Kumail Nanjiani
| Kumail Nanjiani | |
|---|---|
 Nanjiani speaking at Wondercon 2012 in Anaheim, California on March 17, 2012 | |
| Born |
February 21, 1978[1][2] Karachi, Pakistan |
| Ethnicity | Sindhi |
| Citizenship | American |
| Alma mater | Grinnell College |
| Occupation | Actor, stand-up comedian |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Spouse(s) | Emily V. Gordon |
Kumail Nanjiani (born 21 February 1978) is a Pakistani-American stand-up comedian, actor and podcast host. Nanjani is best known for his role as a main cast member on every season of HBO's Emmy Award-nominated series Silicon Valley, as well as for providing the voice of Prismo on the Emmy Award-winning animated series Adventure Time. In addition he's starred on the TNT series Franklin & Bash and the Adult Swim series Newsreaders. He also co-hosts the Comedy Central show The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail. In addition to his television and film work, he hosts two podcasts: The Indoor Kids and The X-Files Files, although no new episodes have been released in months.
Early life
Nanjiani was born in Karachi, Pakistan. He was raised as a Shia Muslim, but became an atheist in later life.[3] He is related to the Pakistani-Scottish radio presenter Shereen Nanjiani.[4][5]
During his childhood, Nanjiani lived in Karachi and attended Karachi Grammar School. At 18, he moved to the United States and attended Grinnell College in Iowa from which he graduated in 2001. He completed a double major in Computer Science and Philosophy.[1][6][7]
Career
In July 2011, he and X-Play staffer Ali Baker began hosting a video game-themed podcast, titled The Indoor Kids. In late August of the same year Baker left the show and Nanjiani began hosting with his wife, Emily V. Gordon.[8] Until other commitments took over, he appeared regularly on Dan Harmon's podcast Harmontown, where he played Dungeons & Dragons with Harmon as a character named Chris de Burgh. He played a delivery man in the 2013 film, The Kings of Summer.[9]
In addition to guest-starring in various comedy shows like Portlandia, Nanjiani was featured in a supporting role in the TNT series Franklin & Bash. He played the role of Pindar Singh, an agoraphobic science fiction nerd working for the title characters. In 2015, Nanjiani guest-starred in an episode of Broad City called "In Heat".[10]
Nanjiani guest-starred on HBO's Veep as a statistician. He currently has the recurring role of Amir Larussa on Newsreaders, as well as Prismo on Adventure Time. His Comedy Central special titled Beta Male aired in July 2013.[11]
In late June 2013, Comedy Central announced the pickup of a show The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail hosted by Jonah Ray and Nanjiani.[12] The show, featuring Nerd Melt comedy regulars and various comedians, began airing in July 2014.[13]
In April 2014, he began playing the character Dinesh in the HBO sitcom Silicon Valley.[7] He voiced Reggie in the video game The Walking Dead: Season Two.[14]
In July 2014, Nanjiani hosted a weekly podcast titled The X-Files Files, dedicated to discussion and fond reminiscences about The X-Files. Each episode features him and a guest, including former The X-Files writers, producers, actors and directors, in light-hearted banter centered around either one or two episodes of the series.[15][16]
On July 30, 2014, Nanjiani appeared on Ken Reid's TV Guidance Counselor Podcast.
Starting on March 22, 2015 he provided his voice for the character of Mshak Moradi in the Hunt the Truth audio drama, part of the marketing campaign for Halo 5: Guardians.[17] He is also reprising his role in Season 2 of the same.
On May 5, 2015, he appeared on Inside Amy Schumer in the episode "12 Angry Men Inside Amy Schumer", a parody of 12 Angry Men, as one of the members of the jury.[18]
In July 2015, Nanjiani provided guest voices on Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero.[19]
In November 2015 he starred in an Old Navy TV commercial together with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Snoop Dogg.[20]
Personal life
Nanjiani is married to Emily V. Gordon, an author, comedy producer, and former couples and family therapist. She is the booker and producer of The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, a comedy show that began airing on Comedy Central in July 2014.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Life as We Know It | Simon | |
| 2012 | The Five-Year Engagement | Pakistani Chef | |
| 2013 | The Kings of Summer | Gary the Delivery Guy | |
| 2013 | Hell Baby | Cable Guy | |
| 2013 | Bad Milo | Bobbi | |
| 2014 | The Last of the Great Romantics | George the Counter Guy | |
| 2014 | Sex Tape | Punit | |
| 2015 | Loaded | Reza | |
| 2015 | Hot Tub Time Machine 2 | Brad | |
| 2015 | Addicted to Fresno | Damon | |
| 2015 | Flock of Dudes | Ro | |
| 2015 | Hell & Back | Dave the Demon | Voice |
| 2015 | Goosebumps | Foreman | |
| 2016 | The Late Bloomer | Rich | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Saturday Night Live | Indian Reporter | Uncredited Episode: "James Franco/Kings of Leon" |
| 2009 | The Colbert Report | Omar / Homer / Secret Prisoner | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | Michael & Michael Have Issues. | Kumail | 7 episodes |
| 2010 | Ugly Americans | Neilando Patel (voice) | Episode: "Treegasm" |
| 2011 | Traffic Light | Paul | Episode: "Where the Heart Is" |
| 2011 | CollegeHumor Originals | Vendor | Episode: "Batman Chooses His Voice" |
| 2011 | Googy | Dwane / Dwayne | 6 episodes |
| 2011–14 | Franklin & Bash | Pindar Singh | 31 episodes |
| 2011–15 | Portlandia | 10 episodes | |
| 2012; 2014–16 | Adventure Time | Prismo (voice) | 6 episodes |
| 2013–15 | Newsreaders | Amir Larussa | 11 episodes |
| 2013 | Burning Love | Zakir | 17 episodes |
| 2013 | Veep | Statistician | Episode: "Midterms" |
| 2013 | Drunk History | Lakota Chief | Episode: "Nashville" |
| 2013 | Ghost Ghirls | Mr. Mattoo | Episode: "I Believe in Mira-ghouls" |
| 2014–present | Silicon Valley | Dinesh Chugtai | 18 episodes |
| 2014 | Math Bites | Showoff Guy | Episode: "Math Heads: Do Math in Your Head" |
| 2014 | The Pete Holmes Show | Dhalsim | Episode: "Erin Hamlin and Kate Hansen" |
| 2014–present | The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail | Himself (host) | 16 episodes |
| 2014 | TripTank | Dick Genie (voice) | 4 episodes |
| 2014 | Garfunkel and Oates | Jordan | Episode: "Hair Swap" |
| 2014 | Key and Peele | College Kid #1 | Episode: "Scariest Movie Ever" |
| 2014 | Bob's Burgers | Skip (voice) | Episode: "Best Burger" |
| 2014–15 | Community | Custodian Lapari | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Broad City | Benny Calitri | Episode: "In Heat" |
| 2015 | Archer | Farooq Ashkani (voice) | Episode: "Sitting" |
| 2015 | Inside Amy Schumer | Juror #11 | Episode: "12 Angry Men Inside Amy Schumer" |
| 2015 | Scheer-RL | Mariah Carey | Episode: "Mariah Carey" |
| 2015 | Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero | Cuteling Mayor (voice) | Episode: "The Ripple Effect" |
| 2015 | Aqua Teen Hunger Force | Frylock's bees (voice) | Episode: "Sweet C" |
| 2015 | The Grinder | Prosecutor Leonard | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2016 | The X-Files | Pasha | Episode: "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster" |
| 2016 | Animals. | Rusty (voice) | Episode: "Dogs." |
Video games
| Year | Title | Voice role |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Walking Dead: Season Two | Reggie |
References
- 1 2 Konigsberg, Eric (30 October 2009). "It’s Not a Bad Time to Be Funny in the City". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
- ↑ "Twitter / TVsJonDore: Happy Birthday Kumail Nanjiani!!". Twitter.com. 2011-02-21. Retrieved 2014-04-22.
- ↑ Wolinsky, David (23 August 2007). "Kumail Nanjiani · Interview". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
- ↑ Nanjiani, Shereen (1 September 2012). "Extended Interview with Kumail Nanjiani". Shereen. BBC Radio Scotland. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- ↑ Allison, Kevin (11 February 2013). "Live From San Francisco!". Risk!. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- ↑ "Interview with Comedian Kumail Nanjiani ’01". Grinnell College. September 22, 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
- 1 2 Kavner, Lucas (4 April 2014). "'Silicon Valley,' a Comedy Central project and a killer bidet joke: Kumail Nanjiani has it all". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
- ↑ Baker, Ali; Nanjiani, Kumail (15 July 2012). "#1 Steve Agee". The Indoor Kids. Nerdist Industries. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
- ↑ "The Kings of Summer Red-Band Trailer". Collider.com. 2013-05-20. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
- ↑ Cruz, Lenika (14 January 2015). "Bed, Bath, and Bong Rips: The Glorious Return of Broad City". The Atlantic. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- ↑ Sims, David (23 July 2013). "Kumail Nanjiani: Beta Male". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
- ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (20 June 2013). "Comedy Central Greenlights ‘The Meltdown With Jonah and Kumail’". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
- ↑ "The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail". NerdmeltLA.com. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
- ↑ Casey, Dan (13 May 2014). "Game Review: The Walking Dead Season 2: In Harm's Way". Nerdist Industries. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
- ↑ Eakin, Marah (9 June 2014). "Kumail Nanjiani to take on every episode of The X-Files in new podcast". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
- ↑ "The X-Files Files". iTunes. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
- ↑ http://news.xbox.com/2015/05/games-hunt-the-truth-podcast-episode-8
- ↑ Holmes, Linda (6 May 2015). "Amy Schumer Puts Her Own Looks On Trial". NPR.org. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- ↑ "New Listings for Disney XD – July 2015". The Disney Driven Life. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ↑ Liviu Marica. "Old Navy: Snoopin’ Around featurig Snoop Dogg". Daily Commercials. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kumail Nanjiani. |
- Kumail Nanjiani at the Internet Movie Database
- Kumail Nanjiani on Twitter
- Kumail Nanjiani on Instagram
|