At 53, Poorna Jagannathan is embracing a career transformation that defies the conventional roles she often portrayed earlier in her acting journey. Known for playing meek mothers and doctors, Jagannathan now stars as Lucky Auntie, a cunning mob boss in the second season of the Hulu series “Deli Boys,” which debuted in May. The show centers around a drug trafficking operation run out of a Philadelphia convenience store, with Jagannathan’s character exercising ruthless authority over her adversaries and manipulating the men in her orbit.

The role represents a significant departure for Jagannathan, who credits her newfound confidence to a mindset shift that has come with menopause. She describes this transition as freeing, allowing her to shed concerns about others’ opinions and tap into a self-assuredness that had been elusive earlier in her career. “I would have really been faking it” playing Lucky Auntie in her younger years, she said, acknowledging the power roles can be particularly challenging to inhabit without such conviction.

Jagannathan’s path to acting was unconventional. Originally working in advertising agencies in New York during the 1990s, she took weekend acting classes to overcome stage fright, which eventually motivated her to leave the field altogether and pursue acting full-time in 2001. Early in her career, she faced limited and often stereotypical casting opportunities, frequently playing roles with minimal depth. As a South Indian woman starting an acting career in her mid-30s, she noted that casting directors struggled to find substantial parts for her.

Her breakout moment arrived in 2016, when she was cast in the critically acclaimed HBO series “The Night Of.” This opportunity catalyzed a transition toward more nuanced and diverse roles. By 2019, Jagannathan gained broader recognition as Dr. Nalini Vishwakumar on the popular Netflix series “Never Have I Ever,” a role that empowered her to assert greater input on character development and onscreen portrayals.

Her evolving versatility has drawn praise from collaborators and friends, including New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who described her as someone who consistently “breaks out of boxes no matter the role, no matter the form.” Mamdani highlighted her offscreen influence and boundary-pushing nature, characterizing her less as an “auntie” and more as a “cool older cousin.”

Jagannathan’s role in “Deli Boys” is notable not only for its power dynamics but also because Lucky Auntie was originally conceived as a male character. Creators altered the role after seeing Jagannathan’s performance in “Never Have I Ever,” eliminating the need for a traditional audition process. The series’ second season also introduces a romantic storyline for her character, providing a rare chance for Jagannathan to explore a love interest on screen alongside Fred Armisen’s character, Max Sugar.

Despite her rising profile, Jagannathan maintains close ties to longstanding friendships and routines. During a recent visit to Manhattan’s NoLIta neighborhood, she reminisced over two decades of friendship with actress Sarita Choudhury, recalling early days spent rehearsing lines and navigating their careers together. Jagannathan also spoke candidly about her ongoing experience with menopause, noting the challenges of its prolonged symptoms with her characteristic humor.

Her career trajectory exemplifies the gradual opening of Hollywood to more fully developed roles for actors of color, particularly women in midlife who defy stereotypes. Jagannathan’s evolving body of work underscores a broader shift toward stories that embrace complex, three-dimensional characters, reflecting the changing landscape of contemporary entertainment.