Emily V. Gordon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Emily Gordon
Emily Gordon in 2012
Born	(1979-05-03) May 3, 1979 (age 46) Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Education	East Carolina University (BA) University of North Carolina, Greensboro (MS, EdS)
Occupation	Writer, producer
Spouse(s)	Kumail Nanjiani ​ (m. 2007)​

Emily V. Gordon (born May 3, 1979) is an American writer, producer, and podcast host. She is famous for co-writing the 2017 romantic comedy film The Big Sick. This movie was based on her real-life relationship with her husband, comedian Kumail Nanjiani.

Emily and Kumail won an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay for The Big Sick. They were also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, which is a very important award in movies.

Before becoming a writer, Emily worked as a therapist, helping families and couples. She also helped create a live comedy show called The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail. This show later became a TV series on Comedy Central. Emily has written for television, including The Carmichael Show, and she wrote a book called Super You. She has also written for many online and print publications.

Emily Gordon's Early Life

Emily Gordon was born and grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She went to East Carolina University and earned a degree in psychology. Later, she studied at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. There, she earned advanced degrees in counseling for couples and families.

Her Career Journey

Working as a Counselor

Emily worked as a therapist from 2004 to 2009. She helped people in North Carolina, Chicago, Illinois, and Brooklyn, New York.

Writing and Comedy Work

Emily started her comedy career in New York. She worked at a comedy club and produced a live show with Pete Holmes. By 2010, when she moved to Los Angeles, Emily was writing and working in comedy full-time.

Emily has written two web series for teenagers called Power Up and ExploreD for Disney.com. She also wrote an episode for the TV show The Carmichael Show on NBC.

Besides writing, Emily also produces comedy shows. In 2010, she created a weekly live show called The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail. This show took place in the back of a comic book store. Emily was the producer and helped book the comedians. In 2013, Comedy Central decided to make The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail into a TV series. Emily was an executive producer for the show.

From 2011 to 2015, Emily and Kumail hosted a podcast called The Indoor Kids. It was mostly about video games. In 2020, they hosted another podcast called Staying In with Emily and Kumail. This podcast was about life during the COVID-19 quarantine.

Emily was also chosen to adapt a book called The Nest into a movie for Amazon Studios.

Her Book: Super You

Emily Gordon's first book, Super You: Release Your Inner Superhero, came out in 2015. It's a fun self-help guide that encourages readers to find their inner strengths.

The Movie: The Big Sick

Emily co-wrote the screenplay for the 2017 film The Big Sick with her husband, Kumail Nanjiani. She was also a co-executive producer for the movie. This film is based on the true story of how Emily and Kumail met and fell in love. In the movie, Kumail plays himself, and Emily (renamed Emily Gardner) is played by actress Zoe Kazan. The movie was directed by Michael Showalter and produced by Judd Apatow.

The Big Sick was highly praised by critics. Emily and Kumail's script won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. It was also nominated for a 2018 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Emily's Personal Life

Emily Gordon has been married to actor and comedian Kumail Nanjiani since 2007. She met Kumail at a comedy show in Chicago. She playfully teased him from the audience, which is shown in The Big Sick movie. They started dating soon after.

During their early relationship, Emily became very sick. She was put into a special coma by doctors before they found out she had Still's disease. She got better three months later. About a year after they first met, Emily and Kumail got married. They lived in Chicago and New York before moving to Los Angeles.

Film and TV Work

Here are some of the TV shows and films Emily Gordon has worked on:

Awards and Nominations

Emily Gordon has received several awards and nominations for her work, especially for The Big Sick.