Kumail Nanjiani is 48 years old. The Pakistani-American stand-up comedian, actor and screenwriter, born in Karachi on May 2, 1978, has been married to writer-producer Emily V. Gordon since 2007, and his net worth is approximately $8 million (Celebrity Net Worth, 2026). Nanjiani is best known for playing Dinesh in the HBO comedy Silicon Valley, for co-writing and starring in the Oscar-nominated film The Big Sick and for playing Kingo in Marvel’s Eternals — a career built from Chicago open-mic nights to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Kumail Nanjiani Quick Facts
| Full Name | Kumail Ali Nanjiani |
| Date of Birth | May 2, 1978 |
| Age | 48 years old |
| Birthplace | Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan |
| Wife | Emily V. Gordon (m. 2007) |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian, screenwriter |
| Net Worth | Approx. $8 million (Celebrity Net Worth, 2026) |
| Known For | Silicon Valley; The Big Sick; Eternals |
Who Is Kumail Nanjiani?
Kumail Nanjiani is a Pakistani-American stand-up comedian, actor and screenwriter whose breakthrough came as Dinesh Chugtai, the perpetually put-upon programmer in HBO’s Silicon Valley (2014–2019). He then co-wrote and starred in The Big Sick (2017), a romantic comedy based on his own courtship with his wife Emily V. Gordon, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay and became one of the highest-grossing independent films of 2017. In 2021 he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Kingo, the Bollywood star turned Eternal, in Eternals. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2018.
Nanjiani’s career spans stand-up, television, film and voice acting, and he has earned two Emmy nominations — for a guest role on The Twilight Zone in 2019 and for playing nightclub founder Somen “Steve” Banerjee in Welcome to Chippendales in 2023 — as well as a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2025 as part of the ensemble of Only Murders in the Building. Like fellow comedians-turned-actors Riz Ahmed and Simu Liu, Nanjiani has built his career by moving between comedy, drama and franchise blockbusters — and, like them, he has spoken openly about what it means to be an immigrant and a person of colour working in Hollywood.
Kumail Nanjiani’s Early Life & Background
Kumail Ali Nanjiani was born on May 2, 1978, in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, the first of two sons born to a Sindhi, Shia Muslim couple, Shabana and Aijaz Nanjiani. BBC Radio presenter Shereen Nanjiani is his second cousin. He attended St. Michael’s Convent School for his O-Levels and Karachi Grammar School for his A-Levels, where one of his classmates was the future Oscar-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. At 18 he moved to the United States to attend Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, graduating in 2001 with a double major in computer science and philosophy.
After college, Nanjiani moved to Chicago and began performing stand-up comedy at open-mic nights. He has said it took him 15 years to obtain his Green Card after moving to the United States. His early years in Chicago were spent building a comedy career from scratch — performing in small rooms, hosting a video game podcast and gradually landing small television roles — before the move to Los Angeles that would change his life.
Kumail Nanjiani’s Career
Nanjiani’s early television work included roles in Franklin & Bash (as Pindar Singh), Newsreaders and Portlandia, and he voiced Prismo on the animated series Adventure Time. He also co-hosted the Comedy Central stand-up showcase The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail. His breakthrough came in 2014, when he was cast as Dinesh in Mike Judge’s HBO comedy Silicon Valley, playing the role for six seasons until 2019. In 2017 he hosted Saturday Night Live, and that same year came The Big Sick: co-written with his wife Emily V. Gordon and starring Nanjiani as a version of himself opposite Zoe Kazan as Emily, the film told the story of their real-life courtship, including Emily’s sudden illness and coma. It was named one of the American Film Institute’s top 10 films of 2017 and earned the couple an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
After The Big Sick, Nanjiani’s film career expanded rapidly. He appeared in the action comedy Stuber (2019), voiced the alien Pawny in Men in Black: International (2019), voiced Plimpton in Dolittle (2020) and starred opposite Issa Rae in The Lovebirds (2020). He also co-created, wrote and executive-produced the Apple TV+ anthology series Little America (2020–2022). In November 2021 he made his Marvel debut as Kingo in Eternals, and he has since reprised the role in the animated series What If…?. In 2022 he played Somen “Steve” Banerjee in the Hulu limited series Welcome to Chippendales, earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor, and he appeared as Haja Estree in the Star Wars series Obi-Wan Kenobi.
His recent work includes playing Nadeem Razmaadi in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024), Rudy “Christmas Guy” Thurber in Only Murders in the Building (2024) — a role that brought him a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the ensemble cast — and Paladin Xander Harkness in the second season of Fallout (2025). In August 2025 he made his Broadway debut as Mary’s Husband in Oh, Mary!, and his stand-up special Night Thoughts was released on Hulu in 2025, earning him a Golden Globe nomination in 2026 for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television. He is set to appear in the 21st series of Taskmaster and in the fourth season of The White Lotus, and in 2024 he and Emily V. Gordon formed the production company Winter Coat Films.
Facts About Kumail Nanjiani
- He and his wife Emily V. Gordon wrote The Big Sick together, based on their real-life courtship — and the film earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
- He moved from Pakistan to the United States at 18 to attend Grinnell College in Iowa, where he double-majored in computer science and philosophy.
- He has said it took him 15 years to get his Green Card after moving to the US.
- He hosted Saturday Night Live in 2017.
- He was named one of Time‘s 100 most influential people in the world in 2018.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Kumail Nanjiani?
Kumail Nanjiani is 48 years old. He was born on May 2, 1978, in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Who is Kumail Nanjiani’s wife?
Kumail Nanjiani’s wife is writer-producer Emily V. Gordon. They married in 2007 at Chicago City Hall and co-wrote the Oscar-nominated film The Big Sick together, based on their own courtship.
What is Kumail Nanjiani’s net worth?
Kumail Nanjiani’s net worth is approximately $8 million (Celebrity Net Worth, 2026).
What is Kumail Nanjiani best known for?
Kumail Nanjiani is best known for playing Dinesh in HBO’s Silicon Valley, for co-writing and starring in The Big Sick and for playing Kingo in Marvel’s Eternals.
Has Kumail Nanjiani been nominated for an Oscar?
Yes. Kumail Nanjiani was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Big Sick (2017), an honour he shared with his wife Emily V. Gordon.
How old is Kumail Nanjiani?
Kumail Nanjiani is 48 years old. He was born on May 2, 1978, in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Who is Kumail Nanjiani’s wife?
Kumail Nanjiani’s wife is writer-producer Emily V. Gordon. They married in 2007 at Chicago City Hall and co-wrote the Oscar-nominated film The Big Sick together, based on their own courtship.
What is Kumail Nanjiani’s net worth?
Kumail Nanjiani’s net worth is approximately $8 million (Celebrity Net Worth, 2026).
What is Kumail Nanjiani best known for?
Kumail Nanjiani is best known for playing Dinesh in HBO’s Silicon Valley, for co-writing and starring in The Big Sick and for playing Kingo in Marvel’s Eternals.
Has Kumail Nanjiani been nominated for an Oscar?
Yes. Kumail Nanjiani was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Big Sick (2017), an honour he shared with his wife Emily V. Gordon.
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