Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Eternally charming
Kumail Nanjiani is the Next Big Thing. He points to a study proving this is true.
“I was shocked when I found a research project saying prospective moviegoers wanted to see more films with charming Pakistani leads,” says the 42-year-old, who insists, “It’s totally true. Look it up. Just Google ‘Pakistani’ and ‘charming.’ The name Kumail Nanjiani will come up.
“Or you can just take my word for it,” says the actor-writer (“The Big Sick,” “Silicon Valley”), a native of Karachi, Pakistan.
On the small screen, Nanjiani is certainly charming as he stars with Issa Rae in Netflix’s new romantic comedy “The Lovebirds,” about a couple on the verge of breaking up
who get pulled into a bizarre murder mystery. Can their relationship survive the night?
He and wife Emily Gordon have also been hosting the podcast “Staying In With Emily and Kumail,” with proceeds going to coronavirus-related charities.
Review-Journal: How is life in quarantine?
Kumail Nanjiani: I’m home with my wife, Emily, hosting a podcast, getting through life in quarantine. We record on the weekends. We work through both of our issues with each other and listeners. We begin by asking, “How is your ‘quar’ going?” I know for myself I haven’t really been sleeping all that well. The quar puts this pressure on to know how we’re feeling, but you don’t really know how you’re feeling because this is all so new.
Tell us about “Lovebirds.” What was it like to work with Issa Rae?
I was so excited because I’m such a huge fan of Issa Rae from her show “Insecure.” She’s so good at showing what goes on inside relationships. It also felt as if this couple shouldn’t be groundbreaking because you might see them in everyday life, but not on screen.
You’ve transformed your body for the new Marvel film “The Eternals,” where you play Kingo. How tough was it to get in ripped shape?
I can’t wait for “The Eternals,” which now comes out next year. I actually so love to work out, although it can be painful and it hurts everywhere. Transformation doesn’t happen overnight. One thing: Those muscles are gym muscles. I don’t know how well they would work in the real world. Also, there are times when I do say to myself, “Why are you flexing?” It does hurt when someone does side-byside pictures with the headline, “Can you believe this turned into this?”
What about the eating part?
No pizza and no cake as staples. Otherwise, no one in Hollywood eats dinner. We’re all intermittent fasting.
You’ve executive produced Apple TV+’s “Little America,” the immigration-themed anthology series set in towns like Boise. Why was this important to you?
I grew up in Pakistan, and the
America that I knew was from movies, which is L.A. and New York. And then when I moved, I moved to Iowa. And I remember being like, “Oh, you guys did not advertise this part.” Pop culture usually portrays very specific centers. It was exciting that the series was able to show, somewhat ironically, more of America than people usually see in movies and TV shows. We also wanted the focus to be on the immigrants and these stories rather than becoming overtly political.
Why is diversity so important for film and TV?
Representation and diversity are obviously good for society. There is something so empowering and magical about seeing a character on screen who reflects your deepest fears and your most embarrassing moments. It’s wonderful to see someone else who looks how you look and moves around the world the way you do. We can reflect our world and change our world. You don’t want to say that stories about only one group of people matter. All stories should matter. Watching movies about people who don’t look like us also helps us build empathy.
What is the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Fake it until you make it. Just do it. Don’t pretend like you’re not supposed to do it. Just get going. You realize nobody really knows what they’re doing. They’re just getting through it.