Kumail Nanjiani
| Kumail Nanjiani | |
|---|---|
 Nanjiani speaking at Wondercon 2012 in Anaheim, California on March 17, 2012 | |
| Born |
February 21, 1978[1][2] Karachi, Pakistan |
| Other names | Kumail Nanga-jani |
| Ethnicity | Pakistani |
| Citizenship | American |
| Occupation | Comedian, Actor |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Spouse(s) | Emily V. Gordon |
Kumail Nanjiani (/kuːˈmɛl nɑːndʒ(i)ˈjɑːni/ koo-MEL-nahn-JYAH-nee) is a Pakistani American stand-up comic and actor.
Career
Born in Karachi, Nanjiani lived in Pakistan until he moved to the United States when he was 18 and attended Grinnell College in Iowa where he graduated in 2001.[3][4] Since beginning his career in Chicago, he has performed standup on a number of television programs including the Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and Conan. He also had a recurring role and was a staff writer on Michael & Michael Have Issues and has appeared on The Colbert Report and Burning Love.
He was named one of Comedy Central's breakout comedians of 2009, along with Nick Kroll, Aziz Ansari, Whitney Cummings, Donald Glover, Matt Braunger, T.J. Miller, Anthony Jeselnik, and Jon Lajoie.
In July 2011 he and Ali Baker began hosting a videogame-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 Gordon.[5] He also appears regularly on Dan Harmon's podcast Harmontown, where he plays Dungeons & Dragons with Harmon as a character named Chris de Burgh.
He has a cameo as a delivery man in the 2013 film The Kings of Summer.
Television work
In addition to guest-starring in various comedy shows like Portlandia, Nanjiani is starring in a supporting role in the TNT series Franklin & Bash. He plays the role of Pindar Singh, an agoraphobic science fiction nerd working for the main characters of the show. He also has an animated comedy Robots coming up on Comedy Central and plays the voice of Prismo, an "almighty" being of infinite power on the TV show Adventure Time. Nanjiani also guest-starred on HBO's Veep as a statistician. He currently has the recurring role of Amir Larussa on Newsreaders. His Comedy Central special entitled Beta Male aired in July 2013.[6]
In late June 2013 Comedy Central announced the pickup of a show The Meltdown With Jonah and Kumail hosted by Jonah Ray and Nanjiani. The show will feature Nerd Melt comedy regulars and various comedians. The show is slated to air in early 2014.[7]
Personal life
Nanjiani was raised Muslim, but became an atheist in later life.[8] He was born in Karachi and moved to the U.S. for college. He is married to Emily V. Gordon, an ex-therapist who co-hosts the podcast The Indoor Kids with Nanjiani. In addition, Gordon produces The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, a weekly live comedy show associated with Nerdist. [9]
References
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/arts/television/01koni.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
- ↑ https://twitter.com/TVsJonDore/status/39885028154548224
- ↑ http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/communications/magazine/extras/nanjiani-interview
- ↑ Konigsberg, Eric (1 November 2009). "For Kumail Nanjiani, A Good Time to Be Funny". New York Times. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
- ↑ "The Indoor Kids #1 Steve Agee". Nerdist. 15 July 2012.
- ↑ http://www.avclub.com/articles/kumail-nanjiani-beta-male,100559/
- ↑ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/06/20/comedy-central-greenlights-the-meltdown-with-jonah-and-kumail/188292/
- ↑ http://www.avclub.com/articles/kumail-nanjiani,487/
- ↑ http://www.xojane.com/relationships/what-working-with-my-spouse-has-taught-me-about-work-and-love
External links
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