Kumail Nanjiani

Kumail Nanjiani is one of the first Pakistani-born comics who has enjoyed great success in the film, TV, and stand-up worlds. After launching his stand-up career in Chicago with a one-man show as well as guest spots on such shows as The Colbert Report, Nanjiani appeared in his first movie, Life as We Know It (2010), Warner Bros.’ rom-com directed by Greg Berlanti and co-starring Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel, and Josh Lucas, and earning a triple of its $38 million budget with a $105.7 million gross.

Over the next six years, Nanjiani landed several small supporting roles in generally successful studio-backed and indie comedies, including The Five-Year Engagement (2012), The Kings of Summer (2013), Hell Baby (2013), and Bad Milo! (2013), Sex Tape (2014), Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (2015), Hell and Back (2015), Goosebumps (2015), Central Intelligence (2016), and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016).

Starting with Brother Nature (2016), Nanjiani landed larger (and billed) supporting roles, this one alongside Bobby Moynihan, Taran Killam, Rita Wilson, and Bill Pullman. Kumail Nanjiani had another larger supporting role opposite Chris D’Elia, Hannah Simone, and Bryan Greenberg in co-writer/director Bob Castrone’s comedy, Flock of Dudes (2016), followed by Nanjiani performing with Johnny Simmons, Maria Bello, Brittany Snow, Jane Lynch, and J.K. Simmons in the Kevin Pollak-directed comedy, The Late Bloomer (2016).

Nanjiani had his breakthrough starring (as a version of himself) in the autobiographical rom-com, The Big Sick (2017), co-written by Nanjiani and his author-wife Emily V. Gordon, directed by Michael Showalter, and co-starring Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, and Ray Romano, and after premiering at the Sundance film festival, grossing a knockout $56.4 million and earning a best original screenplay Oscar nomination.

After appearing in the school comedy, Fist Fight (2017), as well as the Judy Greer-directed comedy-drama, A Happening of Monumental Proportions (2017), Nanjiani co-starred with Dave Franco, Michael Pena, Abbi Jacobson, and Fred Armisen in the Phil Lord-Christopher Miller animated production, The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017), earning a poor $123 million global gross against $70 million costs. Nanjiani played himself in co-writer/director Miguel Arteta’s Duck Butter (2018), starring Alia Shawkat and Laia Costa, and premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Kumail Nanjiani had his second starring role—and his first in a studio movie—alongside Dave Bautista in Disney’s buddy cop comedy, Stuber (2019), directed by Michael Dowse, and with Iko Uwais, Natalie Morales, Mira Sorvino, and Karen Gillan, but earning a weak $32 million global gross. Nanjiani took on the voice role of an alien in the franchise reboot, Men in Black: International (2019), directed by F. Gary Gray, with Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Rebecca Ferguson, Emma Thompson, and Liam Neeson, and earning $254 million worldwide for Sony Pictures.

Nanjiani followed this with another voice role (as an ostrich) in co-writer/director Stephen Gaghan’s Dolittle (2020), starring Robery Downey Jr., and receiving poor reviews and disappointing box office ($251.5 gross against $192 million costs). Kumail Nanjiani starred and executive produced the rom-com, The Lovebirds (2020), co-starring Issa Rae, and intended for theatrical release by Paramount Pictures until the COVID-19 pandemic compelled a streaming release by Netflix.

Nanjiani co-starred in his first Marvel superhero movie in co-writer/director Chloé Zhao’s tepidly received Eternals (2021), with Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Barry Keoghan, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie, and though the movie grossed $402 million, this was against a huge $236 million budget.

Nanjiani took on another co-starring voice role in Illumination/Universal’s animated adventure, Migration (2023), written by Mike White and directed by Benjamin Renner, and with the voice cast of Elizabeth Banks, Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key, David Mitchell, Carol Kane, and Danny DeVito. Nanjiani was one of the new cast members (along with Patton Oswalt) in the fifth edition of the Ghostbusters franchise, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (date to be announced), with Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, and Mckenna Grace starring under co-writer Gil Kenan’s direction.