Emmy spotlight: Kumail Nanjiani has a killer role in ‘Welcome to Chippendales’
Kumail Nanjiani will be hoping for a return to the Emmys this year with his killer true-crime series “Welcome to Chippendales.” The Hulu limited series tells the true tale of Steve Banerjee, the Indian immigrant who tried to conquer the American dream by creating Chippendales — the first male strip-tease venue.
However, his story ended in scandal and crime as he burnt Chippendales down only 10 years later and became an accessory to murder. This Hulu series dives into this little-known slice of history and features Nanjiani, who also executive produces, in the lead role of Banerjee. This is a prime role for Nanjiani, who gets to use his natural charisma and magnetism to play a man with a vision and the will to make it so. However, it’s also an exercise for Nanjiani to portray a darker role and stretch his dramatic acting chops. Nanjiani proves he can handle both aspects superbly as he is charming, dangerous, sinister, and a treat to watch, as critics have noted.
Nick Clark (Evening Standard) observed: This is a real acting workout for Nanjiani and he pulls it off. His Banerjee is a perennial outsider looking to belong. He is insular and awkward, rarely raising a smile, but has a single-mindedness that takes him from being a petrol station attendant to great wealth. He also has a darkness that sets the tragic chain of events in motion
Richard Newby (Empire): “Nanjiani, who has proven so likable as a comedian and actor, subverts expectations in crafting a character who is compelling and complex, but never entirely endearing. He’s charming in a calculated sense, but there is a pretense to his humanity that feels just as fake as the name he chooses to go by in American business dealings (‘Steve’). Even his business attire has been carefully selected from a catalog, meant to evoke Hugh Hefner.”
Lorraine Ali (LA Times) explained: “Nanjiani nails the role of a stiff, awkward gas station attendant-turned-egomaniacal, paranoid entertainment mogul. There is a palpable anger and resentment brewing under his bland, Sears business-suited exterior. He’s been underestimated and maligned as a brown man in the U.S. and criticized by his family back in India for reaching above his station. Nanjiani individualizes and sells the familiar dynamic of being caught between two worlds, sympathizing with Banerjee before things turn ugly.”
However, while his performance has been lauded as a great one, Nanjiani is still just outside of our predicted six nominees for the Best TV Movie/Limited Series Actor. Currently, we think the following stars will be nominated: Steve Carell (“The Patient”), Michael Shannon (“George & Tammy”), Daniel Radcliffe (“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”), Steven Yeun (“Beef”), Taron Egerton (“Black Bird”), and Evan Peters (“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”). But fret not, Nanjiani fans, he could make this line-up yet.
Nanjiani is a respected comedian and performer but he hasn’t really been given the Emmy rewards his talents deserve just yet. He has only ever been nominated once: in 2019 for Best Drama Guest Actor for Jordan Peele‘s reboot of “The Twilight Zone.” Nanjiani lost to Bradley Whitford for “The Handmaid’s Tale.” But that Nanjiani bid was the only nomination “The Twilight Zone” managed across its entire run, so voters clearly admire Nanjiani as a performer — they thought he was the standout in a show filled with excellent performances. So Emmys voters do like him, but they haven’t given him the prime spotlight he potentially deserves. They will want to nominate Nanjiani, at some point, in a lead acting category as opposed to a guest acting category — that’s more fitting of Nanjiani’s talents. This is a great chance for them to do just that.
He also has a respectable awards history elsewhere. He was nominated at the Oscars for Best Original Screenplay in 2018 for “The Big Sick” (shared with his wife Emily V. Gordon), while he was also nominated for Best International Show at the 2021 BAFTA TV Awards for “Little America.” Plus, he has three Critics Choice Awards nominations to his name as well as a SAG bid and a WGA bid. Awards bodies clearly respect this creative.
Nanjiani is also an exec producer on this show — voters love an actor who can utilize his story-telling talents behind the screen, too. Especially in this category of Best TV Movie/Limited Series Actor. Last year, Oscar Isaac was nominated for “Scenes From a Marriage,” a show he also executive produced. Similarly, Ewan McGregor won this award in 2021 for “Halston,” which he served as an exec producer on. And the year before that, Mark Ruffalo won for “I Know This Much is True,” which, you guessed it, he exec produced. Nanjiani could well become the latest example in a long line of actor-producers to earn nominations for their performances in respected projects they helped bring to the screen. Watch out for Nanjiani.
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