Kumail Nanjiani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kumail Nanjiani |
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Nanjiani at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con
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| Birth name | Kumail Ali Nanjiani |
| Born | May 2, 1978 Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan |
| Medium | |
| Education | Karachi Grammar School, Grinnell College (BA) |
| Spouse | |
| Relative(s) | Shereen Nanjiani (second cousin) |
Kumail Ali Nanjiani (born May 2, 1978) is a Pakistani-American actor and comedian. He is famous for playing Dinesh in the comedy series Silicon Valley and for starring in the superhero movie Eternals.
He also co-wrote and starred in the movie The Big Sick with his wife, Emily V. Gordon. The movie tells the story of how they met. For their work, they were nominated for an Academy Award. In 2018, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Nanjiani has appeared in many other popular shows and movies. He played the con artist Haja Estree in the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi and voiced the alien Pawny in Men in Black International. He also starred in the miniseries Welcome to Chippendales, which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
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Early Life and Education
Kumail Nanjiani was born in Karachi, Pakistan. He grew up there and attended the Karachi Grammar School. When he was 18, he moved to the United States to go to college.
He went to Grinnell College in Iowa and graduated in 2001. He studied two subjects: computer science and philosophy. After college, he moved to Chicago and started performing stand-up comedy.
Career Highlights
Nanjiani began his career by performing a one-man show about his life. After moving to New York, he appeared on TV shows like The Colbert Report. His career grew as he took on more roles in television and film.
Television Success
From 2011 to 2014, Nanjiani had a main role in the TV series Franklin & Bash. He also had a recurring role in the comedy show Portlandia. Many people know him as the voice of Prismo in the animated series Adventure Time.
His big break came in 2014 when he was cast as Dinesh Chugtai in the HBO series Silicon Valley. He played this character for all six seasons of the popular show.
In 2019, he starred in an episode of The Twilight Zone, which earned him an Emmy nomination. He also played a role in the 2024 season of Only Murders in the Building.
From Comedy to Blockbusters
In 2017, Nanjiani co-wrote and starred in The Big Sick. The movie was based on the real-life story of his relationship with his wife, Emily V. Gordon. The film was a huge success and received an Oscar nomination for its screenplay.
After the success of The Big Sick, Nanjiani starred in more big movies. He appeared in the action-comedy Stuber and voiced an ostrich in Dolittle.
Joining the Marvel Universe
In 2021, Nanjiani joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). He played Kingo, a superhero who lives as a Bollywood movie star, in the film Eternals. To prepare for the role, he trained hard to change his physical appearance. He later voiced the character again in the animated series What If...?.
His other major roles include playing Nadeem Razmaadi in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) and voicing Mack the duck in the animated movie Migration (2023).
Personal Life
Nanjiani married writer and producer Emily V. Gordon in 2007. They often work together on creative projects, including the movie The Big Sick and a podcast they started in 2020 called Staying In with Emily and Kumail. They live in Los Angeles, California. In his free time, Nanjiani enjoys playing video games.
Selected Film and TV Roles
Here are some of Kumail Nanjiani's most well-known roles:
- Dinesh Chugtai in Silicon Valley (2014–2019)
- Prismo (voice) in Adventure Time (2012–2016)
- Himself in The Big Sick (2017)
- Pawny (voice) in Men in Black: International (2019)
- Kingo in Eternals (2021)
- Haja Estree in Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
- Mack (voice) in Migration (2023)
- Nadeem Razmaadi in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
See also
In Spanish: Kumail Nanjiani para niños
