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From Silicon Valley to outer space and beyond, Kumail Nanjiani has seemingly done it all: Star Wars, Marvel, The Boys, and so much more. In support of his upcoming Disney series Welcome to Chippendales, the actor sat down with Total Film, with the full interview appearing in the new issue of the magazine, featuring Luther: The Fallen Sun on the cover. Here's a snippet of the conversation about Eternals and being in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
In recent years, you’ve hit two real geek high points in Star Wars and Marvel. How did those experiences compare?
Well, I had a much bigger part in Eternals, so that really felt like I was part of this team. I was there in London, shooting for five months. It really felt like I was part of that family from the beginning to the end.
With Obi-Wan Kenobi, it was really, really fun, but I was definitely more in and out. It felt like it was their show, and I’m coming in a few days at a time to sort of play in their world and leave. So that was quite different. But they were both very, very fun jobs that were honestly so joyful for me. There was not a day I dreaded going to work, or a day that I wasn’t sad that I was done working. That’s a very rare thing.
Does your background in podcasting and celebrating nerdy culture give you a different perspective, compared to actors who come in not knowing that world?
Oh, for sure. I feel like I know these things in my bones. For something like Eternals, I’ve been watching superhero movies my whole life, and reading comic books my whole life. And that movie really is a sci-fi movie in many ways more than a superhero movie.
And I’ve been watching these movies my entire life. You know, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind was the greatest... I mean, it shook me. I was shaking after seeing that movie. With those movies, I still do a lot of prep, but I feel like I can trust myself more, because I know the tone of these movies and the cadence of them. So, yes, that was a huge advantage. When I did Eternals, I was like, "I’ve been preparing my entire life to do this movie." That’s how I felt.
Have you or Marvel got any plans in place to reprise Kingo? He was the focus of a couple of little Easter eggs in the recent Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special – do you hope that means a return appearance is due soon?
Yeah! I mean, listen, I have plans today. I don’t know if they have plans. I would love to come back. But I’m sort of waiting to hear when or if that’s going to happen. I’m hoping I get to do more. I had a great time playing that character. It’d be a shame if he’s a sort of one and done. But, you know, the decision’s not mine to make.
For much more from Nanjiani, pick up a copy of the new issue of Total Film when it hits newsstands (real and digital) on Thursday, January 12. The new issue also features pieces on Luther: The Fallen Sun, Cocaine Bear, Knock at the Cabin, Magic Mike's Last Dance, The Fabelmans, and much more.
Check out the covers below:
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