Biography
Kumail Nanjiani, a standup comedian whose sharp wit reflects his distinctive cultural background, first saw life in Karachi, Pakistan before relocating to Iowa for higher education. Exposure to live comedy came late, arriving only when another Grinnell College student screened Jerry Seinfeld’s HBO special I’m Telling You for the Last Time; the set captivated him at once. Still, he postponed any stage attempts until after graduation, when he settled in Chicago. There he enrolled in Second City writing courses, took the stage at local open-mike nights, and unveiled his solo show Unpronounceable in 2007. One year later he transported the piece to Los Angeles and New York City, secured a writing post on Comedy Central’s Michael and Michael Have Issues, and began recurring on the same network’s The Colbert Report. A film role in Life as We Know It followed in 2010; the next year he partnered with Ali Baker to launch the video-game-and-comedy podcast The Indoor Kids. In 2013 he presented his Comedy Central special Beta Male, issued the same year as his first album.
Singles
