Actor Kumail Nanjiani hopes Hollywood’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA double-strike will expedite the process of both unions reaching fair deals in renegotiations their contracts with the AMPTP.
“I think it’s exciting. I’m glad that we’re aligned in our goals, because ultimately all the different professions that work within the industry, we’re all doing the same thing,” he told TheWrap. “We’re all making movies and TV shows. That’s what we want to do, that’s what we love doing. So the solidarity, I think, is very exciting and I think it’ll get us to our goals faster.”
The actor, recently Emmy-nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a limited or anthology series or movie for his role as Somen “Steve” Banerjee in Hulu’s “Welcome to Chippendales,” walked the picket lines in front of Paramount Studios Tuesday.
“The issues of residuals, the fact that we don’t know streaming numbers — I think that’s huge,” Nanjiani said. “For the writers, I think the issue of mini-rooms is very, very important right now, and I think AI is important for everyone who works in this industry.”
Nanjiani, who was nominated for a screenplay Oscar for “The Big Sick” and has starred as Kingo in Marvel’s “Eternals,” recently mentored Meko Winbush for Issa Rae’s “Project Greenlight” reboot. In an interview conducted before the actors’ strike, Nanjiani emphasized the importance of collaboration in filmmaking, as documented in the Max reality series.
“It’ll be interesting because it’s almost like a layered experience watching the movie,” Nanjiani told TheWrap of “Project Greenlight.” “You’re not just watching the movie. You’re watching how it interacts with what you know of the making of the movie. So it’ll be fascinating.”
Find all of TheWrap’s strike-related coverage here.
