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Kumail Nanjiani

Acting

Born May 2, 1978 · Karachi, Pakistan

Also known as Kumail Ali Nanjiani

Biography

Kumail Ali Nanjiani (/kʊˈmeɪl ˌnɑːndʒiˈɑːni/; Sindhi: ڪميل علي نانجياڻي‎; Urdu: کمیل علی نانجیانی; born May 2, 1978) is a Pakistani-American stand-up comedian and actor. He is known for his role as Dinesh in the HBO comedy series Silicon Valley (2014–2019) and for co-writing and starring in the romantic comedy film The Big Sick (2017). For co-writing the latter with his wife, Emily V. Gordon, they were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. In 2018, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role in The Twilight Zone executive produced by Jordan Peele in 2019. Nanjiani has also voiced Prismo on the animated series Adventure Time and starred in the TNT series Franklin & Bash and the Adult Swim series Newsreaders. He also co-hosted the Comedy Central show The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail and played various roles on the comedy series Portlandia. He also played Kingo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) superhero film Eternals and What If...? Episode What If... Agatha Went to Hollywood?, con artist Haja Estree in the Disney+ miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi and celebrity scientist Vik in the television series The Boys Presents: Diabolical and The Boys. In 2022, he starred in the lead role of the Hulu miniseries Welcome to Chippendales. In 2023, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category for his work in Welcome to Chippendales. Description above from the Wikipedia article Kumail Nanjiani, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Awards & recognition

  • Time 100 · 2018
  • Film Independent Spirit Awards
  • Academy AwardBest Writing, Original Screenplay · 2018 · nominated

Filmography50+ titles

The A List: 15 Stories from Asian and Pacific Diasporas

2025as Self

Dr Phil LIVE!

as Self

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake

2023as Prismo (voice)

Bee & Puppycat: Lazy in Space

2022as Howell (voice)

Only Murders in the Building

2021as Rudy Thurber

The Boys

2019as Kumail Nanjiani (uncredited)

Adventure Time

2010as Prismo (voice)

The X-Files

1993as Pasha

Taskmaster

2015as Self

Ugly Americans

2010as Neilando Patel (voice)

Fallout

2024as Xander Harkness

What If...?

2021as Kingo (voice)

Silicon Valley

2014as Dinesh Chugtai

The Green Room with Paul Provenza

as Self

Community

2009as Lapari

The Simpsons

1989as Theo (voice)

The Eric Andre Show

2012as Self

Archer

2009as Farooq Ashkani (voice)

HarmonQuest

2016as Eddie Lizzard

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

2014as Self

Bob's Burgers

2011as Skip Marooch

Key and Peele

2012as College Kid #1

Big Mouth

2017as himself (voice)

Poker Face

2023as Joseph 'Gator Joe' Pilson

Veep

2012as Statistician

RuPaul's Drag Race

2009as Self - Guest Judge

Aqua Teen Hunger Force

2000as Bees (voice)

Newsreaders

as Amir Larussa

The Breadwinner

2026as Peyton

Migration

2023as Mack Mallard (voice)

The Jeselnik Offensive

as Self

Kumail Nanjiani: Night Thoughts

2025as Self

Krapopolis

2023as Spartan Army Leader (voice)

The Big Sick

2017as Kumail Nanjiani

Burning Love

2012as Zakir

Franklin & Bash

2011as Pindar Singh

Diabolical

2022as Vik (voice)

Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero

2014as Cute-ling Mayor (voice)

Conan

2010as Self

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Eternals

2022as Self - Kingo

Hot Ones

2015as Self

Broad City

2014as Benny Calitri

Driver's Ed

2025as Mr. Rivers

Obi-Wan Kenobi

2022as Haja Estree

The Kings of Summer

2013as Gary

Garfunkel and Oates

2014as Jordan

Portlandia

2011as SoCal Waiter

Life as We Know It

2010as Simon

Saturday Night Live

1975as Self - Host

Good Talk with Anthony Jeselnik

as Self