Evil's Aasif Mandvi talks about what he'll miss most about the show and playing Ben

Major spoilers ahead for the Evil series finale, now streaming on Paramount+

The final episode of Evil has debuted on Paramount+ (at least, final for now, but I think all of us, fans and stars included, are hoping the show gets a second life somewhere else). In honor of this special occasion, 1428 Elm had the opportunity to speak with Aasif Mandvi, who has played Ben Shakir across all four seasons of the hit series.

We talked with the actor about what he'll miss most about being on the show, what characteristics of Ben's he'll take with him, what the ending means for his character, and more!

1428 ELM: How is everyone feeling with the finale about to come out?

AASIF MANDVI: It has been an incredible experience, I think, for all of us. We've always just had such a great time making the show and we're all incredibly heartbroken that it's ending. I think the Kings are, and I think the cast is because I think this was a situation where we were a successful show that got canceled because of whatever the powers that be at Paramount, which I think is going through its own dark days right now.

It's unfortunate because there is so much more story to tell, the creators have so much more story to tell. I think the actors, we have so much more that we want to do with our characters on this show. And I think the audience really wants to see so much more. It just doesn't feel fair that we canceled at our prime, especially when you look at the streaming charts and how we're doing better than we've ever done.

What I love is that the end of the show is a satire, in some ways, around the cancellation of the show, because the cancellation of the assessor program is a subversive, or not-so-subversive, dig at Paramount for canceling our show.

1428 ELM: It's an ending but it also really feels like a new chapter with them going to Rome and hinting that it's gonna be an interesting new saga for them. We just gotta get Ben to Rome.

AASIF MANDVI: Yeah, I mean, that's a whole level of budget that I don't know if we can do, but there is more. I'm gonna bet that David and Kristen come back to America. I think we always knew that the Kings were going to leave it open a little bit, not have everybody die other than like, Christine [Lahti]'s character [Sheryl], but even Leland isn't dead at the end, which you might have thought would happen.

1428 ELM: What are your thoughts on Ben's ending? It felt like we still don't fully know what's going to happen in his future.

AASIF MANDVI: Well, he's gone to a job where he's making $650,000 a year and I'm literally like, what job is that?!

1428 ELM: In terms of the tinfoil and the djinn, and whatnot.

AASIF MANDVI: I think the justification of that, was that once he left the assessor program and was not fighting demons anymore, that stuff sort of went away.

1428 ELM: I thought the ending might have implied something is still going on since we see him take that phone call while on the optical illusion mat.

AASIF MANDVI: He's rolling it up, though, not standing on it, rolling it up and putting it away.

1428 ELM: Oh yes, you're right, my bad.

AASIF MANDVI: It sort of indicates that period, at least for now, is over. But you never know. It is funny when I realize that [the assessors] were only making 65K the entire time; I'm like, where in New York are you living on 65K? That apartment that Ben has cannot, you can't do that on 65K.

1428 ELM: That's a great set. I love that apartment.

AASIF MANDVI: That is the thing I will actually [miss], working on that set. I mean, I'll miss so many things about the show, working with all the other actors and the writing, but it was fun to live inside that apartment for the time that I did. It was fun to live inside that apartment for the time that I did.

1428 ELM: This show has always offered a lot of social commentary. Was there anything you kind of wish that you could have done, or maybe that you could do in a future season?

AASIF MANDVI: Oh, that's interesting. Let's just say there's so much evil in the world right now to talk about. So, there's no lack of story, you know.

I always thought that—and Robert [King] and I sort of spoke about this a little bit in the beginning—which is that Ben comes from an Islamic background and I always thought it'd be interesting to explore, we did a little bit, but I always thought it'd be interesting to explore different faiths. There was a kind of interesting moment, I think in season two, between Ben's Islamic upbringing and David's Catholic faith, and I always think that idea of, like, not between science and religion so much, but between the way we are indoctrinated with different faiths, and how that affects how we perceive things as well. And how that culminates in its own kind of evil, as you can see in the world right now.

1428 ELM: You've been playing Ben for a while now, are there any elements of his character you think you'll take with you?

AASIF MANDVI: Oh man, you know, every time I have to fix something in my house, I think to myself, well what would Ben do right now? Like can I inhabit Ben? Can I just be Ben? And not call a plumber. I inevitably end up calling a plumber, but the fact is, for a minute I try, I'm like, okay, I can do this. I'm Ben. Remember, I'm Ben.

1428 ELM: Ben the Magnificent.

AASIF MANDVI: Ben the Magnificant, right. I can fix this air conditioning unit. I'm often faced with my own ineptitude around that stuff. What I would have said is Ben's certainty, it has always been intriguing to me because I live with such uncertainty. But his certainty gets challenged in the show. His competency, I would say. I wish I was as competent as Ben. Somebody once asked me, would you be friends with Ben? And I said, I think that I would want to be friends with Ben, but that he probably wouldn't want to be friends with me. I'd be really thirsty for him, but he would be like, all right, dude, relax.

All fours seasons of Evil are now streaming on Paramount+.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.