Kumail Nanjiani Turned Down Big Films for Stereotypical Roles

Albeit that Kumail Nanjiani is quite known in Hollywood for his convincing acting with natural flair, it comes as no surprise that The Big Sick actor had to face a fair share of stereotype in the industry. While speaking to Variety recently, the actor revealed that he had to turn down a big film as the role required him to stereotype his Pakistani origin.

“So there was a really, really big movie, actually, that I auditioned for, and I was a taxi driver, and the director was like, ‘Hey, could you play up the accent a little bit?’ And I was like, ‘I’m sorry, I won’t.’ And then the guy felt really bad. And I was like, ‘No, it’s fine. I’m just not going to do it. If that’s what you want, I’m not your guy'”, said the 42-year old actor.

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“There are certain parts that require a thicker Pakistani or Indian accent, and that’s totally fine, but I just didn’t want the comedy to just be coming from someone exaggerating their accent,” he further added.

Although Kumail did not directly name the film that he turned down, previously he has shared that he auditioned for Marvel’s Deadpool. The film eventually had Karan Soni as a South Asian cab driver.