Kumail Nanjiani
Born 1978 · Age 47
Pakistani–American stand-up comedian, actor, writer and producer known for Silicon Valley, co-writing/starring in The Big Sick, and roles in MCU's Eternals and many film/TV projects.
Compare Your Trajectory
See how your career milestones stack up against Kumail Nanjiani and other industry leaders.
Life & Career Timeline
Born in Karachi, Pakistan
Kumail Ali Nanjiani born to Shabana and Aijaz Nanjiani in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Completed O-Levels at St. Michael's Convent School
Attended St. Michael's Convent School in Karachi for O-Levels (approximate completion year inferred from age).
Completed A-Levels at Karachi Grammar School
Graduated A-Levels from Karachi Grammar School; classmate of Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy (year inferred from move age).
Moved to the United States
Moved from Karachi to the U.S. to attend college at age 18.
Graduated Grinnell College (BA)
Graduated from Grinnell College in Iowa with a double major in computer science and philosophy.
Moved to Chicago and began performing stand-up
After college moved to Chicago and began performing at open-mic comedy nights.
Married Emily V. Gordon
Married writer-producer Emily V. Gordon at Chicago City Hall (marriage year reported as 2007; some sources give July 14, 2007).
Wrote and staged autobiographical one-man show
Wrote and staged an original autobiographical one-man show in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.
First TV appearance on Saturday Night Live
Appeared (uncredited) on Saturday Night Live in a sketch (episode James Franco/Kings of Leon).
Performed at Just for Laughs festival
Performed at the prestigious Just for Laughs comedy festival.
First notable film credit: Life as We Know It (released)
Played Simon in the studio romantic comedy Life as We Know It (release 2010).
Launched The Indoor Kids podcast
Started video game–themed podcast The Indoor Kids with Ali Baker (later co-hosted with Emily Gordon after Baker left).
Cast in Franklin & Bash (series regular)
Joined TNT legal drama/comedy Franklin & Bash as Pindar Singh (series regular seasons 1–3; guest season 4).
Began recurring roles on Portlandia
Started recurring appearances on IFC sketch series Portlandia (recurring across multiple years).
Began recurring voice role on Adventure Time
Began voicing Prismo (Adventure Time), recurring 2012–2016.
Appeared on The Colbert Report
Made occasional appearances on The Colbert Report early in his career.
Began recurring role on Newsreaders
Played Amir Larussa on Adult Swim’s Newsreaders (recurring; 11 episodes across 2013–2015).
Film appearances increase (2013 releases)
Appeared in The Kings of Summer, Hell Baby, Bad Milo! and other small film roles in 2013.
The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail greenlit
Comedy Central announced pickup of The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail (show featuring Nerdmelt comedians).
Comedy Central special 'Beta Male' aired
Stand-up special Kumail Nanjiani: Beta Male aired on Comedy Central.
Cast as Dinesh on Silicon Valley (HBO)
Began playing Dinesh Chugtai on HBO comedy Silicon Valley (series 2014–2019).
Hosted 'The X-Files Files' podcast
Launched a weekly podcast discussing The X-Files with guests including writers and actors of the show.
Voiced Mshak Moradi in 'Hunt the Truth' audio drama
Provided voice for marketing audio drama campaign for Halo 5: Guardians beginning March 22, 2015.
Guest appearance on Inside Amy Schumer
Appeared as a juror in the parody '12 Angry Men Inside Amy Schumer'.
Selected as one of Sundance's notable filmmakers/creatives
The Big Sick premiered at Sundance and drew industry attention, kickstarting several career advances for Nanjiani.
Co-wrote and starred in The Big Sick (release year)
Co-wrote (with wife Emily V. Gordon) and starred in autobiographical romantic comedy The Big Sick; played himself.
Amazon acquired U.S. distribution rights to The Big Sick at Sundance
Amazon won a bidding war and purchased The Big Sick for reported $12 million at Sundance 2017.
The Big Sick box office milestone
The Big Sick became one of the top independent grossers of 2017, grossing over $40 million (reported as third-highest grossing indie of 2017).
Independent Spirit Award — Best First Screenplay (Won)
Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay for The Big Sick.
AFI Top 10 Films of the Year — The Big Sick
The Big Sick was chosen by the American Film Institute as one of the top 10 films of 2017.
Named in Time's 100 Most Influential People
Time magazine included Kumail in its '100 Most Influential People' list (Pioneers section, 2018).
Academy Award nomination — Best Original Screenplay
Nominated (with Emily V. Gordon) for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Big Sick (Oscars held in 2018 for 2017 films).
Invited to join AMPAS (Academy)
Invited to the actors and writers branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (class of 2018 invites).
Body transformation for Eternals (viral attention)
Shared photos documenting a major physical transformation for the role in Eternals; images went viral and attracted widespread attention.
Primetime Emmy nomination — Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Nominated for a Primetime Emmy for his guest role on The Twilight Zone (2019).
Headlined The Twilight Zone (CBS All Access revival)
Headlined the first episode of the revived Twilight Zone anthology; role led to Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.
Men in Black: International released (voice role)
Voiced the alien character 'Pawny' in Men in Black: International (released June 14, 2019).
Stuber released (co-star)
Co-starred in action-comedy Stuber (released July 12, 2019).
Little America premiered on Apple TV+ (writer/producer)
Co-wrote and produced the Apple TV+ anthology Little America, which premiered January 2020 and showcased immigrant stories.
The Lovebirds released on Netflix (co-star & exec producer)
Starred opposite Issa Rae and served as executive producer on The Lovebirds; film released by Netflix in May 2020.
Wrote for and produced immigrant-focused series 'Little America'
Co-created/wrote/produced episodes of Little America for Apple TV+, based on Epic Magazine stories.
Launched podcast 'Staying In with Emily and Kumail'
During the COVID-19 pandemic launched a joint quarantine podcast with his wife Emily V. Gordon (March 2020).
Announced cast in Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney+)
Announced (March 2021) as part of the cast for the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ miniseries (portrayed Haja Estree).
Eternals released (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
Played Kingo in Marvel Studios' Eternals, released November 5, 2021.
Reported $3.7M home purchase in Los Angeles area
Reported purchase of a modern farmhouse for approximately $3.7 million; as of 2022 resided in Larchmont, Los Angeles.
Portrayed Haja Estree in Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney+)
Played the con artist Haja Estree across three episodes of the Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries.
Starred in Hulu miniseries 'Welcome to Chippendales'
Played lead role of Somen 'Steve' Banerjee and served as executive producer on the limited series; released 2022.
Primetime Emmy nomination for Welcome to Chippendales
Nominated for the 2023 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Welcome to Chippendales.
Joined Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire cast
Announcement confirmed Kumail joined the cast of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (later released March 22, 2024; role: Nadeem Razmaadi / Firemaster).
Donated LA Largo show proceeds to Doctors Without Borders
Donated proceeds from an LA Largo show in Oct 2023 to help fund Doctors Without Borders during Israel–Gaza war.
Appeared in Only Murders in the Building (7 episodes)
Portrayed Rudy 'Christmas Guy' Thurber across seven episodes of Only Murders in the Building (2024).
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire released (role credited)
Appeared as Nadeem Razmaadi / Firemaster in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (released March 22, 2024).
Scheduled to perform at Belly Laughs festival (announcement)
Announced March 2025 that Kumail would perform at Belly Laughs, a new comedy and food festival in Los Angeles (performance June 2025).
Guest role announced on Poker Face Season 2
Guest-starred in season 2 of the crime-mystery series Poker Face (announced appearance in 2024/credited in 2025 listings).
Announced for Broadway role in Oh, Mary!; run began Aug 4, 2025
Announced July 16, 2025 to play 'Mary's Husband' in Broadway play Oh, Mary! with run beginning Aug 4, 2025.
Key Achievement Ages
Explore what Kumail Nanjiani and others achieved at these notable ages:
Similar Trajectories
Alexis Ohanian
Born 1983 · Age 42
American internet entrepreneur and investor; co-founder of Reddit, co-founder of Initialized Capital, founder of Seven Seven Six (776), investor and advocate for open internet and paternity leave. Married to Serena Williams; based in Florida.
Brian Armstrong
Born 1983 · Age 42
American software engineer, entrepreneur and investor; co‑founder & CEO of Coinbase, philanthropist and advocate for crypto regulation.
Eric André
Born 1983 · Age 42
American comedian, actor, writer, producer, television host and musician best known as creator/host of The Eric Andre Show and for roles in Man Seeking Woman, Disenchantment, and films including The Lion King (2019).
Daniel Ek
Born 1983 · Age 42
Swedish entrepreneur and technologist; co-founder and CEO of Spotify; investor and co-founder in healthtech and deep-tech ventures (Neko Health, Prima Materia).
Alexis Madrigal
Born 1983 · Age 42
American journalist, staff writer and editor who has written for Wired and The Atlantic, co‑founder of the COVID Tracking Project, author of Powering the Dream, and co-host of KQED's Forum.
Drew Houston
Born 1983 · Age 42
American internet entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of Dropbox, known for building Dropbox into a major cloud-storage and collaboration company and serving on Facebook's (Meta) board.