Keynote speaker Kumail Nanjiani chats with THR on the red carpet for our Raising Our Voices event and reflects on how equity, inclusion and diversity impact the entertainment industry. Plus, he dishes on working with Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short in 'Only Murders in the Building' season four.
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00:00You're giving the keynote speech here today at our Raising Our Voices event.
00:04How did you prepare and what do you hope people will take away from your speech?
00:08Well, I prepared by writing a speech. I feel like that was a good start.
00:13I just had a few things that had been like percolating in my head for a couple years
00:17that I've sort of been, you know, because I've been thinking about this stuff a lot,
00:20about inclusion and diversity.
00:22And I was like, oh, this is an opportunity to sort of try and put that all together
00:26and structure in a way that's hopefully articulate.
00:29And so that's kind of what I prepared.
00:33And what do I hope people take away? I mean, I don't know.
00:36I hope that, you know, that the progress continues to be made.
00:41Since I've started working in this industry, I've seen things get a lot better,
00:45but still a lot of room for improvement.
00:47So I just hope we keep heading in the direction we're heading in.
00:50This event is all about equity, inclusion, and diversity and accessibility in Hollywood.
00:55How would you say that embracing these principles
00:58makes the content coming out of the industry just better?
01:01Yeah, that's a big part of what I'm talking about today.
01:04You know, I think a lot of movies and TV have traditionally been made by people
01:09who've had the same backgrounds and experiences.
01:11And so it all starts to feel a little bit samey.
01:14You get people from different backgrounds, different experiences.
01:17Suddenly that freshens up even, you know, older stories.
01:20So I think it just makes stuff feel more unique and specific.
01:25And I think it makes the movies and TV better.
01:30You're currently in the new season of Only Murders in the Building.
01:33What was it like working with Selena, Steve, and Martin on that show?
01:37I mean, really a dream come true, you know.
01:40I've been watching, I'm going to call them Marty and Steve.
01:44I've been watching them since I was a little kid
01:47to get to work with them and see how they work
01:49and get to have a relationship with them has been really, really wonderful.
01:53Just watching their work ethic and how funny they are
01:57and how kind they are, you know, that you can succeed by being a good person.
02:01And same with Selena, you know.
02:03I mean, she's been famous her entire life
02:05and she could not be more grounded, more open, more generous.
02:08And all three of them really, really understood that, you know,
02:12I'm walking into the fourth season of a show.
02:15It can be intimidating working with comedy legends.
02:18They all went out of their way to make me feel welcome.
02:21And, I mean, you know, genuinely, like, the best job I've ever had.
02:27You're also going to be in the new season of Poker Face.
02:30What can you share about your role in that show
02:32and what it was like being on that set?
02:34Oh, I don't know what I can say about it, but I love that show so much.
02:38I absolutely love Natasha and Ryan.
02:41So I was really excited, you know.
02:43Those were two of the shows this year that I wanted to be on.
02:46And I'm very excited that they asked me to do it.
02:51It's unlike any character I've ever played.
02:54It's a really big swing. It's really exciting, really fun.
02:58People are going to be very surprised when they see what I play.
03:03I've truly never done anything like this.
03:05But, again, you know, I've been friends with Natasha for many years.
03:09She's so talented. That show has such a specific voice. It's so fun.
03:12I trust Ryan so much, too.
03:14So, you know, I'm very excited to see that episode because I don't—
03:18I really—I just want to see how it turns out.
03:21It's really, really exciting.
03:23And finally, since we're at the Raising Our Voices event,
03:26what's your advice to emerging artists and creators
03:29who want to embrace equity and inclusion in their work?
03:32I think, I mean, the best you could do is try and make your stuff look like the world, you know.
03:37We're not asking for anything extra.
03:39We're asking for representation that is on par with how the world looks.
03:43So, you know, I think sometimes people overthink it
03:47and sort of go the wrong way
03:50and make decisions based on stuff that doesn't matter.
03:53I think, ultimately, just make your stuff look realistic
03:57and the diversity and inclusion will follow.