Kumail Nanjani was told to ‘play up’ accent in audition

OHMYGOSSIP — Kumail Nanjiani was told “play up” his accent when auditioning for a major Hollywood film.
The ‘Eternals’ star – who hails from Pakistan – has revealed that he missed out on a role in the movie as he refused to exaggerate his accent.
Speaking on Variety’s ‘#REPRESENT: Success Stories’, Kumail said: “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 not just not going to do it. If that’s what you want, I’m not your guy.'”
Kumail refused to say what movie it was, but hinted that it was “hugely successful”.
He added: “Still, I don’t regret it.”
The 42-year-old actor also explained how he decided to stop using his accent for cheap laughs in his movies.
Kumail said: “I have a Pakistani accent, but they would be like, ‘Could you make it funnier? Lean in a little bit.’ And at some point, I decided I just wasn’t going to do that.
“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.”
Kumail began to see himself as a success when he started getting offered more than “stereotypical” parts.
He said: “I know (in) my first few years of auditioning all I saw were very very stereotypical parts, so when I started getting offered a few movies that were outside of that, that felt good.”

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