounded by people who knew we were our own sun. There was no one and no one’s world we were striving to emulate or ‘belong’ to. And presently, not much has changed. I, along with the people I love, are the center of my universe. We are my dream.

Before you were cast as Prairie, what was your initial reaction to the script of Deli Boys?

I read a lot of scripts and rarely do those labeled as ‘comedy’ make me laugh out loud, but I was hollering reading the Deli Boys pilot. It was boundary-pushing, fresh, and a complete pivot from other roles I get auditions for or even those I’ve played. It was clear that the creator of the show, Abdullah Saeed, was a fearless storyteller and I knew right away that this show was going to make its mark on television and I had to be a part of it.

Knit Top & Shorts: 3.1 Phillip Lim

Your character Prairie is definitely quirky and has been described as an afrofuturist. What are some of your favorite representations of afrofuturism in the media (shows, films, etc.)?

It’s funny, the ‘afrofuturist’ was a part of the initial description of Prairie for the pilot but in the year and a half between shooting the pilot and the rest of the series, the character changed and the afrofuturist was dropped, but the quirkiness stayed. My favorite afrofuturist works include: Octavia Butler’s entire breadth of work; the music of Quincy Jones, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Nona Hendryx; the poetry of Nikki Giovanni, Ntozake Shange and Sun Ra; playwrights James Ijames and Jordan E. Cooper; the artwork of Ja’Tovia Gary and Lauren Halsey; and the orators of past and present who have the courage to imagine a better future for us all.

As an actress on both stage and screen, what would you say is the most difficult aspect of going from one medium to another?

Had you asked me this a year ago, I would’ve had a completely different answer but as I was shooting Deli Boys, it became clear that my process is still evolving and may never stop evolving. That probably sounds super obvious, but I could’ve sworn I had acting for stage and screen all figured out. Now, I understand each new character–stage or screen–is going to ask something different of me and will challenge me in ways like never before, and therein lies the actual fun of it. I make sure I stay sharp in both mediums because it’s a different conversation with each. I love the camera and the camera loves me but being on stage makes me feel like I’ve got the power of flight so both enrich my life and inform my artistry in different ways. If I were to get very specific, I’d say because I’m an animated girl who plays for the back row in everyday life, I’ve had to learn how to reign it in for the camera–but not too much ‘cause I never want to give dead fish!

Jacket & Skirt: 3.1 Phillip Lim S25

Knit Top & Shorts: 3.1 Phillip Lim, Heels: IRO

Judging from prior Q&As, you all seem to be a pretty tight-knit cast! How did that come to be? What was it like first meeting your fellow cast members?

I think the cast will agree when I say the chemistry was instant between everyone on set. The day I met Saagar is the day we filmed the pilot in 2022. I had to lay on top of him in a really cute but barely there cut-out, deep-v, lace teddy. I think with anyone else, it could’ve been a bit awkward, but he was super respectful and chill about it so it made for a comfortable and fun first meeting. And, a few days before we began filming the rest of the series, we had a private dinner with the cast and producers. I sat between icons Jenni Konner and Poorna Jagannathan and immediately it was like I was sitting between my two big sisters. From then on, it was a family gathering every time we met on or off-set.

Tell me more about your journey as an actress: What’s been the most rewarding part of your career so far?

I’m glad you asked this question because it makes me sit down and reflect. I’ll admit, I don’t celebrate my career achievements as often as I should, and I think it’s because all of this was planned by a five-year-old me, so every time I get on a new show or book a new gig, it feels somewhat inevitable. I’ve got that thing where I’m in the middle of a dream project and I’m thinking, “I absolutely love this! What’s next?” and I know that doesn’t help me live in the present; I’m working it out in therapy. But, now that I’m sitting down thinking about it, I’d say any time a student or a person just breaking into the industry asks for advice, I’m able to give them a detailed and (hopefully) helpful answer because I have the actual lived experience. I never factored in being a resource that others can look to and now that I am, it’s profoundly fulfilling.

Oh, and it’s also such a slay when you go to the series on the streamer and it’s my picture for the episode.

Vest/Jacket, Shorts, Jewelry & Heels: CHANEL S25

Who–or what–inspires you? This can apply to your career, your personal life, or both!

My career and my personal life are not as separate as I once thought. Everything informs each other. I can be inspired by a tree if it sways a particular way. God, I sound like Prairie! But, it’s true. I’m a very physically aware person. I let my body inform my life and artistry; thus, I’m inspired by everything that’s in motion. I watch how children, animals, and the elderly love and hate. They’re the ones who are living the most sincere and honest existence. I like to go to museums and spend hours, lost in reverie, gazing into the eyes of people in portraits. I study the grande dames of film and stage, and my favorite way of devouring an artist is by starting at the very top of their catalog and working my way through in chronological order to their last. I do this with performers of every medium. My most recent were Marlene Dietrich’s filmography, Zora Neale Hurston’s collection of published works (new ones were just discovered and I literally cried tears of joy), and Jamaican singer Marcia Griffiths’ discography. Witnessing the effects of time on a human has a remarkable impact on me.

What can we expect from you in the near future?

I’ve got a few projects I can’t yet announce, but you’ll definitely be seeing more of me on your TV screens, and when I’m not working, catch me storming the streets of NYC. If you’re cute, say hi.