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Kumail Nanjiani

Kumail Nanjiani

Actor and producer, also writer · Born May 2, 1978 (48) · Karachi, Pakistan

Screen Actors Guild Award winner · Oscar nominee · Primetime Emmy nominee · 5 other major award bodies

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.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 2, 1978 (48)
From
Karachi, Pakistan
Works as
Actor and producer, also writer
Titles
85 on MovieCove · 98 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 5% in 30 days

What are Kumail Nanjiani's films like?

Across their 43 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy14 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 29th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile
: browse their Action movies
Documentary4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Animation3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile
: browse their Animation movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
35%
Self
29%
Society
16%
Morality
10%
Ideas
4%
Power
3%
Survival
3%
Friendship13 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds10 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity11 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition6 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 29 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 22 · Serious 7 · Dark 0

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 16 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 5

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 11 · Charged 15 · Intense 3

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 16 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 3

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 18

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 18 · Relentless 3

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 19 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 22 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

20 analyzed roles

Usually the Trickster: 7 of 20 analyzed roles.

Trickster
7 of 20
Ally
6 of 20
Hero
4 of 20
Threshold guardian
1 of 20
Herald
1 of 20
Shapeshifter
1 of 20
Show the 20 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
22
Absurd
17
Warm
12
Hopeful
10
Contemplative
13
Other
39

How their films linger

Fun21 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy18
  • Bittersweet17
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous4
  • Cyclical3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Kumail Nanjiani's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 66 of their 85 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Hulu (15).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Kumail Nanjiani's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

98 credits, 85 with a MovieCove page; 53 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Comeback King (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)

    Actor

  • The Wrong Girls(2026)

    as GG (voice)

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • The Breadwinner(2026)

    as Peyton

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Over Your Dead Body(2026)

    as Hollywood Dan (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • See You When I See You(2026)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Screener (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Show 1 episode · as Parker Harrison

  • Kumail Nanjiani: Night Thoughts(2025)

    Executive Producer · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Ella McCay(2025)

    as Trooper Nash

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Driver's Ed(2025)

    as Mr. Rivers

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Deli Boys(2025)

    Show 2 episodes · as Danyal Khan

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • Is / Was \ Will (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Executive Producer · Actor

  • Destroy All Neighbors(2024)

    as Smelting Refinery Guard

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Fallout(2024)

    Show 2 episodes · as Xander Harkness

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire(2024)

    as Nadeem

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Migration(2023)

    as Mack Mallard (voice)

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Krapopolis(2023)

    Show 1 episode · as Spartan Army Leader (voice)

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows

  • Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake(2023)

    Show 3 episodes · as Prismo (voice)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Project Greenlight: A New Generation(2023)

    Show 10 episodes · Executive Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all shows

  • History of the World: Part II(2023)

    Show 1 episode · as Vatsyayana

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows

  • Poker Face(2023)

    Show 1 episode · as Joseph 'Gator Joe' Pilson

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Welcome to Chippendales(2022)

    Show 8 episodes · Executive Producer · as Somen 'Steve' Banerjee

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • Bee & Puppycat: Lazy in Space(2022)

    Show 3 episodes · as Howell (voice)

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Obi-Wan Kenobi(2022)

    Show 3 episodes · as Haja Estree

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all shows

  • Diabolical(2022)

    Show 1 episode · as Vik (voice)

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all shows

  • Murderville(2022)

    Show 1 episode · as Kumail Nanjiani

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows

  • Eternals(2021)

    as Kingo

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Only Murders in the Building(2021)

    Show 7 episodes · as Rudy Thurber

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • What If...?(2021)

    Show 1 episode · as Kingo (voice)

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Death to 2020(2020)

    as Bark Multiverse

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Lovebirds(2020)

    Executive Producer · as Jibran

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Little America(2020)

    Show 16 episodes · Executive Producer · Teleplay

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows

  • Dolittle(2020)

    as Plimpton (voice)

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Bless the Harts(2019)

    Show 4 episodes · as Jesus (voice)

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all shows

  • The Boys(2019)

    Show 2 episodes · as Kumail Nanjiani (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Stuber(2019)

    as Stu Prasad

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Men in Black: International(2019)

    as Pawny (voice)

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Twilight Zone(2019)

    Show 1 episode · as Samir Wassan

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all shows

  • Duck Butter(2018)

    as Jake

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • The Lego Ninjago Movie(2017)

    as Jay (voice)

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • A Happening of Monumental Proportions(2017)

    as Perry

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Big Sick(2017)

    Executive Producer · Writer · as Kumail Nanjiani

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Fist Fight(2017)

    as Officer Mehar

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Late Bloomer(2016)

    as Rich

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Brother Nature(2016)

    as Riggleman

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • HarmonQuest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Show 2 episodes · as Eddie Lizzard

  • Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates(2016)

    as Keanu

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Central Intelligence(2016)

    as Jared the Airport Security Guard

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Hello, My Name Is Doris(2015)

    as Nasir

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Addicted to Fresno(2015)

    as Damon

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Hell and Back(2015)

    as Dave the Demon (voice)

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • The Grinder(2015)

    Show 2 episodes · as Prosecutor Leonard

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • Flock of Dudes(2016)

    as Ro

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Major Lazer(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Thor (voice)

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Hot Tub Time Machine 2(2015)

    as Brad Syed

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Cute-ling Mayor (voice)

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Garfunkel and Oates(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Jordan

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Sex Tape(2014)

    as Punit

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • The Last of the Great Romantics(2014)

    as George the Counter Guy

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Silicon Valley(2014)

    Show 53 episodes · as Dinesh Chugtai

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • TripTank(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Dick Genie (voice)

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all shows

  • Loaded(2015)

    as Raza

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Broad City(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Benny Calitri

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Timms Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Arjit Pondicherry

  • Hell Baby(2013)

    as Cable Guy

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Bad Milo!(2013)

    as Bobbi

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Kumail Nanjiani: Beta Male(2013)

    Producer · Writer · as Himself

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Drunk History(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Lakota Chief

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • The Kings of Summer(2013)

    as Gary

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Newsreaders(2013)

    Show 3 episodes · as Amir Larussa

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • The Arrangement(2013)

    as Alfred Dalton

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Bunk(2012)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows

  • Burning Love(2012)

    Show 14 episodes · as Zakir

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • The Five-Year Engagement(2012)

    as Pakistani Chef

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Veep(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Statistician

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Key and Peele(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as College Kid #1

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Franklin & Bash(2011)

    Show 31 episodes · as Pindar Singh

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • Traffic Light(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Paul

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Portlandia(2011)

    Show 7 episodes · as Birthday Loan Officer · as Cell Phone Salesman · as Denim Salesman · as Human Bandwidth Manager · as SoCal Waiter

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • Bob's Burgers(2011)

    Show 3 episodes · as Skip Marooch (voice)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Life as We Know It(2010)

    as Simon

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Reggie Watts: Why $#!+ So Crazy?(2010)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Adventure Time(2010)

    Show 6 episodes · as Prismo (voice)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Ugly Americans(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Neilando Patel (voice)

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • Archer(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Farooq Ashkani (voice)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Community(2009)

    Show 2 episodes · as Lapari

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Michael & Michael Have Issues(2009)

    Show 7 episodes · Writer · as Kumail

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Aqua Teen Hunger Force(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as Bees (voice)

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • The X-Files(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Pasha

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Simpsons(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Theo (voice)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Saturday Night Live(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as Indian Reporter (uncredited) · as Self - Host

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • All Day & All Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Compulsive Liar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Executive Producer · Screenplay · as Simon

  • Green Bank (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Howl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer · Actor

  • Sex Criminals (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 2 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer

  • Sidekicks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Screenplay

  • Thread: An Insidious Tale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Very Young Frankenstein (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 98 titles, 89 of them dated from 1975 to 2026; peak year 2016.

Biggest box office

Eternals (2021)

$402M worldwide

Highest rated

Silicon Valley (2014)

Midcredits 98th

Film career

MilestoneNomination
19752026

Peak 2016 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 8 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting91 of 98: 85 only acting, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rdDirecting1 of 98: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting6 of 98: 2 only writing, 4 with another roleProducing11 of 98: 2 only producing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score66thOther crew1 of 98: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

98 titles, 9 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 6 of them.

By decade

1970s1 · acting1980s1 · acting1990s1 · acting2000s4 · acting2010s51 · 50 acting · 2 crew2020s31 · 27 acting · 7 crew

Billing

usually 9th · top billed in 6% of 32 roles
101520

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

a Screen Actors Guild Award and 1 other major award from 13 major nominations, 2018–2026.

WinNomination
  1. 2026
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television
  2. 2025
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
  3. 2023
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
  4. 2021
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · International
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best New Scripted Series
  5. 2019
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
  6. 2018
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Original Screenplay
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
    • +3 other major bodies · 1 win and 4 nominations
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Original Screenplay
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Actor in a Comedy
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Original Screenplay
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
      • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best First Screenplay

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Kumail Nanjiani's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 33rd percentile, the median of all 41; across their 29 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 40th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

40thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 29

Approval · how many liked their films

41stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 29

Reach · how many have seen their films

88thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 29

Midcredits score across 85 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up27
  • 50th to 74th21
  • 25th to 49th20
  • Below 25th17

Shape of the crowd

29 of their 85 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved15
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser26
  • Broadly Agreed13
  • Mixed29

Most divisive · actor

The Last of the Great Romantics (2014)

93rd percentile spread · 36% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Silicon Valley (2014)

Midcredits 98th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the acting 67/100 in their films, across 24 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Kumail Nanjiani's work okay for kids?

Across up to 24 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore21 titles6–63 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity24 titles16–67 · median 43 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity23 titles15–85 · median 67 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs21 titles11–65 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense20 titles12–55 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Kumail Nanjiani work with?

People who share at least 2 of Kumail Nanjiani's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Michael Showalter shares the most, 5.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles